, Timberframe, Chrysanthemum A Boone and Construction When more than one hundred Company’s Unusual Path Leads to the New thousand people traveled to York Botanical Gardens the New York Botanical Garden to see exquisite Japanese-style chrysanthemums like this one—a “thousand” blooms on a single stem—they had no idea of the back story. The breathtaking flowers were framed by rigorously crafted Japanese bamboo houses, constructed by a Boone timberframe and furniture company. More than 5,000 man hours and life-times of Story by Sally Treadwell experience and perfectionism went Photography by Frederica Georgia into the uwaya.

ne stem, patiently coaxed into scale of this exhibition had ever before silk with intricate red tassels. As Todd a “thousand” perfect blooms— been seen outside the famed Shinjuku Forrest, the garden’s vice president of Oozukuri. Cascades of flowers, Gyoen National Garden, where kiku horticulture, wandered incognito through kengai, spilling out on long stems like a were once cultivated at the pleasure of the crowd, he noticed that people were re- waterfall flooding down a rocky cliff. the Emperor Meiji. marking on the uwaya almost as much as And ogiku—single stems standing more And all those thousands of people were on the chrysanthemums. than six feet tall and topped with one stunned by elaborate displays of chry- No doubt they assumed that the uwaya huge flower, 108 ogiku in all, formally santhemums that had been meticulously had been painstakingly built by Japanese arranged in the pattern and colors of the pinched and staked and trained and even, craftsmen, or perhaps shipped to the tazuna-ue, the emperor’s horse bridle. for the ozukuri, fitted with tiny support- States from Shinjuku Gyoen. But they When the New York Botanical Gar- ing collars for each bloom, over an en- weren’t. They were built here in Boone den mounted a multimillion-dollar ex- tire year—all for the sake of two weeks by a highly individual timber and hibition called Kiku: The Art of the Japa- of perfect blossoms, celebrating the last fine furniture company. nese Chrysanthemum, it caused a sensa- flowers of the year. The story of High Country Timber- tion. More than 100,000 people came If the flowers were perfect, so was the frame and Gallery Woodworking and to see chrysanthemums grown Imperi- staging. The dramatic blossoms were its long road to uwaya for the glory of al-style—nothing could have been fur- showcased in four traditional Japanese thousand-bloom chrysanthemums is ther from the cheap and cheerful potted pavilions, uwaya, built from Japanese ce- quite unique, even by America’s eccen- plants we’re used to, and nothing on the dar and bamboo and swagged in purple tric standards.

148 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E July 2008 July 2008 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E 149 bit, he grimaced. “I was way too old; in you become an apprentice at 12 or 15 and I was already 28.” Not that the master was exactly a softie anyway. “Every month at the full moon he would get out a wooden cask of sake imported from Japan and we all had to— and this wasn’t optional—sit around and get blind drunk with him. The idea was that this was your one chance to really vent your feelings and tell your master what you thought of him—let it all out. Of course, in reality, he would be the one to get seriously drunk and then he’d get even uglier with us.” Most would-be apprentices would wander in to work at the site and quit af- ter a day or two. But Tom stayed on. “For the first time in my life, I took discipline. I had a lot of respect for the path he took, however hard he was on me.” Tom was something of a student of Buddhism, and the simplicity, clarity and proportion of were immensely appealing to him. This was For each of the three or more years that the uwaya an opportunity to learn the ancient and will be used in the New York Botanical Garden, complex art of Japanese joinery and con- struction from a highly skilled master, Tom Owens and Pete Jankowski’s crew will return and he was going to take advantage of it. to Goose Creek Bamboo farm in Mint Hill for fresh bamboo. Here, Chris Curtain, Peter Brayshaw, and Brian Hefter cutting, trimming and removing 10543-4 Hwy 105 S. Banner Elk, NC 28604 bamboo timber. 828-963-6800 866-963-6800 But the bamboo is only a small part of the story. wolfcreektraders.com in Green Mansions Village between Foscoe & Seven Devils Many hours of research and precise attention to detail went into the design, and exacting timberframing and knotting techniques made the project time-consuming but ultimately deeply satisfying for the crew.

