Ideas for Japanese style landscaping

Traditional Japanese gardens are designed for peaceful contemplation. Drawing heavily on Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist philosophies, they strive to offer visitors a spiritual sanctuary. The main focus of an oriental garden is on nature. The elements of a Japanese garden imitate or symbolize natural elements. So, geometric shapes and artificial stone are not common in Asian landscape design. The more natural and harmonious a garden is, the more it invites contemplation.

There are four main elements used in Japanese garden design: stones, water, plants and ornaments. When selecting and arranging these elements in your space, it is important to consider the key design principles of a Japanese garden, which include asymmetry, enclosure, borrowed landscape, balance and symbolism. These principles work together to create the right balance in your Japanese garden.

Get these tips:
In this section you will find tips from landscape gardeners on:

Choosing simple and natural paving materials for a Japanese garden, including gravel, natural stone and exposed aggregate.
Ideas to “soften” the edges of paved patios and walkways by avoiding straight lines, emphasizing freeform and organic shapes, and using ground coverings to hide the edges.
Good plant selection for a Japanese garden with an emphasis on evergreen varieties of various shapes, sizes and textures.