Japanese Gardening Society

The Japanese Gardening Society will be out in the Artists' Garden on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, from 10am to 5pm both days. The garden is the backyard of York Art Gallery, tucked away in the Museum Gardens on Museum Street, so it's easy enough to find if you're already drifting through the centre.

It's a straightforward setup: members of the society will be on hand throughout the weekend to share what they know about Japanese gardening. They're open to questions on just about anything—how to build a garden from scratch, how to keep one going, and how to restore one that's seen better days. If you've got a specific project on the go or just a general interest in the style, it's a good chance to pick their brains without having to book a formal session.

The whole thing is part of Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, an exhibition at York Art Gallery that's sparked a whole run of talks, events and workshops led by curators, academics and gallery specialists. Dr Eleanor Jackson, the gallery's Curator of Fine Art, curated the show and has been one of the voices behind the programming. The Japanese Gardening Society's weekend forms part of the exhibition's closing celebration—a two-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities, food and drink for the family held across the gallery and the Museum Gardens. While the festival is happening inside and around the gallery, the society will be based outdoors in the Artists' Garden, answering questions about building, maintaining and restoring a Japanese garden.

It's free to come along, so you can just drop by whenever suits you over the two days. The society will be there from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, in the Artists' Garden directly behind York Art Gallery.