Well, Yama (AKA "Mike") started out as my Japanese gardening instructor, but now he's my fiance. :^)

I'm thinkin that the Peabody Essex Museum here in Salem will be a possible venue for workshops introducing Japanese gardening. We'll look into that. But we have tons of garden clubs and other groups that might enjoy it as well. I've noticed Japanese-style garden displays at the Topsfield Fair's gardening and flower exhibits, so here's an opportunity to learn the methods first hand from a bona fide Japanese gardener!

Then again, maybe I'll just keep him to myself and get all of the coaching and training... lol

Welcome to New England, Yama! I'd contact the Arnold Arboretum, too, and maybe the folks who put on the RI Spring Flower show. The NE show usually sets up their lectures far in advance, but I think the RI show is more relaxed - there's no schedule on line yet, as far as I know.

If you're looking to do short lectures at nurseries, maybe you should contact Haskells? Here on Cape Cod, the people who run Pondscapes (in Bourne, on rt 28a) are way into Japanese gardens, and sometimes have lectures.

Congratulations to you both!

Yama - Welcome to New England and Congrats to You and Cady!! I'm hopeful you can join us at Logee's in January if you're up this way.

I can't imagine any nursery or garden destination Not wanting someone to teach Japanese gardening.

BTW: My son, who has been accepted at Kunsai Gaidai U. in Osaka, has been growing Bonsai since he was about ten. I've just started gardening on a new lot, and a meditation garden is planned for '09. I'll come to your lectures no matter where they are!

There is a strong interest here in Connecticut for all things Japanese, so if you decide you'd like to head South by all means let me know and I'll do what I can to run interference with friends in the biz.

Martie

Hi Mike:

I live in Fairfield county (connecticut) and I think there would be many people down in this area who might be interested in what you have to offer...............and perhaps more particularly interested in applying Japanese principles of design, pruning and care to their own gardens in the northeast............let me know if you make it down this way!!

Best wishes, Melanie

Melanie,
My older brother and his family are in Fairfield Cty, so Mike and I will be visiting that part of Conn. fairly regularly!

Wow ! thank you for your quick responce.

Martie
I have a old magazine which has location of bonsai nurseries in Osaka area. Also I have freinds who are board member of Japan nursery Asociatin. If your son need to know specialty bosai nursery or hard to find plants, let's me to know. I may be able to help. I can locate them from here.
I look forwad to see you near future.

Melanie.
Thank you. If you happen to know someone intresting in having us for as speaker,or demonstration, Please let's us to know. Once I settle, We are going to visit to Cady's brother and his family. Both of them are professor( brother and his wife) We let's you know when We visit to Fairfield.

digingthedirt
Thank you for your sugestion.
Yama is part of my last name. I found words of "Yama" in Sunskrit and Hindo dictionaly. One of meaning of Yama is ruler of hell. But I'm the a guy tear when watching sad story movie ^^. I have lived in Miami for 13 years, 19 and 1/2 years in Georgia. Probably New England will be my the last place to live. Once I settle , I will post/ write something usefull to New England gardeners.
Thank you again.

yama

Cady and Mike,

First, I think you definitely should contact Oliver Nursery in Fairfield, CT. They have experience in organaizing 'special events' and 'classes'.

Oliver Nurseries Inc.
1159 Bronson Rd
Fairfield, CT 06430
USA
ph.(203) 259-5609
Scott(owner) or Jed (trees & shrubs dept).

Second, you are invited to visit me when you'll be in our neck of the woods. I'm in Westport,CT.

George

My SIL must know Oliver Nurseries, since she shops at garden centers. I'll check with her. We have a family friend in Westport, too! Small world. I also have cousins scattered around Connecticut, and Mike/Yama has a friend at Pride's Corner nurseries, so Conn. may turn out to be a great place to find locales for offering workshops and seminars.

I suggest that you develop a one-hour (no more!) program to deliver to garden clubs. The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts offers the opportunity for speakers to present short versions of their programs to garden club program chairs (chairmen) every spring. Then these chairs plan their upcoming programs. Check www.gcfm.org for more info.

Garden clubs in nearby New England states are also always seeking new speakers. Speaking to garden clubs is a great way to get yourself known to many horticultural and civic groups seeking speakers. They are looking for speakers who are both knowledgeable in their fields and reasonably entertaining.

Are you experienced in public speaking? Can you project and speak with a minimum accent? If you want to improve those skills, you should try joining a Toastmasters group. They are terrific and in almost every community--check the paper or the public library to locate one.

Your topic is fresh and groups such as garden clubs are always seeking something new. Good luck! Any friend of Cady's is a friend of ours!!

Are you aiming for giving lectures or for holding hands-on workshops to teach techniques?

I seem to remember a post a few years back which showed you teaching a classic Japanese technique that involved an elaborate wood structure. I'm sorry I don't remember much about it, except that it was fascinating and a totally new concept for me.

A workshop might be of interest to the UMass Extension folks.

In any case, you come with good references (Cady).

Claire

Something like a huge tripod to move a heavy boulder .... I'll probably wake up in the middle of the night and remember a little more.

Claire

You're right, Claire. I posted photos of Mike using a tripod (handmade from hickory trees) and block/tackle to move boulders. He was helping make a garden for a church in Georgia.

