yoseki in my garden

First watering of the year, spring has arrived...Stones I enjoyed in the house during winter, is back in the garden together with the rest of them, for a nice long stay, untill frost arrives again. 14 of theese stones have a daiza


One of the things I like about yoseki is, that my stones are in the garden, were I am most of the year. Being able to enjoy them there, and watch them becomming better every year please me....they dont just gather dust in the house...nice

Kind regards Yvonne

Hello Yvonne – Thank you for this post!  I don’t respond much to threads in the Suiseki forum because I am no expert and have little to share which might be of interest to others, however I do read all the posts with great interest as I really love stones!

I have many stones that I enjoy outdoors and a few I enjoy indoors (those that are most meaningful to me).  All my stones, even those which I keep indoors now, have been aged outside for years – however I no longer place them outside as I live in a moist environment and when outside they are quickly colonized by lichens and mosses (by quickly I mean within weeks).  On my outdoor stones, I love the tiny habitats that develop upon them and prize them for that, but I do notice that these lithophyte colonies really hasten surface weathering and consequently the treasured aged patina is soon a mottled skin of older uncolonized aged stone surfaces and beneath the tiny plant colonies fresh stone surfaces.  How do you control for this?  Or do you not have problems with lithophyte colonies while you are aging your stones over summer?  

Thank you for all you contribute to this stone forum!
David B.

Hi David Brunner

Interesting to hear about your stones, and observations of the surfaces...would like to see your stones   

More of  the stones on the table outside, is fairly newcollected stones...have collected for a long time, but only the resent years have I found my own stones...used to buy a chinese, or japanese now and then.

But some I collected have some age as collected now, and they have not given me any of the problems you talk about...when this is said, did I find a softer stone, that gave signs of lichens after 1 year in the garden , and I stopped watering it, and placed the "problem" in direct sun.

My stones are placed in open air, with full sun...the more sun, the more I water the stones. with many days of gray weather I just leave them as they are, but turn them now and then, as usual.

I have gardenstones, they grow the mosses and lichens, and look absolutely lovely...the small plants grow in what will be the shaddowside of the stones, and they are never turned.

One of my danish gardenstones, must have had it about 20 years, was cut last year, as I wanted it as a hutsone in the house....this stone had spend many years in semishade but had been moved arround, it had grown many realy tiny lichen. when I carved the daiza gave the handling it some of the patina we like on stones...in the holes is still the remains of the lichen...not as plants, but a little green collor, look nice on the roof, also a little green collor is on the walls of the house, only very little, and I like it.

A another garden stone, I call "universe" is in the house now, it was at least 15 years in the garden, it has been in open air, and full sun all the time, without anything done to it, it have no signs on lichen at all.

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne – thank you for the reply!

I wish I had full sun as you do. Since I live beneath a forest of very tall trees, the best I get (and in mid-summer only) is periodic sunshine. Consequently, lichens and mosses abound all around. So aging my stones in sun with watering is not a real option. However, lest you despair regarding my situation, I do have the loveliness of living in a place which is never really cold nor really hot – we live by the golden mean!

As you request, I will endeavor to post images of some of the stones I enjoy in my garden, but… it might be a while. I don’t frequently venture into the garden with camera in hand usually only pruning or weeding implements. Just so you don’t think I am a total lurker; I have posted a few images of my stones in the past – here is a link to one: https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t2418-thanks-chris-ono-no-komachi-stone. I need to post a few more.

Also so you know, I don’t have a significant interest in stone appreciation influenced by Japanese or Chinese traditions but by my own relationship with each stone. Please understand, that I honor and respect these traditions, but they do not represent my personal relationship with the stones I enjoy. I do delight in the significance these cultures bring to honoring stones of personal importance, and I strive to understand the methods and formulae which they bring to such endeavors. These are rare qualities indeed! However, for me at least, I find that stone appreciation is a singular endeavor. And I relish the moments that such an endeavor can be shared with other – just such a moment as this!

Thank you and with much respect! Yours,
David B.

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:First watering of the year, spring has arrived...Stones I enjoyed in the house during winter, is back in the garden together with the rest of them, for a nice long stay, untill frost arrives again. 14 of theese stones have a daiza


One of the things I like about yoseki is, that my stones are in the garden, were I am most of the year. Being able to enjoy them there, and watch them becomming better every year please me....they dont just gather dust in the house...nice

Kind regards Yvonne

Hi Yvonne.
What does "yoseki" mean?

Hi David

I understand your way to enjoy your stones, and repect it ofcourse...no need to do it the japanese way...the stones are for us all to enjoy, and make of them what we want, and display them as we like... this is what makes it all more interesting.

Hi Thientrakieu

Yoseki is ageing of a stones surface in the garden...after the stone is taken out of the river, or ocean....is the suface shaped by nature, and it can be VERY old...but the surface will be very raw after all...2 to 5 years in the garden, placed in full sun, and watered every day give a older darker surface, and a much nicer stone to look at.
Some stones take yoseki better than other, but it it realy worth doing it.

