Roji (露地), translated into English as ‘dewy ground’, is the Japanese term for the garden that you walk through on your way to enjoy a tea ceremony. Creating a space to transition from the often hectic outside world and the calming ritual of the tea ceremony, roji have been a feature of Japanese garden design since the 1500s and in Dorset, closer to home, Kingston Lacy is home to one British interpretation built in the early 1900s by Henrietta Bankes.
Kingston Lacy Head Gardener Andrew Hunt and Tea Merchants Michelle & Rob Comins have been inviting visitors to experience the garden through special tea events over the last two years.
In this online talk, Andrew will share some history of the Japanese tea garden at Kingston Lacy, its design, planting & relationship with tea. Michelle will share how transformative simple tea rituals in nature can be and together we will explore what Japanese tea gardens can teach us about how to approach modern life.
Image credit: The Japanese Garden, Kingston Lacy by Philip Halling