Apprenticing with a was told that no, he didn’t need any wish you had been.” Master, Japanese-Style help, but Tom was in luck. Quite near Tom wasn’t allowed to do anything but to where he lived, an amazing Japanese crush dirt for the mud walls for a full six Tom Owens initially wanted to be an temple was building a tradi- months. After that, he was finally allowed architect. But an internship convinced tional farmhouse called a minka totally to buy a and start the weeks-long him that he couldn’t the way the by hand. There wasn’t even any electric- process of learning how to sharpen it profession actually is with the way he ity connected at the site. with a waterstone, a skill that is utterly wanted it to be, so he took work as a Tom quit his job the next week and ap- incomprehensible to the average carpen- carpenter and eventually started sell- prenticed himself to the carpenter. ter armed with power . ing commercial real estate in northern And this is where things get a little “The whole experience made me California. One day he picked up Fine strange. He earned $2.20 an hour and was certifiably unemployable,” he grinned. Homebuilding magazine and was blown never allowed to ask a single question. “After I left my apprenticeship, I’d show away by a Japanese house that he can “The knowledge isn’t given to you. up at a job site and hold out my prop- only describe as incredible. You have to steal it by sneaking peeks erly sharpened hand tools as proof that “It spoke to me about all the reasons at the master—and if he catches you, I was skilled. Of course, they thought I I’d ever wanted to be an architect,” he you’re scolded and often sent home. If was absolutely crazy.” recalled. He called the architect and you aren’t sent home, he’d make you The master never did like him one little

150 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E July 2008 July 2008 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E 151 “I learned a lot about woodworking, but it was more than that. I learned that when you sweep the floor, you sweep it well—with mindfulness.”

Masashi (Mike) Oshita, a Master Gardener practicing out of Asheville, demonstrating -style techniques for tying bamboo with special decorative knots made from black palm twine. Watching attentively are (from left) Michael Brisson, Ed Woerner, Brian Hochman, Greg Lawing, Nancy Harrison, Ben Keister, Mark Brayshaw, Brian Hefter, Peter White, Pete Jankowski, Ed Woerner and Tom Owens (standing); the small photo shows Patrick Maxey with Mike. Timberframing and finely-crafted furniture make up the bulk of the company’s business, with inquiries even coming from overseas.

152 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E July 2008 July 2008 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E 153 For four years he did just that, so im- poverished by the last year that he was living in his old VW van. “I finally left because I really couldn’t live in my van anymore,” he said. But it was worth it. “I learned a lot about woodworking, but it was more than that. I learned that when you sweep the floor, you sweep it well—with mindfulness.”

Starting High Country Timberframe and Gallery Woodworking Increasingly frustrated with the diffi- culty of finding the right kind of job, he turned to bartending and booking agent jobs until he finally moved to Boone. Here he met up with Pete Jankowski on a High Country Timberframe and Gallery jobsite and the two of them, finding that Woodworking owner Pete Jankowski they had become the go-to guys for any- (left) concentrates on tying one of the thing fiddly, threw their lot in together. In intricate knots—all the knots must be 1997 they formed High Country Timber- frame and Gallery Woodworking. absolutely identical—while co-owner Pete’s story is a little different—no Zen- Tom Owens (right) carries a completed like ego-crushing apprenticeship, perhaps, roof grid pattern. but definitely not a straight line. He started out as a chemical engineer, working in a New England paper mill. Af- ter he quit, he began an odyssey up and down the country, breaking ice in the wa- ters of Alaska and Iceland with the Coast Guard; then building docks and decks and seawalls on the coast of North Carolina and in Florida and doing a little farming here and there. “I kept looking for more difficult and more challenging work,” he said. He found what he was looking for when he and his wife moved to Boone and he started . “It’s the most exciting way you can build a house,” he said. He started to draw heavily on his scientific background to cut angles and problem solve. For in- stance, when he built a spectacularly curved log staircase, everything he knew Tom Owens and his crew about math and geometry came into play, spent several days in New York along with his hands-on knowledge of how behaves. assembling the completed “Logistically that was just such a sections of the four uwaya. Tom challenge—sometimes you can just meticulously designed the uwaya use the natural shape of the wood to make something like an eyebrow, but so that they could be taken apart other times you have to use a process at the end of the Kiku show, like bent lamination.” stored, and then reassembled the Pete isn’t just about theory, though. He next year. The multi-million dollar can barely wait to get out of the door to fill in for one of his crew on a construc- show was funded by several major tion project, and he puts equal delight corporations such as Mitsubishi.

