Japanese Landscaping

There is a mystique about Japanese landscaping that makes it so fascinating to gardeners throughout the world who try to emulate the work of those wonderful far-eastern gardeners.

Japanese Rock Garden

But, when the East meets West, instead of fusion we sometimes get confusion. But, once that moment is passed a new awareness creeps in and the joys of a new culture spread before us.

So, it is with Japanese gardens. The ideal Japanese garden is a statement of simplicity and form, often requiring a complete change of mindset to establish, but later finding it to be simpler to maintain and appreciate.

Japanese landscaping will include many materials we commonly don't use simply, because of the attention to detail, simplicity, and form.

Rocks Are Garden Ornaments?

While a Western garden may appreciate a big boulder as a central point of a garden, the Japanese garden relies on a more subtle approach.

Often, the Japanese use flat stones or variously shaped boulders with lichens and patinas to build a garden structure with beauty.

In addition, the use of sand in a Japanese garden is used with curved rake patterns to represent the ocean. But sand is hardly what we think of as a surface material for a garden. In Japan, it is used for just that.

So, you may end up finding yourself at a rock quarry more than a home and garden store to find just the perfect Japanese gardening supplies.

Japanese Landscaping And Water

Japan is an island nation and they have many beautiful water gardens. Since the Japanese link to accentuate the natural world, things like minerals, water, sand, and plants are usually the focal points of the garden.

A small pond here, or trickling waterfall there, and this element can take one into a meditative state all by itself.

If one can't build a pond, bamboo containers filled with water plants and a pump can help bring that element into the Japanese themed garden.

Using Sculptures In Japanese Landscaping

One of the ways Japanese show their love of form is through artfully sculpturing the terrain into artificial hills. Placing mounds of earth here and there is a lovely way to bring a natural beauty to a backyard garden.

However, there are many Japanese gardening supplies that consist of tiny pagodas, lanterns, and screens. None of these should detract from the overall serenity or naturalness of the garden, though, to maintain its Zen-like state of peace.

In Japan, gardens are meant to merge the spiritual with the physical, and that can be still be done by picking Japanese gardening supplies that bring these aspects into the garden.

Trees and Plants for a Japanese Garden

Most Japanese trees and plants for the garden are quite understated by Western standards. Japanese maple is a favorite of Westerners because of its showy bronze and red leaves.

Bonsai can seem tiny and plain by Western standards, but are perfectly at home in a Japanese garden.

Don't limit your choices to bushes and trees. Add mosses and creepers to your Japanese landscaping to add naturalness to stone steps or stone sculpture.

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