Minka, Timberframe, Chrysanthemum A Boone Woodworking 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 framing 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 Japan 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 Japanese architecture 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 carpenter 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 chisel and start the weeks-long him that he couldn’t square 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 tools. 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 Kyoto-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 carpentry 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.