154 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E July 2008 July 2008 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E 155 into a side business he shares with his wife Dorene, growing hot peppers for the fiery salsas and sauces they sell at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market under the name Fire From the Mountain. 4),%3TONE4) From slate, travertine, and porcelain The combination of Pete, with his love 3TONE to reclaimed stone from Jerusalem... of science and logistics, and Tom, with a 3TONE 3H3HOWROOMH we have it all! bit of the poet in him and a strong sense of mindfulness, both of them devoted to Design Consultation wood and all its possibilities, proved to 25 different floor displays to help be fortuitous. #AVERN you visualize your tile dreams The company builds finely wrought houses, doors and staircases, and fur- We have you covered from niture that is so perfect it can almost start to finish make you weep. “A timberframe is like big furniture,” said Tom. “It’s all about the way things connect.” They have worked on homes and pub- lic spaces from Eagle’s Nest to Tynecas- tle to Linville Ridge to Espresso News; from down in Lake Norman to Kan- ,OCATEDIN'RANDFATHER6IEW napolis to Capon, W.V. to Charleston, 6ILLAGEATTHEBASEOF S.C. Sometimes they build the entire 'RANDFATHER-OUNTAIN structure, sometimes a porte-cochère 3HOWERS‚+ITCHENS‚"ACKSPLASHES‚&LOORS‚ or built-in . (WY !ND!LLTHE2EST A single piece of hand-planed fur- ACROSSFROM-OUNTAIN,UMBER niture, exquisitely crafted from ex- #HECK/UT/UR'ALLERYONOURWEBSITE otic and with joints made from IN&OSCOE wooden keys and wedges that aren’t   4),% WWWSTONECAVERNCOM dissimilar to the locks and keys that join timberframing, can sell for $5,000 to $25,000. Their style is essentially Arts and Crafts with a subtle overlay of David J Welsh the influence of the sukiya and minka Broker, GRI homes that Tom has studied. OVERALL TOP PRODUCER Making Uwaya So back to that prestigious commission from the New York Botanical Garden. How did that happen? In the company’s early days, a remodel- THE COMPLETE SOURCE ing and addition project grew to include FOR ALL YOUR PET NEEDS a commission for a traditional machiai, What do bamboo house a covered seating area in the garden that construction, the art of training would normally be used to shelter guests waiting to enter a teahouse. Tom wrote chrysanthemums (here about the machiai for the Roth Journal of each individual blossom has ASU Alumni Japanese Gardening in 2000, noting that been fitted with a tiny collar since 1980 “one must always be prepared to let the MOUNTAINEER CAPTAIN to support it) and Tom and VOLLEYBALL • SOFTBALL material speak in any project and help in the design process as well…a unique log Pete’s regular business have t1SFTJEFOUT$JSDMF"XBSEt Broker/REALTOR®BroBroker/REALTOR or branch may inspire a charming design in common? A total focus t4PMJE4FSWJDF"XBSEt change, just as a particularly beautiful Jean Teague on getting each detail just t%JBNPOEBOE4UFSMJOH4PDJFUZ"XBSETt piece of wood does when building a fine Call me todayy and experiencep results from a Cell:Cell: (828)(828 )268-1811268-1811 piece of furniture.” right. Every join and every provprovenen Topp Producer in the Boone market. 828-268-1510 Office: (828) 262-1990 When the New York Botanical Gar- component garners the same 828-268-1510828-268-1510 Shops at Shadowline [email protected] den began the five-year process of plan- mindful attention. HOURS: Monday-Saturday: 10am-6pm www.JeanTeague.com ning the kiku show, Todd Forrest looked BLAIR & ASSOCIATES Sunday: 1pm-5pm around for the right person to build the DFMMt&NBJMEX!EBWJEKXFMTIDPNDFMMt&NBJMEX!EBWJEKXFMTIDPN Realty Group  &!%(   uwaya. “You can’t exactly open the Yellow 8FCTJUFXXXEBWJEKXFMTIDPN8CJU EJEK MI EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

