Japanese-Style Garden Design DIY

A Japanese-style garden is like a three-dimensional work of art.

You act as a landscape artist, mirroring nature, in the creation of a Japanese-style garden design. Like art, appreciation is in the eyes of the beholder, as you strive for a peaceful, meditative, tranquil setting. Fundamental elements are incorporated into all Japanese-style garden designs, reflecting components found only in nature. Like any other garden, a Japanese-influenced garden is always a work in progress and very much a statement of your individuality.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Graph paper
• Paper and pencil

Instructions

1. Plan your site based upon its view and potential. It must be enclosed with gates, fences and walls to create your own private space. The site can be as small as a patio area, for a viewing garden, or as large as your entire backyard, for a strolling garden.

2. Draw the site measurements onto your graph paper using a scale of 1 inch to 1 foot. Leave room for notations as you work out your design.

3. Place rocks and hardscape components like raked sand, crushed white or beige stone and stepping-stones within your design. The open spaces created by these elements are as important as the live plantings you select. Three rocks typically represent a mountain view, while paths mark your journey through life, with each twist revealing a view you can appreciate.

4. Sketch a water feature like a koi pond or babbling fountain into your design, taking size and balance into consideration.

5. Specify trees in your design. A small space may only have room for bonsai trees, while a large space may easily take cherry, flowering plum and pine trees. Plan for the mature size of each tree as you place it into your garden plan.

6. Indicate shrubs on your design that will provide color interest. Azaleas, wisterias and hydrangeas all work well in Japanese-style gardens. Note blooming times so you can balance color within your garden.

7. Add finishing touches like moss, bamboo plants and ornamental grasses as well as symbolic statues, lanterns and basins into your design. Traditionally, according to both Shinto and Buddhism, a basin is placed at the garden entrance so visitors can clean their hands and rinse their mouths before entering.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at Japanese gardens featured online or in magazines for inspiration.

• Use trees, shrubs and plants native to your area. Your local garden center can recommend native substitutions that will perform well in your Japanese-style garden.

• Four-season interest should be a dominent factor when designing a Japanese-style garden. In Japanese culture, the way snow looks on a tree's bare branches is as important as its show of spring blossoms.

• Less is more when designing a Japanese-style garden. Create your design using a minimalist approach.

• Maintain balance throughout your Japanese-style garden design. While stone boulders may be at home in a large backyard, they are out of character in a small-sized garden.

References

• Bowdoin College: Japanese Garden Elements
• A Japanese Garden: Japanese Garden Designs for North American Gardeners
• Journal Star: Lincoln Woman Transforms Yard into a Japanese Garden
• Slawson Creations: Design Philosophy
• Helpful Gardener: Japanese Garden Design Principles

Resources

• Soul of the Garden: A Tribute to Japanese Gardens