It's been said that the Japanese garden is never done, it's always a work in progress. The basic framework to get started consists of textures, colors, and foliage indigenous to Japan. These gardens work well on any scale, from using the entire yard to building a small Zen corner for a quiet retreat. Try bamboo hedging to accent a large tree or isolate your Japanese section. Bamboo may also be used to compliment an existing waterfall by replacing a traditional spigot with one made of a hollow bamboo shoot. Garden foliage would not be complete without the bonsai tree, which comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. For bonsai beginners, the juniper species, in shades of green, is the easiest to shape and maintain. Juniper miniatures start and 4 inches and go up to the 18 inch Karate Kid species. For color accents, try some blossoming bonsai such as the flowering weeping Barbados cherry for hues of red and pink. For a darker colored Japanese plant, the acer not only adds color, but texture contrast to the bonsai with it's light, feathery body in rich tones of burgundy and magenta. In addition to organic materials, Japanese gardens are characterized by water and bridges, which can be built on a large, functional scale,
It's been said that the Japanese garden is never done, it's always a work in progress. The basic framework to get started consists of textures, colors, and foliage indigenous to Japan. These gardens work well on any scale, from using the entire yard to building a small Zen corner for a quiet retreat. Try bamboo hedging to accent a large tree or isolate your Japanese section. Bamboo may also be used to compliment an existing waterfall by replacing a traditional spigot with one made of a hollow bamboo shoot. Garden foliage would not be complete without the bonsai tree, which comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. For bonsai beginners, the juniper species, in shades of green, is the easiest to shape and maintain. Juniper miniatures start and 4 inches and go up to the 18 inch Karate Kid species. For color accents, try some blossoming bonsai such as the flowering weeping Barbados cherry for hues of red and pink. For a darker colored Japanese plant, the acer not only adds color, but texture contrast to the bonsai with it's light, feathery body in rich tones of burgundy and magenta. In addition to organic materials, Japanese gardens are characterized by water and bridges, which can be built on a large, functional scale,