Last year we went to New England Grows -- the green industry tradeshow -- and watched guys move rocks using a metal tripod. Mike decided that metal being lighter than hickory, the "new fangled" version might be the way to go now. Certainly easier to buy one of those than make a hickory tripod from scratch. Especially when you have to find and harvest the trees. lol

Yama:

Many thanks for your offer to help my son. He is thrilled at the prospect. At this point he is deciding between study in Osaka and Devon, England. Kunsai Gaidai had temporarily suspended all international student programs for the semester he had planned to go (Spring 2007), but now want him to come in the Fall 2007. If he chooses to go to Osaka, he will certainly write you privately. Thanks, again.

Let me know when you permanently arrive in New England and I will be glad to send you a list of contacts I have in the nursery industry.

Again, Welcome!!

Martie

Conngratulations Cady and Yama,
My first selfish thought in reading this thread was the hope that we could attract a large enough GW NE forum to a "gathering" that we could hire Yama to speak...how cool would that be! I have no connections to offer but wonder if New England Bamboo might be a nursery that you would want to connect with?
Wondering what the wedding gift registery list looks like?
1. Forest Farm
2. ????

Lol. You guys are too much. Thanks. To be honest, I was a little worried what you would think after I wrote about my Evil Inclinations on the Lucky Bamboo Forum.

I think that Yama/Mike would rather demonstrate and show our NE Forum friends how to do hands-on, than just speak. And not for money (though you might have to supply your own tools). He used to have a bamboo grove in Georgia where he could harvest lots of bamboo for fences, vases and other craftsy things, but here in New England he will have to learn the hard way that bamboo doesn't get as big, and takes longer to grow to any size, than in the South.

I have been a customer of New England Bamboo for many years, and know owner Chris DeRosa (a sweet guy, and knowledgeable). Yama and I went up to see the bamboo there a while ago. You're right, it's a good resource.

Cady and Mike:

Anytime you want to come to Faifield County, please let me (us) know.............you are always welcome in the gardening community!! Oliver's is a great place to start - one of the best in the area, with many hard to come by and unusual plants.............BTW, I lived in Japan for a short while about 15 years ago, so I know and love Japanese gardens..............and I have bamboo!!! Email when you think you might be heading this way................best wishes, Melanie

I just got a newsletter from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and it occurred to me that this might be a great place for your class.

The BBG has a strong connection with the local Japanese-American community and has a number of events related to Japanese society. There's the Cherry Blossom Festival

Sakura Matsuri

and the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

Japanese Garden

Brooklynites and other NYC residents would probably love your class, and so would people from the surrounding suburbs who frequent the garden.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: BBG Performers Lecturers and Craftspeople Info

Wow. Great resources, Claire. I've been wanting to go to the BBG for ages, particularly during their cherry blossom festival. I'll make sure Mike sees this (the friends he is staying with right now in Georgia have three kids, so his access time for the computer is limited).
Melanie, we have bamboo here too, it's just not big enough yet! Did you visit any of the famous gardens when you were in Japan?

Hi all.
Thank you for good sugestions.
Claire
Trypod is very usefull tools. able to lift and set boulder
up side down, sideway up or any position. Boulder or large tree can be move with trypod where heavy equipment can't to be use. Once trypod is elected, 1 to 3 ton boulder can be handled by 3 men over 3 ton, 4 men can handle larger than 3 ton.
This is not thing that I cann't explain in writing. To handle heavy boulder need to know how to make knots, how to plece wire cable right way,or place. boulder can go over 2~ 3 feet hight wall, Go steps up and down without damaging surounding/shurbs, hard scape.

I can set extion ladder 20 feet high not touching tree branchs. or use ladder where no other type of ladder cannot be use, edge of pond, steep hill side. If gate has 32 inch wide and boulder width 30 inch, I can move boulder without touching the gate.

I taught Cady how to use rope to accend and decend in tree. When She came to my class, I asked Cady if you want to climb up tree with tree sadle and rope. I showed her how to use rope and use own body to climb into tree. Cady took about 20 minutes to climb half way to large oak tree.
Showed her how to split bamboo, how to identify age of bamboo, how to transport bamboo and prune, how to make bamboo fence, how to tie. Make some tool with bamboo, such as trowel, pin, nail, knife, bamboo broom, flower vase, sheath for sharp knife or hachet, scraper, how to bent large diameter bamboo or small piece. How to make bamboo bonsai etc.

Gardening is not rocket science. If you see it and do it your self, it is easier than most people think. When you do something new or need to have safty of work, then you need to have some guidance from expierenced people.

If middle aged Cady can climb up tree( sorry Cady ), you can climb up tree too.

Christian who came form GreenvillSouth Carolina,
to every my Japanese garden class in 2003, 200 miles away , Scott from Birmingham, Ala 120 miles a way, Cady from Salem, Mas
1100 miles away, Edzard was also going to come From Albert Canada but he snowed out.

Shortly after I showed Christian how to make bamboo fence, not only showed him, he made bamboo fenfe with Cady and Richard, then he made bamboo fence him self. I can give him A+.
Some of bamboo fence called " Nanako gaki " is very simple to make. Every one can make it once you see it.

Thank you every one of you who responded to my question. I should to respond to your posting much earlier. Some how I am limied to access to PC and I am very slow to type and am sorry for it.
I posted usefull hint today in other thread. I am thinking to write about wisteria. how to transplant, potting , controle growth and make it more flower, how to prune, hint for arbor, how to identify flowre bud.perhaps how to make wisteria bonsai etc. If proper to do it.

Japanese Wistria " Texas pride" one of wisteria I had from Monrobia nusery Cal....... Sorry I am making many misspellng/ writing without dictionary .
I will use dictionary next time
............................... mike