Zebrawood

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Zebrawood vinyl log siding

The name zebrawood is used for wood with a figure that reminds of the striping of a zebra, with dark stripes on a light background. The name will usually refer to a wood yielded by the species of Microberlinia, but may be applied to other woods, mostly belonging to the same family, but not exclusively so, for example: goncalo alves. concrete form plywood

Zebrawood proper taylormade rac

The wood of Microberlinia, also known as Zebrano, is imported from Central Africa, (Gabon, Cameroon, and Congo). The heartwood is a pale golden yellow, distinct from the very pale colour of the sapwood and features narrow streaks of dark brown to black. Zebrawood can also be a pale brown with regular or irregular marks of dark brown in varying widths. It is almost always quartersawn to get the exciting alternating colour pattern.

It is a heavy and hard wood with a somewhat coarse texture, often with an interlocked or wavy grain. The interlocked grain of this wood, like that of many tropical woods, can make it difficult to work.

It is a decorative exotic wood, used in a limited way for veneer, wall paneling, custom furniture, furniture trim, inlay bandings, marquetry, specialty items and turnery. It is also sometimes seen as stocks of handguns or in exotic guitars. In the past it was used in Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Because of its hardness, it can also be used for skis and tool handles.

Environmental issues

Zebrawood is considered a threatened species in its native habitat. Its fast-growing popularity in the West has resulted in some reforestation efforts but this is not keeping up with the pace of destruction.

The extensive use of zebrawood in Prada's flagship Manhattan store in 2002 resulted in protests from environmentalists and a promise from Prada never to use wood from endangered forests again.

External links

"Woods to avoid"

Categories: Wood

A Flock of Seagulls

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History

A Flock of Seagulls was started by Mike Score and his brother Ali in 1979 in Liverpool. Mike, who was previously a hairdresser, played keyboards, guitar, and vocals, Ali played drums and their friend Frank Maudsley played bass. The band took their name from a line in the song "Toiler on the Sea" by The Stranglers, which appears on their album Black and White. The band added guitarist Willie Woo, and Mark Edmondson joined briefly when Ali and Mike had a falling out; however, Ali re-joined when Mark took ill. They then began writing songs. Soon after, Willie left, allowing Paul Reynolds to join. They then started playing clubs, and soon enough, they got a contract.

Eventually, under the management of Tommy Crossan and Mick Rossi (Checkmount Limited), they began to release singles through Jive Records. The group released an EP and a couple of singles, 'Its Not Me Talking' and 'Telecommunication' on Bill Nelson's 'Cocteau' label; both tracks produced by Nelson. In 1982 the group's third single "I Ran (So Far Away)" became a worldwide hit, most notably reaching number 1 in Australia and the top 10 in the US and New Zealand (where the band became popular). The parent album A Flock of Seagulls and another single "Space Age Love Song" were also successful. In late 1982 the band found major success in their home country with "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" (first single from their next album) which reached the top 10. As it turned out, 1982 would prove to be the peak year of their commercial and critical success. hair blow dryer

1983 saw the release of three singles to back their second album Listen. Each was only a minor success in the UK and abroad. The album bore a heavily processed electronic sound that was a break from the Duran Duran guitar and bass driven sound of their dbut. Faced with disappointment the group produced a third album in 1984 that leant closer to a guitar sound. "The More You Live, The More You Love" was The Story of a Young Heart's lead single. It was moderately successful, despite having production that recalled their breakout hit "I Ran". The album's other two singles - "Never Again (The Dancer)" and "Remember David" - didn't make any headway. t3 tourmaline hair dryer

Faced with sliding sales and a loss of direction following the third album the group relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania minus Paul Reynolds. Eventually in 1985 the group released a new album; Dream Come True. Despite having a new sound based around the Fairlight Synthesizer the album was critically panned and a commercial failure. The remaining members fell out and A Flock Of Seagulls in its original incarnation disbanded. In promotion of Dream Come True, two videos - "Who's That Girl" and "Heartbeat Like a Drum" - were filmed in quick succession. These two videos were the last time the three remaining members were together in a recording or performance capacity until 2004. hair dryer wall mount

In November 2003, the original line-up (Mike and Ali Score, Paul Reynolds and Frank Maudsley) reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series, Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and played a small number of live shows in the United States, but broke up immediately afterward.

Maudsley returned to Liverpool and is now the owner of a newsagent in the City Centre, while Mike and Ali Score stayed in Philadelphia. The brothers then had a falling out that resulted in Mike Score remaining as the sole original member of the band and Ali going to Boston, where he played in a hard rock band and then worked for a computer company in Cambridge.

Post 1989 developments

Following the dissolution of the band in the wake of Dream Come True, Mike Score resurfaced in a series of new bands with changing line-ups. The band released two singles ("Magic" and "Burnin' Up") and one album (The Light at the End of the World) which achieved some success. The group made a cameo appearance in the 1999 movie The Suburbans, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Will Ferrell.

In 2003, A Flock of Seagulls performed for the unveiling of the Syracuse A-league football logo and team's name, Syracuse Salty Dogs, in Syracuse, New York. The band returned later that year for a performance at one of the Salty Dogs' games at Syracuse's P&C Stadium.

In November 2003, the original line-up (Mike and Ali Score, Paul Reynolds and Frank Maudsley) reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and played a small number of live shows in the United States, but broke up immediately afterward. The reunion included performances at Nike Run Hit Wonder (L.A., not NYC), a series of 5000 and 10,000-metre road races, featuring popular bands that are frequently classified as one hit wonders (including Devo, General Public, and Tommy Tutone) who performed along the race course.

