Japanese Garden wih Cane Sculpture Backing

Thanks Bren

Very peaceful, very Zen

Thanks Janine, like Jean I over the cane. Mine is a real plant unlike her plastic one so would have thought it stuck fairly easily. oh no.

It's beautiful Jax - now I can see why you're inspired Jean!

I used PVA for all of it.

Having the bamboo posts gave something firm for the cane to resist agains. I started with the two cross pieces, made sure they were firm before I started on the flexible cane. You could use wood struts for uprights I suppose if you don't have any bamboo to hand.

Then I glued all the pieces at the bottom that are together, leaving the tops swinging free. The next day I unpegged and had to do the curves one at a time, pegging each as I went.

I do remember it wasn't a simple task.

Spoke too soon, some's sprung apart. I will leave it now and have another go when I'm not so tired.

I have spent hours trying to glue it together. I've used super glue, pva and bostic. I've wrapped masking tape round to try and hold it together but nothing has held. I am now in the process of taking each piece of masking tape off at a time and wrapping cotton round but not very neatly It is holding it together though.

Oh, and if you use large stones like the two areas not gravelled, they do not actually touch each other.

I had to peg it until the glue held it. The main stays are obviously pieces of bamboo that the edge canes glue down into and give stability to it all.
For the centre crosspiece the bamboo was drilled and then the cane glued in. At the base it is a square piece of wood. Easier to glue the ends of the cane onto, but again the bamboo supports were drilled and the wood glued in.

Don't forget, if you're going to do any garden with it, that you never have four points meet together, the magic number for Japanese design is 3, hence you get some odd shapes, like my Bo-Gu shelving on the other site.

I have a complete book about the different knots that they use for this sort of thing. Generally it would be an obvious twine. The one I copied was done with black. Really stands out. I suppose I could have used some black cotton, but I don't see that the knots would have been seen anyway.

The rocks I made from clay. The brick and stones are from Richard Stacey. You can just about see the 'waves' in the gravel. If I did another I think I would use sand. Can get much finer waves that way.

Anything else you want to know, just ask.

Oops! Sorry I didn't read properly, I was so excited with the picture

Oooo! Jax. You are a star That looks wonderful.

How is the cane held in place? Is it just glue?

Made this around 18 months ago, based on a picture from a book.

They actually tie their canes with pretty knots, but I glued them because I didn't think the knots would be seen