Yesterday’s blog post talked about the work we undertook in the Food Garden of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG). In addition, and as soon as we had eaten our lunches, Coordinator Adam took us on a tour of the specialist Japanese Garden located elsewhere in the RTBG – just for a treat and because we don’t make time to look at other parts of the large Garden complex when we come to volunteer. During recent months and while we have been away, major changes have been made to the fence and gateway into the garden, and to the operation of the waterways within that garden.

Last September the aged fence and entrance looked as follows.

Now a beautifully constructed custom-built fence and entrance is set to last another 30 or more years.

The waterway is a system of interconnected ponds which, with the aid of a pump, is maintained by recirculating water. As the set-up has aged, some water was being lost. Now all has been cleaned and repaired to create a secure magical environment. The water is comparatively shallow so no fish have been added, however from time to time goldfish are seen swimming. Where they come from is unknown – they don’t last long and quickly become a meal for local birds.

Our tour was exceptionally interesting as Adam explained how traditional Japanese gardeners prune trees and we looked at some examples where that careful professional work had been undertaken (I found a video which gives some indication of the meticulous work required). As we left we admired the shaping of a few box plants.

This was an educational experience layered with beauty, creativity, and wonder. Entrancing. The Japanese Garden felt like a sanctuary of calm, stillness and peace. We hope that Adam may introduce us to other parts of the RTBG on future Thursdays.