Mike Score continues to tour under the band's name with a new line-up, but the other original members have retired from music. The band played a show at Classic Bowl in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

The band's 2005 lineup was Mike Score, lead singer, keyboards; Joe Rodriguez, lead guitarist; Pando bassist; and Michael Brahm, drums. In June 2005, the current line-up appeared on the debut episode of the American edition of NBC's Hit Me Baby One More Time. Besides performing their hit song "I Ran (So Far Away)", they also performed a cover of Ryan Cabrera's "On the Way Down".

In an interview on the VH1 special 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s, Mike Score said "Every time he performs live... Everyone just wants to hear 'I Ran'", and goes on to say "...and I'm sick of it!". Also that he resents the song, but plays it live because people enjoy it. "I Ran" was listed at #55 on the countdown. He said the same thing in VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s, and was listed at #2 on this countdown. The interview on 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s was the exact same one that was shown on 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.

A Flock of Seagulls performed at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines on April 19, 2008 as part of "The Lost 80s Live in Manila" tour along with Gene Loves Jezebel and Real Life.

On February 4, 2010 Flock of Seagulls played at the Ghostbar at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike Score was the only original band member, They were the only band that played that night starting at 12:30 am.

Personnel

Classic line-up (19791984)

Frank Maudsley Bass

Paul Reynolds Guitar

Ali Score Drums

Mike Score Keyboards, Vocals

Discography

Studio Albums

Year

Album

Chart Positions

U.K

DEU

SE

U.S

AUS

1981

Modern Love Is Automatic EP

Release Date: 1981

Label: Jive Records

1982

A Flock of Seagulls

Release Date: June 1982

Label: Jive Records

32

26

32

10

19

1983

Listen

Release Date: May 1983

Label: Zomba Records

16

14

44

16

90

1984

The Story of a Young Heart

Release Date: August 1984

Label: Jive/Arista

30

31

67

1985

Dream Come True

Release Date: 1985 (UK), March 1986 (US)

Label: Jive Records

1995

The Light at the End of the World

Release Date: 1995

Label: I.R.S. Records

Compilation Albums

The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls 1991

20 Classics Of The 80's 1995

Wishing (compilation album) 1996

The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls (Import) 1998

Greatest Hits Remixed 1999

I Ran (live album) 1999

Platinum & Gold Collection (compilation album) 2003

Essential New Wave 2003

I Ran: The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls 2003

We Are The 80's 2006

Space Age Love Songs 2008

Playlist: The Very Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls (compilation album) 2008

Singles

Year

Title

Album

Chart Positions

U.K.

U.K. Indie

AUS

DEU

IRL

U.S

Hot 100

MSR

Dance Club Play

1981

"(It's Not Me) Talking"

45

"Telecommunication"

A Flock of Seagulls

19

1982

"I Ran (So Far Away)"

43

1

31

9

3

8

"Space Age Love Song"

34

68

30

59

"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)"

Listen

10

46

37

6

26

3

62

1983

"(It's Not Me) Talking" (Cocteau Records re-issue)

22

"Nightmares"

Listen

53

"Transfer Affection"

38

22

"(It's Not Me) Talking" (Rerecording)

78

1984

"The More You Live, The More You Love"

The Story of a Young Heart

26

37

56

10

"Never Again (The Dancer)"

"Remember David"

1985

"Who's That Girl (She's Got It)"

Dream Come True

66

1986

"Heartbeat Like a Drum"

1989

"Magic"

1995

"Magic" (Re-issue)

The Light at the End of the World

"Burnin' Up"

1996

"Rainfall"

2000

"Rainfall" (Re-issue)

2007

"I Ran (So Far Away)" (A Flock Of Seagulls vs. The Angry Kids)

Video Albums

Year

Title

Format

1984

Through the Looking Glass

Notes: Features A Flock of Seagulls songs from 19811984 and a brief interview.

VHS

Hairstyle

Mike Score's distinctive hairstyle has been mentioned, copied, and parodied many times in the media:

In the American television sitcoms Friends (by Chandler in a flashback to his and Ross's college years, when they had formed a New Wave band)

In That '70s Show when they parodied the '80s.

It was referred to, as a means of scoff, in Pulp Fiction.

In the musical The Wedding Singer the character Sammy sings a line in the song "Saturday Night" referring to Mike Score's hair style: "Can't wait 'til chicks start flocking to my Flock of Seagulls hair".

A Diet Pepsi commercial shows a man telling us that he wants to feel young again, then it shows a montage of the man with Score's hairstyle while the song "I Ran (So Far Away)" plays, but finding out it's a bad idea.

In the song "Albuquerque" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, the song's main character encounters a hermaphrodite with a "Flock of Seagulls haircut"

In a Supercuts commercial, a man enters a hair salon. After a few moments he notices that the only hairstyle given is Mike Score's famous haircut. (In the background, the sound of seagulls can be heard.)

When Danny Pintauro came out of the closet, The Daily Show referred to his Flock of Seagulls haircut on Who's the Boss? as an indicator of his orientation.

In the film The Wedding Singer, Adam Sandler's character approaches an airline ticket agent who is sporting a Mike Score hairstyle. The ticket agent says "Do you like Flock of Seagulls?" with Sandler's reply, "I can see you do."

