Japanese Garden & Asian Modern

The quintessential Japanese Garden is about nature, peace and tranquility, providing a spiritual haven offering a balance in one’s life. Classic and timeless. In this garden, one admires the informal, natural curves dominating the landscape, with a stone walkway leading to a bridge spanning a stream or koi pond. Dry creek beds meander through evergreen shrubs and trees that produce a tranquil green background. Sand, stone, and partially buried boulders accent the curving pathways. Flowers are kept to a minimum and are seasonal. Asian ornaments adorn the harmonious garden. The Oriental Garden is an excellent choice for a small-space garden.

Oriental Garden Elements: Three main elements of the Oriental Garden feature water, rocks, and ornaments. Sand can also be incorporated, especially in a Zen Garden. Natural stone and exposed aggregate concrete make excellent surfaces for patios and walkways. The outdoor kitchen may include a teppanyaki grill, or a flat-iron grill. The patio features authentic Asian-style furniture and accessories while bamboo waterspouts, stone lanterns, statues, sculptures and basins, Torii gates, rain chains, arbors, and bamboo fence panels add to the ambiance of the tranquil environment.

Japanese Garden Plants: Selecting plants that are in scale with your yard, some great additions to an Asian garden are Japanese Black Pine, Japanese Maple, Hinoki Cypress, Saucer Magnolia, Japanese Holly, Sword Ferns, Azaleas, Camellias, Dwarf Gardenias, Dwarf Junipers in bonsai form, Iris, Lily Turf, Mondo Grass with selected areas of Baby’s Tears and Elfin Thyme as groundcovers. Bonsai specimens, especially in Asian-style containers, are a must for the Oriental or Japanese Garden.

Asian Modern

Many of my Modern Asian Gardens are well-suited for my clients who want minimal maintenance and budget, but still want that classic Oriental / Japanese ornate, classic look. This style works well with minimal space often found in new home backyards.

Asian Modern Gardens are formal—bold, organized, well kept, sleek—landscape designs with a sense of openness. Symmetrical, clean lines and geometric patterns become an extension of your home’s interior, the purpose must be to create an outdoor room with a wall of Alphonse Karr non-clumping bamboo with rock garden shrubs and a water feature.

Zen Garden

The traditional Zen Garden is basically an outdoor rock garden with sand raked into a labyrinth pattern. If you have the space, this sea of sand displays rocks (islands) that are often designed as a focal point within a larger Oriental Garden. A popular pattern is a group of mounding rocks centered in a sea of sand or gravel. The hand-raked sand represents the ripples, or waves, on the surface of the water as if dropped by a stone. As the pattern radiates outward, they interact with other parallel lines.

Instead of natural rocks or boulders, you may use stones resembling animals.

A platform, or seating area, is an important element in the Zen Garden. Used to view the garden, the deck is often constructed of wood composite material. If concrete, a raised deck is important. Think of your home as a temple and the platform as a porch. A low, bamboo fence or rock wall should surround the sand bed, allowing you to separate yourself and the garden from stress beyond the wall.