BILL
DeWEESE
CHABANA RESEARCH GARDEN
PORTLAND, OR
There is a saying in Chado, the Japanese tea ceremony, ‘ichi go – ichi e’ which translates as ‘one time – one place’. This meditative feeling of embracing the present moment is thoughtfully represented in Chabana, a simple flower placement for the appreciation of those partaking in the tea ceremony.
With a rich history dating back hundreds of years, “Chan-No-Yu, which literally means “hot water for tea”, is known in English as the (Japanese) tea ceremony which has the objective of a relaxed communion between the host and his guests. It is based in part on the etiquette of serving tea, but also includes the aesthetic contemplation of landscape gardens, tea utensils, paintings, flower arrangement, and all the other elements that coexist in a harmonious relationship with the ceremony. Its ultimate aim is the attainment of a deep spiritual satisfaction through the drinking of tea and through silent contemplation… “ (SEN’O TANAKA, The Tea Ceremony)
ROLE: GARDEN DESIGNER, CURATOR, HANDS-ON CONSTRUCTION & GARDENER
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International Advisory Board: Christy Barlett/Urasenke Tea, Diane Durston/PJG, Tsutomu Hattori/Tokyo Nodai University, Hideko Hearn/Sogetsu Ikebana, Kazuo Mitsuhashi/Garden Society of Japan, Taikyo Nakamura/Wakai Tea, Lincoln Proud/PJG, Sadafumi Uchiyama/PJG, & Jan Waldmann/Wakai Tea
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Cultivating wildflowers year-round for the Japanese tea ceremony, the Chabana Garden grounds us in the beauty of the present moment. The first of its kind, the Bill de Weese Chabana Research Garden combines Pacific Northwest wildflowers with historical Japanese wildflowers specifically cultivated for use in the Japanese tea ceremony. A simple flower placement for the appreciation of those partaking in the tea ceremony, Chabana holds an important role in awakening the senses and embracing the current moment.
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Tucked into the forested hillside at the top of the Portland Japanese Garden above the new Cultural Village, the Chabana Garden makes use of inaccessible steep terrain with four stone walled terraces – one terrace for each season and principle of tea (harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility). Starting on the lower terraces (summer), an open meadow slowly transitions to a native forest embracing the upper terraces. Beautiful ‘scenes of bloom’ with a consistent ecological ground cover matrix, are arranged to flow up the hill through the seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) and reflect the intent of the space to be a beautiful Garden first, and a research-oriented botanical and conservation collection second.
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Almost solely responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Chabana Garden, Desirae D. Wood led cultural and botanical research, collaboration with an International Advisory Board, design, construction, plant curation, planting, establishment and maintenance. Completed in 2021, the collection currently holds 90 species.
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