In an XM Satellite Radio TV commercial, the logo's wavelengths take different shapes; one of which is Mike Score's hairstyle as the guitar riff for "I Ran (So Far Away)" plays on the background.

In the Larry the Cable Guy Christmas Special, Tony Orlando and Larry look at photographs of the past and sees a picture of Larry with Mike Score's hairstyle. Orlando says, "Look at that! The 80s!" Larry replies, "No, that was actually last year. I just like Flock of Seagulls."

In an episode of Family Guy titled "One If by Clam, Two If by Sea", Peter can be seen with a haircut similar to Mike Score's in the beginning of the episode.

In the swiffer commercial, an 80's DJ imitates the hairstyle.

The band is referenced in Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me when Austin Powers says "The 70s and the 80s? You're not missing anything, believe me. I've looked into it. There's a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls. That's about it."

Grammy Award

The album track, "D.N.A.", from A Flock of Seagulls, won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

References

^ A Flock of Seagulls on MySpace Music

^ A Flock of Seagulls Fan Club

^ Smith, Steve Bits and Pieces: the Penguin Book of Rock and Pop Facts and Trivia. Penguin, 1988 ISBN 0140107436

^ http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=10242

^ a b http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3577

^ a b http://www.charts-surfer.de/

^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=A|FLOCK|OF|SEAGULLS&sql=11:3ifixqe5ldje~T5

^ a b Kent, David Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. David Kent, 1993 ISBN 0646119176

^ http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/a.htm

^ http://www.irishcharts.ie/

^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=A|FLOCK|OF|SEAGULLS&sql=11:3ifixqe5ldje~T51

^ Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) - Memorable quotes (IMDB)

External links

Official MySpace site

Fan Club site

AFOS Online

Categories: British New Wave musical groups | 1980s music groups | Grammy Award winners | English musical groups | Music from LiverpoolHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from January 2008 | All articles needing additional references

Benjy Bronk

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Early life

Of Jewish and Hawaiian descent, Bronk was born in Pumpkintown, South Carolina on September 4, 1967. He grew up in Gullah Island, South Carolina and in Clemson, South Carolina. He attended D. W. Daniel High School. Bronk was a high school wrestler, played in a Shofar band and was a South Carolina State Hula Hoop champion (first non-African American ever to win in the state) In 1993, he earned a BA in general arts and sciences from Penn State University, where he was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. His father is a college professor with a PhD in physics from Princeton.

Joining Stern accu check strips

In 1998, Benjy began working on The Howard Stern Show as an intern, doing pre-interviews of show guests and gathering articles for Robins Quiver's news. By 2001, Benjy took over Jackie Martling's former role of writing on-the-spot jokes and funny lines for Stern as the show transpires. (On rare occasions, Bronk also writes jokes for cast member Artie Lange, who was a more official yet figurative replacement for Martling). Benjy sits in the studio between Lange and Fred Norris. Benjy is perhaps best known on the show for his state of "schtick coma", in which Bronk will continuously do something he believes to be humorous, with little regard for the reaction of those around him. This is also sometimes dubbed the "Benjy vortex". Benjy is a past FM-ie winner for a phone call in which he pretended to be Bill Clinton, fooling an elderly black woman into having phone sex. cervical collar

Bronk appeared on The Anna Nicole Show after her appearance on the Stern Show. According to Anna, they "had a drink, and the next thing I knew, my head was in Benjy's lap and I loved it" finger splint

On December 10, 2008, Bronk started a fast in support of Bubba the Love Sponge being re-signed by their mutual employer Sirius Satellite Radio. Bubba, a personality on Howard 101, was in the midsts of contentious contract negotiations. Bronk said he would only drink water until Bubba was re-signed by Sirius. He broke his fast soon after it began, as was discovered during intense interrogation by Stern. Bronk confessed to breaking his fast by eating an entire tomato and some seaweed, and claimed that Bubba sanctioned his binge.

On April 17, 2007 Bronk interrupted a live CNBC newscast urging people to vote for Sanjaya. He was then dragged off camera by two CNBC cameramen, while still yelling.

On May 7, 2007 Benjy won the Stern show's "Battle of the Blobs" competition, losing 64 lbs over the course of the competition, dropping from 267 lb (121 kg; 19.1 st) to 203 lb (92 kg; 14.5 st), almost a 24% weight loss. Since then, Howard revealed he gained most of it back.

Bronk often insists he is 1 year younger than his actual age. On September 3, 2009, reporter Steve Langford of Howard100 News revealed that his research had uncovered numerous pieces of compelling evidence showing his birthday to be September 4, 1967. In spite of this evidence, Bronk still insisted that he was actually born on September 24, 1971.

The Benjy Bronk Show

On December 19, 2005, WXRK General Manager Tom Chiusano fulfilled an agreement with Stern to let Benjy run the show for part of the day, dubbing it "The Benjy Bronk Show", during which Benjy interviewed several people, including original Beatles drummer Pete Best, Howard Stern Wack Packer Daniel Carver, and a person imitating a 12-year-old black girl. Benjy also interviewed Fran Baskerville, the singing psychic who claims to have predicted the September 11, 2001 attacks. The show could be heard on frequency 92.3 until Chiusano prematurely called an end to the show before its scheduled 10AM finish.

Political statements

Benjy declared to be a Libertarian on the November 8, 2006 "Howard Stern Wrap-up Show". In the November 7, 2006 elections, he claimed to have voted for every Libertarian on the ballot and manually wrote in votes for himself or colleague Doug Goodstein wherever Libertarian candidates were not an option. Benjy received two write-in votes in the 2005 election for New York City Civil Court Judgeship, as well as one vote for the office of Manhattan Borough President.