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:Hi David

I understand your way to enjoy your stones, and repect it ofcourse...no need to do it the japanese way...the stones are for us all to enjoy, and make of them what we want, and display them as we like... this is what makes it all more interesting.

Hi Thientrakieu

Yoseki is ageing of a stones surface in the garden...after the stone is taken out of the river, or ocean....is the suface shaped by nature, and it can be VERY old...but the surface will be very raw after all...2 to 5 years in the garden, placed in full sun, and watered every day give a older darker surface, and a much nicer stone to look at.
Some stones take yoseki better than other, but it it realy worth doing it.

Kind regards Yvonne    

Hi Yvonne. I see. Thanks a lot for your share.

I found this 23 cm long black granite coastalrock yesterday...as you can see has the ocean given the stone a nice smoth surface on both sides.
But the interesting thing here is, the stone had been so long high up on the shore left in peace, that nature had given it yoseki too. The yoseki we normaly give in the garden, after we found the raw stone in the water or soil.

The front... you can see the stone have a good surface already now, and have also become dark.


The underside is raw, and paler.
It is my experience, I see a stone better, after the stone had its surface matured by yoseki...not only do I see a nice shape, but a stone with a surface that have become present, and give the stone a debt and personality, not something oil can give.

This is from the side...a daiza, or even better...a suiban will make sure the stone is placed in the right ballance.
But for now, will it stay in the garden   

Kind regards Yvonne

Hey Yvonne, would you mind showing the hutsone you are talking about? I'm graving to see it, as you speak so highly of it!

Thanks in advance,

Tentakelaertje

Hi Tentakelaertje

I dont think I spoke highly of the stone, as it is a cut stone after all, a needed cut, as I wanted the stone no matter what ...was just trying to describe the surface.
But here it is  

It can be more than dificult to capture yoseki in a photo

The stone called Universe, also from this page was mistreated with a  thin layer of oil after I had finished the daiza, as I just had seen a prominent suisekiman and daiza carver did this to stones he had made a daiza for, also stones that had ben in the garden for 20 years, and I was mislead...it will never happen again


I have ben working of speeding up the yosekiproces, with changing the elements, sun, water, the wooden board, and the placement of the stone, and nothing else... and this is the result for now, after 3 months...would have liked to do it without the oil, but I think it is long gone.


This stone had ben polished a lot after I found it, and it was looking nice...still it has ben in the garden every summer since i found it in 2013....it had some raw parts, but by polishing it, did it get a surface, witch disappeared as soon as it went in the garden.
The stone have ben in the speeded up yoseki for 3 months now, and is now having a nice full surface all ower...it could have ben done without the polish of the stone, and it dont need anything more now it has the full surface, only will time make it a old suiseki.
The stone is in the house now, as I want to use it in a exhibition in a few days...afterwards will it go back in the garden again...I want to see what a whole season can do for the stone

Kind regards Yvonne

They look great! The hutstone looks a bit like a mushroom, I can almost see the forestnymphes dancing around it
Can I ask what the dark spot on the middle stone is and what species the last stone is?
Also, would you please tell us how you polish the stones?
Thank you very much for your quick reply and the kindness you show us your stone with
Thanks in advance,

Tentakelaertje

Yes, the hut stone could look a bit like a mushroom

Sorry I dont know what the black part of the stone is, I can only say it is danish, and a blend of stone... some of it is granite.

The last stone is from Japan, the Kamoriver in Kyoto.

For rubbing of stones do I use a cottoncloth, witch is the trad. way of doing it.

Kind regards Yvonne

Wow, that was fast!
Thanks for the information, I always enjoy your topics and replies
I'll ask my mommy for a piece of cotton cloth

Thanks and regards,

Tentakelaertje

Yvonne -

Do you know the pH of your water? I have pretty hard water where I am, and I'm concerned about the potential mineral deposits building up on my stones. I have similar problems with my bonsai pots at time.

Thanks for sharing.

Christian

Hi Chansen

I dont know the accurate pH of my water, but I think it is medium to the hard side, like I was once told 30 years ago...I dont have a chalk problem on my pots, or on my stones, but I have seen, if a pot or stone is standing in a small pool, or in a tray, a line of mineral/chalk will build up with time, as the water evaporate, and leave the chalk behind.
Fertilize can also build up on the upper rim of a bonsaipot...but it has anything to do with hard water.

Kind regards Yvonne....do you have other observations ?

Yvonne -

Do you put the stones away for the winter, or do they stay outside then as well? I get a lot of snow and freezing temperatures, so I usually bring them inside the greenhouse with the trees, to ensure I don't get freeze related cracking.

Hi Chansen

Yes, I do keep my stones frostfree during winter, no reason to take a chance...only stones that are completely smooth stay outside.

Kind regards Yvonne