Thanks to Julian, who sent these poems commemorating the New Years Tea Gathering during the January Intensive at Green Gulch 2012. Green dragon kettle rests in the sunken hearth gently steaming dominating the spare, elegant room of tatami, plaster, cedar,... Continue reading

Participants in Green Gulch's annual January Intensive Retreat attended a New Years Tea Gathering on January 10. Thick tea and the traditional Urasenke New Years sweet - Hanabira Mochi - was served. See pictures in the Photo Album Continue reading

Green Gulch Tea Students + family and friends celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Black Water Snake Continue reading

The 7th annual Tea & Zen Seminar was held at Green Gulch from August 8 - 12, 2012. Participants came from Nova Scotia, New York, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, and Illinois, as well as California. Continue reading

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The teahouse finally has a nameboard. The name - Shugetsuan - Sowing the Moon (or Moon Seed) Hermitage - was given by Suzuki Hoitsu Roshi many years ago. Hoitsu Roshi calligraphed the name, and sculptor Takayuki Zoshi carved it on... Continue reading

Landscape gardener Mark Bourne make great progesss in the roji, with help from Jamie Morf, Qayyum Johnson, Johan, and Sarah Carter. The front (standing) stone for the tsukubai was set and a drain created. Now we just need to find... Continue reading

Don and Heather were married in Sowing the Moon Teahouse by Meiya Wender on March 14, 2012. After the ceremony, Don offered koicha for everyone and then Heather made usucha. Continue reading

Re-construction of the roji by master gardener Mark Bourne has continued intermittently over the past several months. Stepping stones including a section of nobedan, have been completed as far as the koshikake machiai (waiting bench) and through the middle gate... Continue reading

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Trip Outline Bettina and I spent almost a week in Kyoto, staying at the Three Sisters Inn in the Okazaki area, near Higashiyama, within walking distance of the Tetsugakki no Michi, Nanzenji, and Ginkakuji. We were then joined by Keiko... Continue reading

The roji rennovation project began Saturday, Sept 10 with a full day of de-construction led by our garden designer, Mark Bourne, Green Gulch tea students Naomi Yoder and Qayyum Johnson, and Gavin Lower who came from Virginia to join us.... Continue reading