Paris Hilton's new best friend

Benjy Bronk has submitted himself for the contest of becoming Paris Hilton's new "best friend", in her reality tv-show. On Wednesday, March 19, 2008 two days after joining, Bronk, under the username "BenjyBenjy" was ranked in first place with over 18,000 votes, after having the poll mentioned two times on the show. When voting closed in May 2008, Benjy was solidly in first place with over 400,000 votes. However, Bronk did not appear on the television show because it would have required him to miss nearly two months of work. Stern said that Benjy's contribution to the show was too important for him to go missing for that amount of time.

See also

Howard 100

Sirius Satellite Radio

Detlev Bronk

References

^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0111444/

^ dreidel_hustler (2008-03-19). "Heeb HQ Benjy Bronk: The Heeb Interview". Heeb Media, LLC. http://www.heebmagazine.com/blog/view/598. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 

^ Kaplan, Jason; Thomas Panasci (2007-05-07). "The Rundown". http://www.howardstern.com/rundown.hs?month=April&day=18&year=2007&x=33&y=2. Retrieved 2007-04-18. 

^ "The Rundown". 2007-04-18. pp. 1. http://www.howardstern.com/archive.hs?h=1027&p=3. Retrieved 2007-04-18. 

^ Statement and Return Report for Certification. General Election 2006 - Representative in Congress 14th Congressional District.

^ Statement and Return Report for Certification. General Election 2006 - Judge of the Civil Court District - 9th Municipal Court District - New York.

^ MTV's ParisBFF.com

External links

Benjy Bronk at the Internet Movie Database

http://parisbff.com/people/BenjyBenjy Benjy Bronk's profile on Paris Hilton's New Best friend

Howard Stern Wikia A Howard Stern Wikia Project -- "You Take That Back"

v  d  e

Howard Stern and The Howard Stern Show

Howard Stern

Private Parts (1993)  Miss America  Private Parts (1997)  Television shows  Pay-per-view specials and tapes  Fartman  The Losers

Current staff

Howard Stern  Robin Quivers  Artie Lange  Fred Norris  Benjy Bronk  Gary Dell'Abate  Richard Christy  Sal Governale  George Takei  More...

Former staff

Billy West  Jackie Martling  Al Rosenberg  John Melendez  KC Armstrong  More...

The Wack Pack

Beetlejuice  Daniel Carver  Eric the Midget  Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf  Nicole Bass  Riley Martin  Suzanne Muldowney  More...

Howard 100 and 101

Howard 100 News  The Wrap-Up Show  Bubba the Love Sponge  Scott Ferrall  Superfan Roundtable  Master Tape Theatre  The History of Howard Stern  More...

Celebrity guests  Show games and bits  Supertwink

Categories: American comedians | American radio writers | Living people | Penn State University alumni | People from South Carolina | 1967 birthsHidden categories: BLP articles lacking sources | Articles lacking reliable references from December 2008 | All articles lacking sources | Articles with hCards

Accoya wood

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Preservation process

There are a number of different processes that can extend the life of wood. These aim to increase the durability and overall resistance of the wood to stop it being damaged by insects and fungus making it more resistant to decay. Accoya wood has a number of patents pending relating specifically to its methods of preservation, which make its processes unique. However its technology is based on wood acetylation, a process that has been studied by scientists, globally, for around 80 years.

Wood contains chemical groups called "free hydroxyls". These absorb and discharge water according to the climatic circumstances to which the wood is exposed. This is one of the main causes of wood shrinking and swelling in size. It is also understood that the digestion of wood by enzymes begins at the free hydroxyl locations - which is one of the main reasons that wood is prone to decay. deck rails

Acetylation, in essence, changes the free hydroxyls within the wood into acetyl groups. This is done by creating a reaction between the wood and the acetic anhydride, which comes from acetic acid. When the free hydroxyl group is changed to an acetyl group, the ability of the wood to absorb water is significantly decreased, making the wood more stable and, because it is no longer digestible, much more durable. gutter systems

Sustainability polycarbonate sheets

The responsible acquisition of sustainable wood plays a vital role in re-enforcing the proposition of Accoya wood as an environmentally responsible product. All Accoya wood is produced from well managed, sustainable sources, including FSC, PEFC and other regionally-certified woods. Accoya wood procedures are also assessed annually by an independent certification body to ensure that they meet FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody guidelines.

Accoya projects

Accoya wood is suitable for a wide range of exterior wood structures and has been used in a number of varying external applications including window frames, doors and shutters, cladding, siding, facades, decking and garden furniture. It has also been put to more imaginative use, such as in the building of traffic road bridges, the largest of which opened in the Netherlands in autumn 2008 to support two lanes of traffic across a 30 metre span which has a design life of 80 years. This formidable wood has also been used to create art structures, decking, boats, zoo fences, swimming pools and to contribute to the environmental credentials of energy efficient homes.

In May 2008, Accoya wood featured on a live version of the popular Channel 4 program Grand Designs presented by British designer, writer and TV presenter Kevin McCloud. The challenge was to build a sustainable house in just one week, using traditional techniques and materials in conjunction with modern technology. Once completed the house was dismantled to be re-erected for display at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Innovation Park in Watford.

