The artistic interplay of green plants, stones and often also water fascinates not only the Japanese. In Europe, too, there are more and more lovers of this garden art, in which not only bonsai are used for a long time.
Conifers and trees with colorful foliage adorn Japanese gardens authentically
What is typical of a Japanese garden?
A typical Japanese garden recreates a natural landscape on a small scale. This can look very different: from the mountain landscape framed by pine trees to the garden pond with bridge and tea house, very different design options are conceivable. The only characteristic is that the individual components express certain aspects of Japanese culture and the planting is rather sparse, but carefully planned. Flowering plants are rarely found in Japanese gardens, but there are plants in numerous shades of green. The elements stone and water are also important, although the latter can also be represented in the form of (white) pebbles.
Which plants are suitable for a Japanese garden
It is less important to plant original Japanese trees than to choose suitable plants. For example, you should not plant a Japanese maple if you cannot give it a suitable location in your garden. Therefore, when choosing plants for the Japanese garden, always pay attention to the requirements in terms of location, soil and winter hardiness. You can also use native trees for the planting - for example a field maple instead of a Japanese maple. In any case, coniferous trees are typical of Japanese gardens, which remain green in winter and can be easily shaped.
trees and shrubs
For this reason, pines (e.g. mountain or white pines, black pines) and other conifers such as yew and larch belong in Japanese gardens. You can also plant deciduous trees, especially maple, boxwood, rhododendrons, azaleas, cherry trees and ornamental cherry trees as well as blood plums.
More plants
Ferns and grasses, such as bamboo, Japanese forest grass, broadleaf sedge, bearskin grass, ostrich fern, rainbow fern, etc., are added to these woody plants. Moss, such as star moss, is also indispensable. Flowering plants are rather rare, but can be found precisely positioned: in addition to the almost obligatory cherries, flowering dogwoods, peonies and irises also belong in a Japanese garden.
tips
If you want to limit your property/garden so that it is not visible, you can plant high hedges - or, as is customary in Japan, use a white wall.