156 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E July 2008 July 2008 H I G H C O U N T R Y M A G A Z I N E 157 THE HIGH COUNTRY’S PREMIERE STEAK & S  HOUSE SINCE 1985

The end result: the serenity of perfection. COCKTAILS, BEER & WINE The crowds were dazzled by the C ’S MENU AVAILABLE spectacular chrysanthemums (the flowers shown here were painstakingly HIGHWAY   OWNTOWN BANNER ELK trained to mimic a waterfall) showcased SERVING AILY FROM 5PM 828-898-5550 WWW.STONEWALLSRESTAURANT.COM in authentic Japanese manner. “Although the exhibition is about chrysanthemums, the staging is almost as important. It helps to give it a really unique quality. (The uwaya) are gorgeous, amazing: we are beyond pleased,” said Todd Forrest, the New York Botanical Garden’s Vice- President of Horticulture.

Pages and look under ‘Japanese Uwaya for Tom to consult, and he spent months perfect, and they all had to be identical. plus a third set in case of accident or the Carpenter,’” he smiled. doing research before he was even able to The finished uwaya were shipped to New slightest blemish. Leafing through the Journal of Japanese bid on the project. In Japan, the uwaya are York and assembled there. The uwaya frames are ready to go, but Gardening, he found Tom’s article and im- made completely from scratch every year, “Although the exhibition is about the bamboo must be fresh and green, so mediately called him. Although he also but Tom’s charge was to build frames that chrysanthemums, the staging is almost High Country Timberframe will soon re- talked to a company headed by a Japanese could be taken apart and stored after the as important. It helps to give it a really peat the harvesting and polishing process ULTIMATE carpenter and another headed by an Amer- festival, ready for the next year. unique quality. [The uwaya] are gor- and then return to New York to insert the ican specializing in , he The actual construction process took geous, amazing; we are beyond pleased,” new bamboo poles into the reassembled KITCHEN ultimately chose Gallery Woodworking. approximately 5,000 man hours. Tom said Todd fervently. frames and retie those demanding knots— “Tom took to it with such enthusiasm took his team to Goose Creek Bamboo The garden has committed to staging “probably about another thousand man DESIGN and skill. We know what to look for in in Mint Hill to harvest bamboo, and they the kiku exhibition for at least two more hours,” Tom said nonchalantly. someone working with us, and not only do returned to Boone to clean and polish it. years. Yukie Kurashina, the gardener The one thing Tom found astonishing & CABINETRY they have to be highly skilled and very cre- The renowned master gardener Masashi who flew back and forth to Tokyo to ap- about the whole experience is that there ative, but they also have to be able to think Oshita, known as Mike—“I’ve been prentice in the art of kiku, is already well was no Japanese-style critique. on their feet—they need experience and waiting to work with him for 10 or 12 along in the lengthy process of meticu- “I was really surprised. They told us ability, but also that ‘sure, what the hell, years”—came to teach them how to tie lously training the chrysanthemums for we did a good job. I was expecting that Hwy. 105, Banner Elk , NC let’s give it a try’ attitude,” Todd said. the very particular and very precise knots this year’s festival. Since the show in New we would be critiqued harshly, the way 828-963-9596 • www.UltimateKitchenDesign.com Uwaya are built from memory in Japan, necessary to secure each intersection with York is a month long, she must grow two they’d do it in Japan.” so there were no handy plans and specs a special black twine. Each knot had to be sets of kiku with staggered bloom times, Oh well. You can’t have everything.w

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