Stepping into a Japanese garden evokes solace, peace and tranquility. With minimal color, interesting design elements and a focus on simplicity, this type of garden may be exactly what you’re hoping to add to your existing landscape. How do you bring the Japanese feel into your backyard? Read about some of the common items found in Japanese gardens below and see if you can begin incorporating them into your green spaces.
Focus on Greenery
Instead of filling your garden areas with perennial flowers that bloom in magnificent shades of color, choose plants with varying shades of green. This allows a subtle layering of color prevalent in most Japanese gardens. Pruning is a technique used during your landscape plant installation Boca Raton to allow plants to rise and fall with the flow of the land. This spotlights the natural landscape and can look like natural green waterfalls flowing through your yard. Pathways made of stone also allow the focus to remain on the plant forms and color.
Use Minimal Design
Open spaces are welcome in Japanese gardens. An element commonly incorporated in a Japanese landscape is a dry garden. A dry garden has no living plants, but instead uses a variety of stone sizes and shapes to build a design. For a meditative garden area, consider buying a rake and laying down decomposed granite. Drawing lines and patterns in the sand is a soothing practice, allowing the mind to rest and the body to relax. Large boulders become sculptural elements in a Japanese garden, chosen for the natural color, shape and texture that works best with the surrounding area. Another interesting design detail that comes with time is the allowance of weathering. Instead of scrubbing everything in the garden clean, the Japanese look celebrates the overgrown moss and weathered stone.
Add Water
A Japanese garden isn’t complete without a simple water feature. Garden basins are typically made from natural stone or carved from granite and are placed on the path where you enter or leave the garden. Historically used as a place to clean up before tea, now they’re added for the aesthetic appeal. Adding a spout and pump will turn your basin into a fountain and add the soothing sounds of flowing water to your Japanese oasis.
A Japanese garden may not be for everyone, but it’s the right choice for you if you’re hoping for a landscape that is enhanced by natural elements, has roots in minimalism and is calming for the soul.