Global accreditations

Accoya wood is inspected several times each year by the notified certification body, SKH (Netherlands), within the KOMO guidelines for modified wood, in accordance with assessment directive BRL 0605.

Accoya wood has been tested in accordance with SKH publication 97-04 in respect to durability, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, workability, gluability and finishing, and has been shown to satisfy the requirements demanded of a wood species for use in KOMO certified joinery and faade cladding.

Titan Wood, the company behind Accoya, was certified by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) as a Hallmark Certified Supplier after meeting the requirements of the WDMA I.S.4 ndustry Specification for Preservative Treatment for Millwork in October 2009. This rating certifies the quality of exterior millwork and gives government and private agencies a method of identifying windows and doors that are manufactured in accordance with the WDMA highest standards. The WDMA Hallmark is a mark of excellence among architects, contractors and other specifiers. Products eligible for Hallmark certification are subjected to a rigorous verification process in order to ensure conformance with requirements.

Accoya wood has been evaluated according to the VFF Merkblatt HO.06-4 for its suitability in RAL certified joinery. A provisional acceptance of Accoya wood has been given in October 2009 and it has been added to the pproved wood species list of the VFF (Joinery and Facades Association).

References

^ Roger M. Rowell, Bert Kattenbroek, Peter Ratering, Ferry Bongers, Francesco Leicher, and Hal Stebbins, roduction of Dimensionally Stable and Decay Resistant Wood Components Based on Acetylation, presented at International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components. Istanbul, Turkey, 2008

^ Spencer, Sally. "Accoya off the blocks." Timber Trades Journal 31 May 2007. <http://www.ttjonline.com/story.asp?storycode=49809

^ CNBC http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1359381780&play=1

^ FSC policies and standards http://www.fsc.org/fsc-rules.html?&L=t%D0%A0%E2%80%9C%D0%A0%E2%80%A1%D0%A0%E2%80%99%D0%A1%E2%80%94%D0%A0%E2%80%99%D0%A0%E2%80%A6arget%3D_self

^ Accoya wood in action http://www.accoya.com/accoya_in_action.asp

^ SKH KOMO ]http://www.skh.org/index.cfm?pid=352]

^ WDMA http://www.wdma.com/i4a/store/category.cfm?category_id=5

External links

PEFC website

Forest Stewardship Council website

Accoya corporate website

Window and Door Manufacturers Association website

SKH website

Independent article

CNBC TV interview

Hidden categories: Unreviewed new articles created via the Article Wizard from December 2009 | Articles created via the Article Wizard

Japanese garden

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Typical features

A catalogue of features "typical" of the Japanese garden may be drawn up without inquiring deeply into the aesthetic underlying Japanese practice. Typical Japanese gardens have at their center a home from which the garden is viewed. In addition to residential architecture, depending on the archetype, Japanese gardens often contain several of these elements:

Water, real or symbolic. r5 taylor made

Rocks or stone arrangements (or settings). taylor made r5

A lantern, typically of stone. american olean

A teahouse or pavilion.

An enclosure device such as a hedge, fence, or wall of traditional character.

A bridge to the island, or stepping stones.

Styles

Traditional Styles:

Karesansui Gardens

Karesansui Gardens () or "dry landscape gardens were influenced mainly by Zen Buddhism and can be found at Zen temples of meditation (Japan Guide). Unlike other traditional gardens, there is no water present in Karesansui gardens. However, there is raked gravel or sand that simulates the feeling of water. The rocks/gravel used are chosen for their artistic shapes, and mosses as well as small shrubs are used to further garnish the Karesansui style (Japanese Lifestyle). All in all, the rocks and moss are used to represent ponds, islands, boats, seas, rivers, and mountains in an abstract way (Japan Guide). - Example: Ryan-ji, temple in Kyoto, has a garden famous for representing this style. Daisen-in, created in 1513, is also particularly renowned.

Tsukiyama Gardens

Tsukiyama Gardens often copy famous landscapes from China or Japan, and they commonly strive to make a smaller garden appear more spacious (Japan Guide). This is accomplished by utilizing shrubs to block views of surrounding buildings, and the garden's structure usually tries to make onlookers focus on nearby mountains in the distance (Japanese Lifestyle). By doing this, it seems that the garden has the mountains as part of its grounds. Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges, and paths are also used frequently in this style (Japan Guide).

Chaniwa Gardens

Chaniwa Gardens are built for holding tea ceremonies. There is usually a tea house where the ceremonies occur, and the styles of both the hut and garden are based on the simple concepts of the sado (Japan Guide). Usually, there are stepping stones leading to the tea house, stone lanterns, and stone basins (tsukubai) where guests purify themselves before a ceremony(Japan Guide).

Japanese gardens might also fall into one of these styles:

Kanshoh-style gardens which are viewed from a residence.

Pond gardens, for viewing from a boat.

Strolling gardens (kaiy-shiki), for viewing a sequence of effects from a path which circumnavigates the garden. The 17th-century Katsura garden in Kyoto is a famous exemplar.

Other gardens also use similar rocks for decoration, some of which come from distant parts of Japan. In addition, bamboos and related plants, evergreens including Japanese black pine, and such deciduous trees as maples grow above a carpet of ferns and mosses.

The use of stones, water, and plantings

Though often thought of as tranquil sanctuaries that allow individuals to escape from the stresses of daily life, Japanese gardens are designed for a variety of purposes. Some gardens invite quiet contemplation, but may have also been intended for recreation, the display of rare plant specimens, or the exhibition of unusual rocks.

