Types of Japanese Gardens
Japanese garden design appears most prominently as the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. This garden style is more relaxed, especially when compared to European gardens. The Asian plants are laid out in distinct areas of smaller flowering trees and shrubs in the foreground, with hills, a small pond, and forest trees in the background. The plants in the foreground are pruned into rounded shapes, to be reminiscent of hills and clouds. Another form of Japanese garden design is the Stroll-Garden style. In this style of garden, a path is placed in the garden to allow the visitor to “stroll” through the garden, experiencing various focal points within the garden. In this style of garden, focal points typically include miniature recreations of famous Japanese sites, artwork, and stories.
Plants for a Japanese Garden
The Japanese garden frequently features evergreens, which are symbolic of permanence. Also, plantings tend to be sparse and strategically placed. By using limited amounts of plants in Japanese flower gardens, it helps them to be more of a focal point.
Evergreen trees for Japanese gardens
Some of the more popular evergreen plants for background trees in Japanese flower gardens are:
Canadian hemlock Cedar Coastal redwood Himalayan white pine Japanese black pine
Deciduous trees for Japanese gardens
Deciduous trees that need lots of water grow well near the pond and are used as border and focal trees as well. These include:
Scarlet maple Willow Water oak Tulip tree Maidenhair tree
Hedges for Japanese gardens
Hedges are also wonderful Japanese garden plants, especially when trimmed in the traditional patterns. Plants for a Japanese garden hedge include:
Japanese barberry Flowering quince Weigela Japanese pittosporum Yew
Flowers and plants for Japanese gardens
There are several colorful Japanese garden plants and flowers to choose from, in varying sizes and colors, and all wonderful ways to add color to the garden. These are:
Japanese irises Tree peonies Japanese maples Azaleas Japanese holly
Groundcover for Japanese gardens
Groundcover plants are a nice way to add more texture and color to the garden. These plants for a Japanese garden include:
Moss Japanese sweet flag Japanese ardisia Baby’s tears Spurge
When using Japanese influence in garden design, it is a challenge to balance the controlled pruning to make Japanese flower gardens look as natural as possible. However, the hard work will pay off when you have a lovely retreat in your own yard.
