Bonsai Exhibition at the Garden!

THE PUGET SOUND BONSAI EXHIBITION FILLED THE MEADOW WITH WONDERFUL PLANTS.
The paulownia tree (the tree that the koto is made from) towers over the garden entrance....Paulownia blossoms have bloomed since last week.

The garden was full of visitors fascinated with the bonsai plants...what a change from last year, when it poured so hard we had to stop playing because the water was splashing over the tent shade and onto our instruments. It was wonderful to to play under blue skies, in warm weather! We talked to a woman from China who told us that "Sukiyaki Song" (Ue o Muite) is also a popular song in China, which we didn't know. We also met some visitors from California and finally met in person Jonathan Lawson, who has played our music on KBCS.  There were lots of kids enjoying the fish and turtles today, and people were sitting  and laying on the grass and soaking in the warmth.  

Our sons Jesse and Brian enjoy the garden Emma and her dad Mike.

Six-month old twins enjoy the music from under the cherry trees.

Yellow azaleas adorn the little teahouse storage room.

As always, the Puget Sound Bonsai Exhibition is breathtaking....

Mother's Day....

THE PAULOWNIA TREE outside the garden has  a few purple buds showing! (Click on the picture below to see them.)

It has been threatening to rain, with heavy clouds for three days. During the course of the afternoon we had clouds, sprinkles of rain, and a bit of sun now and then, with small gusts of wind.  We talked to our friend Eric (who also plays shakuhachi) and his girlfriend, and her parents who are visiting from Germany. There were quite a few families walking through, and with the help of all the kids, the carp and ducks had a lot to eat today. 


A new color this week: YELLOW! 

A single magnolia, ready to bloom, on a magnolia tree.

Some of the rhodidendrons are blooming; this one is full of buds.

MORE YELLOW!

The cherry trees in the upper part of the orchard are full of blossoms. The lower ones are still at the bud stage...


A crow strolls through the garden.
Beautiful blossoms reflected in the pond. 

Spring is in the air!

"Pathfinder, there is no path. You must make the path as you walk." -- Antonoio Machado

We arrived under cloudy skies at the garden yesterday afternoon, and it was so full of trees and flowers getting ready to burst in to bloom. The clouds were a bit disappointing after yesterday's sunshine, but with all the cold weather recently we were happy to be able to play in the spring air.

We played to a fairly quiet garden, and talked to a Vietnamese couple, who compared Japanese koto music to the music of the similar stringed instrument in Vietnam, the Dantran: "Japanese music is pulling at ou from the inside, it is somewhat sad, with something left unsaid; Vietnamese music is cheerful, happy, and clear....". We also met a young woman who has a Chinese version of the koto, the guzheng, and a Spanish teacher who will be taking her first trip to Japan this summer.

Under today's clouds the wood and bark looked especially dark, contrasting with the verdant greens of the garden today.

A turtle contemplates the stone lantern...At about 2:45 it started to rain. Bicyclist Herb ducked under cover to get out of the rain and say hello. Brian and Jesse - our sons - helped to carry the instruments and gear.





Elegant magnolia blossoms have survived the recent cold and seem full of hope.

The cherry trees in the meadow are ready to burst into bloom....




Each branch is so full of buds!

April 13th, 2008

Our friend and regular garden visitor Bruce just sent us this picture....Thanks, Bruce!
In the mid-40's today -- dropping from 80 degrees yesterday! The quiet calm of the cool weather made it a great day to get reacquinted with with the garden wildlife - ducks and turtles were out and about!

Camelia trees in bloom, and more blossoms at the stone lantern.

A pair of ducks looking for food under the cherry trees...
and diving for food in the water....
The cherry trees are beginning to blossom.
Turtles lined up on a rock together. Magnolias were blooming after yesterday's warmth.

John is still playing with gloves and a wool coat. After yesterday's warmth, we weren't expecting this! Mother nature really never runs out of surprises.
Our friend Bruce, a regular at the garden who always sits and listens, even if it is sprinkling with rain.

Yesterday it was 80...and today it was in the mid-40's! We couldn't believe how cool it had gotten in 24 hours.  It was a fairly quiet garden day (yesterday it was packed, we heard) and we played to the cherry trees, wandering ducks and turtles. One passerby noted that the birds and fish seemed to like the music; we met a mother and daughter from Bellevue and played "Sakura" for a woman whose granddaughter is named Sakura. We also talked with Bruce for the first time this season - a regular to the garden. We thought he must live nearby because we see him there so often, but we found out he actually walks on weekends, and it takes about an hour and a half from his home up north!  What an inspiration.