Kaiyu-shiki or Strolling Gardens require the observer to walk through the garden to fully appreciate it. A premeditated path takes observers through each unique area of a Japanese garden. Uneven surfaces are placed in specific spaces to prompt people to look down at particular points. When the observer looks up, they will see an eye-catching ornamentation which is intended to enlighten and revive the spirit of the observer. This type of design is known as the Japanese landscape principle of "hide and reveal".

Stones are used to construct the garden's paths, bridges, and walkways. Stones can also represent a geological presence where actual mountains are not viewable or present. They are sometimes placed in odd numbers and a majority of the groupings reflect triangular shapes, which often are the mountains of China.

A water source in a Japanese garden should appear to be part of the natural surroundings; this is why one will not find fountains in traditional gardens. Man-made streams are built with curves and irregularities to create a serene and natural appearance. Lanterns are often placed beside some of the most prominent water basins (either a pond or a stream) in a garden. In some gardens one will find a dry pond or stream. Dry ponds and streams have as much impact as do the ones filled with water.

Green plants are another element of Japanese gardens. Japanese traditions prefer subtle green tones, but flowering trees and shrubs are also used. Many plants in imitated Japanese gardens of the West are indigenous to Japan, though some sacrifices must be made to account for the differentiating climates. Some plants, such as sugar maple and firebush, give the garden a broader palette of seasonal color.

Overview of Japanese Garden History

During the Asuka period (538-710), gardens were supposed to express Buddhism and Taoism through replicating the mountainous regions in China (Japanese Lifestyle). Ruins of these types of gardens can be found in Fujiwara and Heijyo castle towns (Japanese Lifestyle).

During the Heian period (794-1185), gardens shifted from solely representing religious beliefs to becoming, "a place for ceremonies, amusement, and contemplation" (Miller). Gardens began to surround mansions that had the shinden-zukuri style (Japanese Lifestyle). In this style, the garden was located at the front of a building, also known as the south side (Japanese Lifestyle). As part of the garden style, there was water flowing through artificial passages that eventually spilled into ponds with little islands in them (Japanese Lifestyle). Very few of these gardens have survived to this day, and thus, are certainly a rarity in modern history. Despite the lack of modern day examples, we have the book of Sakuteiki that describes how people of this era formulated this garden style movement (Japanese Lifestyle). Later in this period, pure-land-style gardens became popular through the Pure Land Buddhism influence, and these gardens imitated the Paradise in the Western Pureland as a result (Japanese Lifestyle). During this shift in style, the Japanese also began to model their gardens and homes after the Amitabha hall style instead of the shinden style (Japanese Lifestyle). Examples of the Amitabha style can be seen today in Mahayana Hall (Nara), Byodoin (Uji, Kyoto), the Jyoruri Temple, and Motsuji Temple (Hiraizumi, Nishi, Iwai, Iwate) (Japanese Lifestyle).

In the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1573), a great many gardens were created during these two time periods due to improved garden techniques and the development of Syoinzukuri style (Japanese Lifestyle). Zen beliefs were also flourishing at this time and had great influences over garden techniques and purposes. Another factor that allowed gardens to flourish stems from the fact that the shoguns simply enjoyed gardens. Dry landscape style also emerged during this time (Japanese Lifestyle). A notable gardener who appeared during these periods is Soseki Muso: He made Saihoji Temple (Kyoto), Tenruji Temple (Kyoto), and Zuizenji Temple (Kamakura) gardens. (Japanese Lifestyle)

Keiunkan Garden, created by Jihe Ogawa

After the Muromachi Period, Japanese tea ceremonies became an intricate part of Japanese culture (Japanese Lifestyle). Sen no Rikyu (1517-1591) created the traditional style of a tea house where there was usually a roji (ewy path) leading to the house (Japanese Lifestyle). Besides the tea houses, gardens constructed in the Edo period (1603-1868) reflected the tastes and style of each individual shogun ruler. Instead of being a religious symbol, gardens shifted to being a symbol of a shogun prestige and power (Miller). These tea house styled houses and gardens can be seen in Kenrokuen (Kanazawa), Kraku-en (Okayama), Ritsurin Park (Takamsatsu), Koishikawa Korakuen (Tokyo), and Suizenji Park (Kumamoto) (Japanese Lifestyle).

In the Meiji period following the modernization of Japan, famous traditional gardens were owned by businessmen and politicians. Some of these extensive gardens are open to public viewing in Murinan (Kyoto) and Chinzanso (Tokyo) (Japanese Lifestyle). Famous gardeners of this period include 7th generation Jihe Ogawa, known as Ueji, and innovative dry landscape garden designer Mirei Shigemori. (Japanese Lifestyle)

Cultural Aspects of Japanese Gardens

Poetry

Many poems were inspired and written about the different Japanese Gardens. An example of the poems written includes:

Chiimei haiku about a tea ceremony hut and garden: laid a foundation and roughly thatched roof. I fastened hinges to the joints of the beams, the easier to move elsewhere should anything displease me. . . . Since first I hid my traces here in the heart of Mount Hino, I have added a lean-to on the south and a porch of bamboo. On the west I have built a shelf for holy water, and inside the hut, along the west wall, I have installed an image of Amida. . . . Above the sliding door that faces north I have built a little shelf on which I keep three or four black leather baskets that contain books of poetry and music and extracts from the sacred writings. Beside them stand a folding iioto and a lute. Along the east wall I have spread long fern fronds and mats of straw, which serve as my bed for the night. I have cut open a window in the eastern wall, and beneath it have made a desk. Near my pillow is a square brazier in which I burn brushwood. To the north of the hut I have staked out a small plot of land that I have enclosed with a rough fence and made into a garden. I grow many species of herbs there. (Varley pg. 93)

Literature

The Tale of Genji describes the hinden-zukun style garden of the Heian Period.

During the Heian Period the akuteiki was written- the first book to discuss allotment of land, stone arrangements, artificial waterfalls, water passages, and planting.

Tea Ceremonies

After the tea ceremony was refined by Sen Rikyu, the tea garden, house, and utensils all served as a way to waken consciousness and to realize with humility our relationship with all that is around us and with the universe itself(Miller). Also, tea ceremonies were partly designed to teach participants how to gain absolute control over body and mind (Kato p. 27). As a result, "it emphasizes not disconnection but connection between body movement and mind (Kato p. 27)." Culturally, the Japanese followed the five Confucian virtues (loyalty, righteousness, politeness, wisdom, and trust) to ground these tea ceremony ideals off of (Kato p. 27). In short, the tea ceremonies were a cultural activity to teach Japanese/Confucian virtues that were important for life.

Noteworthy Japanese gardens

In Japan

Kraku-en, Okayama.

(Kaiy-siki Garden, completed in 17th century)

Adachi Museum of Art, Yasugi.

(Kansh-shiki Garden, completed in 20th century)

A spacious Japanese garden, Suizenji Joju-en, near Kumamoto Castle

The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the government of Japan designates the most notable of the nation's scenic beauty as Special Places of Scenic Beauty, under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. As of March 1, 2007, 29 sites are listed, more than a half of which are Japanese gardens, as below;

Boldface entries specify World Heritage Sites.

Tohoku Region

Mts-ji Garden (Hiraizumi, Iwate)

Kant region

Kairaku-en (Mito, Ibaraki)

Rikugi-en (Bunkyo, Tokyo)

Kyu Hamarikyu Gardens (Ch, Tokyo)

Chbu region

Kenroku-en (Kanazawa, Ishikawa)

Kansai Region

Byodo-In Garden (Uji, Kyoto)

Jisho-ji Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Nij Castle Ninomaru Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Rokuon-ji Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Ryan-ji Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Tenryu-ji Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

The garden of Sanbin in Daigo-ji (Kyoto, Kyoto)

The moss garden of Saih-ji (the "Moss Temple") (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Daitoku-ji Garden (Kyoto, Kyoto)

The garden of Daisen-in in Daitoku-ji (Kyoto, Kyoto)

Isuien Garden (Nara, Nara)

Negoro-ji Garden (Iwade, Wakayama)

Chgoku region

Adachi Museum of Art Garden (Yasugi, Shimane)

Kraku-en (Okayama, Okayama)

Matsue Vogel Park (Matsue)

Shuraku-en, (Tsuyama)

Shikoku Region

Ritsurin Park (Takamatsu, Kagawa)

Kyushu Region

Suizenji Joju-en (Kumamoto, Kumamoto)

Ryky Islands

Shikina-en (Naha, Okinawa)

However, the Education Minister is not eligible to have jurisdiction over any imperial property. These two gardens, administered by Imperial Household Agency, are also considered to be great masterpieces.

Katsura Imperial Villa

Shugaku-in Imperial Villa

In the English-speaking world

The aesthetic of Japanese gardens was introduced to the English-speaking community by Josiah Conder's Landscape Gardening in Japan (Kelly & Walsh, 1893). It sparked the first Japanese gardens in the West. A second edition was required in 1912. Conder's principles have sometimes proved hard to follow:

"Robbed of its local garb and mannerisms, the Japanese method reveals aesthetic principles applicable to the gardens of any country, teaching, as it does, how to convert into a poem or picture a composition, which, with all its variety of detail, otherwise lacks unity and intent"

Samuel Newsom's Japanese Garden Construction (1939) offered Japanese aesthetic as a corrective in the construction of rock gardens, which owed their quite separate origins in the West to the mid-19th century desire to grow alpines in an approximation of Alpine scree.

Australia

Canberra Nara park in Lennox Gardens, Canberra

Canberra Nara Park

Cowra Japanese Garden, Cowra, New South Wales

Frankston High School

Himeji Gardens, Adelaide

Melbourne Zoo

"Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden, Brisbane

Nerima Gardens, Ipswich

Toowomba Japanese Garden, Ju Raku En, Queensland

Canada

Japanese Garden in the Devonian Botanic Garden Edmonton, Alberta

Nitobe Memorial Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia

The Devonian Botanical Garden, Edmonton, Alberta, which contains an extensive Japanese garden

Nikka Yuko Garden, Lethbridge, Alberta

The Japanese Garden and Pavilion, Montreal Botanical Garden, Quebec

Kariya Park, Mississauga, Ontario

United Kingdom

England

Ame (rain) Japanese style private garden near Bolton in Lancashire England - an on-going project

Compton Acres, Dorset

Dartington Hall, Devon

Harewood House, Leeds

Holland Park, London

Japanese Garden and nursery, St Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall

Tatton Park, Cheshire

School of Oriental and African Studies, London

Northern Ireland

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Belfast

Fujiyama Japanese Garden

Scotland

Lauriston Castle, Edinburgharden opened 2002

Ireland

The Japanese Gardens at the Irish National Stud, Kildare, Co. Kildare

Fujiyama Japanese Garden (Northern Ireland)

Singapore

Japanese Garden - an garden island located in Jurong Lake

United States of America

Anderson Japanese Gardens (Rockford, Illinois)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Brooklyn, New York)

Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe, Illinois)

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (California State University, Long Beach)

Fort Worth Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (Fort Worth, Texas)

Hagiwara Japanese Tea Garden (San Francisco, California)

Hakone Gardens (Saratoga, California)

Hayward Japanese Gardens (Hayward, California)

The Huntington (San Marino, California)

Kubota Garden in Seattle features these contrasting bridge types -- both illustrative of a Japanese garden themes.

Japanese Friendship Garden (Phoenix, Arizona)

Japanese Friendship Garden (Kelley Park) (San Jose, California)

Japanese Garden at Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (St Paul, Minnesota)

Japanese garden at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (near Chanhassen, Minnesota)

Kumamoto En (San Antonio, Texas)

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, Florida

Normandale Japanese Garden (Bloomington, Minnesota)

Portland Japanese Garden (Portland, Oregon)

Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum, Kubota Garden (Seattle, Washington)

The Japanese Garden (Los Angeles, California)

Seiwa-en at the Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, Missouri)

Taniguchi Japanese Garden (Austin, Texas)

Yuko-En on the Elkhorn (Georgetown, Kentucky)

Shigematsu Memorial Japanese Garden at Lansing Community College, Lansing, Michigan

In other countries

The Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens.

Argentina: The Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens (Jardn Japons de Buenos Aires), of the Fundacin Cultural Argentino Japonesa

Belgium: Japanse tuin (http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanse_Tuin_(Hasselt) ), Hasselt

Brazil

Parque Santos Dummont, So Jos dos Campos, So Paulo

Bosque Municipal Fbio Barreto, Ribeiro Preto, So Paulo

France: Jardin japonais du Muse dpartemental Albert-Kahn, Boulogne-Billancourt

The Netherlands:

The Japanse Tuin of Clingendael park

The Tsubo-en karesansui garden in Lelystad is a private Modern Japanese Zen (karesansui, dry rock) garden in The Netherlands. All details including the realization are documented on the website www.zen-garden.org

All seasons close-up of the Tsubo-en (Netherlands) O-karikomi, hako-zukuri topiary.

Poland: The Japanese Garden in Wrocaw - founded 1913, restored 1996-1997, destroyed by flood, restored 1999

Russia: The Japanese Garden in Moscow founded 1983, opened 1987 (landscape architect Ken Nakajima).

Sweden: Japanska Trdgrden in Ronneby Brunnspark, Blekinge.

See also

Japanese rock garden

Koi

Niwaki

Shishi odoshi

Tr

Japanese Friendship Garden

Tea garden

References

^ Encyclopdia Britannica. Garden and landscape design: Japanese. Accessed: 7 Mar. 2008.

^ The Illustrations, nevertheless, are translated and annotated in David A. Slawson, Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens (New York/Tokyo: Kodansha 1987), which forms in effect an introduction to the text.

^ MEXT : Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

^ JNTO Website | Find a Location | Kyoto | Katsura

^ JNTO Website | Find a Location | Kyoto | Shugaku-in Imperial Villa

^ Slawson 1987:15 and note2.

^ Conder quoted in Slawson 1987:15.

^ "Japanese Gardens in the UK and Ireland Compton Acres". http://japan-interface.co.uk/gardens/details.php?garID=47. Retrieved 2007-12-11. 

^ a b c d e f "UK and Ireland Survey". Japanese Garden Journal 35. September/October 2003. http://www.rothteien.com/topics/uk-survey.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-11. 

Slawson, David A. Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens (New York/Tokyo: Kodansha 1987)

Yagi, Koji A Japanese Touch for Your Home (Kodansha 1982)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Japanese gardens

Ame (rain) Japanese style private garden near Bolton in Lancashire England - an on-going project

Japanese Garden Design Plans

Jgarden Japanese Garden Database

Japanesegardening.org Japanese Gardening information

Meditations on the Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden at Fairfeild University

Paradise - The Gardens of Tokyo : a portfolio of photographs by Tim Porter

About Japanese gardens: Pictures and links

The Journal of Japanese Gardening Magazine

Japanese Gardens, Bowdoin College

Miller, P. (2005), The Japanese Garden: Gateway to the Human Spirit, International Journal of Humanities & Peace 2005, Vol. 21 Issue 1, Retrieved August 3, 2008 from: http://researchport.umd.edu

Kato, E. (2004), The Tea Ceremony and Women Empowerment in Modern Japan, RoutledgeCurzon, Retrieved August 3, 2008 from: http://www.netlibrary.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/Reader/

Varely, P. (2000), Japanese Culture Fourth Edition, The Maple Vaile Book Manufacturing Group, Retrieved August 3, 2008 from: http://www.netlibrary.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/Reader/

Japan Lifestyles. (2008), Japanese Garden History, GNU Free Documentation License, Retrieved August 2, 2008 from: http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/

Gardens, Japan Guide (1996-2008), Retrieved August 3, 2008 from: http://www.japan-guide.com/

Based on a real world example, the Tsubo-en garden in Lelystad, The Netherlands, www.zen-garden.org offers an online guide with a pragmatic structured 6-phase approach to realize and maintain a garden, with specific focus and many details and references on the Japanese karesansui (dry rock) Zen garden

Categories: Japanese gardens | Japanese style of gardening | Types of gardenHidden categories: Articles with unsourced statements from July 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements