Japanese garden inspired backyard
How To Create An Authentic Backyard Japanese Garden
By Emily Medlock | Published on
Buy Now
A backyard Japanese Garden may be your ideal outdoor design. One of these design options is the backyard Japanese garden. There are many different designs to choose from and it’s important that everything works well together.
View in gallery
If you haven’t watched a lot of anime, martial arts movies, or aren’t a Japanese culture fanatic, then you may not know much about Japanese gardens. But don’t worry, learning about them isn’t difficult at all.
What Is A Backyard Japanese Garden?
View in galleryImage from Richard KramerA backyard Japanese garden is a type of outdoor landscape that was inspired by a true Japanese garden. Although not everyone categorizes their garden, they are usually separated into three categories.
There is the tsukiyama (hill gardens), karesansui (dry gardens) and chaniwa gardens (tea gardens). The main purpose of a Japanese garden is to capture the beauty of nature on a small scale, inspired by a large scale.
History Of The Backyard Japanese Garden
View in galleryImage from PACIFIC DREAMSCAPESThe country of Japan has quite a long history and in that history, Japanese gardens are found time and time again. During each period in Japan, the Japanese garden changes significantly. but it all dates back to the 6th century.
This would be during the Asuka period when Japanese merchants saw the gardens in China and were inspired, bringing these inspirations back home to Japan. The first gardens were built near modern-day Tokyo on Honshu.
The gardens featured volcanic elements, valleys, and small mount streams leading to tiny waterfalls. This changed quite a bit over the years and became broader, offering more Japanese elements.
What Japan added most of all was religion. Most Japanese gardens have Shinto backgrounds, which is why there is a spiritual element to them.
This element is what draws people in and makes them want to recreate the gardens.
The Pleasure of Japanese Garden Designs
Before the merchants even went to China, there were “Japanese gardens” known as pleasure gardens. They were reserved for the Emperors and nobles looking for entertainment. There were many ancient passages telling of these pleasure gardens.
Emperor Keikō was said to use carp in ponds, and many emperors were said to have large feasts with their families in these pleasure gardens. But it wasn’t for centuries that these gardens were made open and Shintoism was introduced.
Backyard Japanese Garden Tips
View in galleryImage from Ki ArtsWhile the rules aren’t steady for a backyard Japanese garden, it can help to take heed with a few tips. These things can help you create a traditional and accurate Japanese garden by following a few simple rules.
Stay Natural through backyard Japanese design
This is the most important part of a backyard Japanese garden.
Adding primarily natural elements is what is going to make the landscape look like a Japanese garden. You need three things: stone, plants, and water.
These elements should look as natural as possible with the exception of small adjustments that give the right vibes. For example, zen formations are okay as long as they work with the Japanese garden landscape.
Don’t Cross The Border
There is a little bit of room for mistakes here because the first Japanese gardens were inspired by Chinese gardens. So there is an overlap. That said, don’t confuse the Asian cultures unless you include all of Asia.
You can create an Asian garden but if you do, don’t call it a backyard Japanese garden. Instead, call it an Asian garden which will show appreciation for many Asian countries. This can be a wonderful idea if it is done right.
Don’t Go Overboard
It may be tempting to add every symbol you can find from Japan. To clutter your Japanese garden with torii, lucky cats, and Buddhist statues.
But not only will this overwhelm your space but it is culturally inappropriate.
It can feel disrespectful to the Japanese culture if you simply add everything that is even remotely Japanese to your garden. Imagine someone adding Ronald McDonald to a newly-built American church.
Keep Colors To A Minimum
View in galleryImage from Tim Smith Garden DesignColors can be fun in many cases but when it comes to a Japanese garden, they should be kept to a minimum. Try avoiding bright colors altogether in favor of muted tones and neutral colors which will work much better.
If you want to add small splashes of color, you can if it works naturally. Good options are waterlilies or lotus plants. These will add small bits of pink usually and the majority of the colors will still be muted.
Work With The Landscape
Plants are the second element of a backyard Japanese garden. Plants are very important to our lives and to a Japanese garden. Without these plants, the garden wouldn’t be considered a garden at all because gardens need plants.
The type of plants you add is also important. Primarily Japanese plants are ideal. However, you can add some local plants, like evergreens if you wish, as long as they are not trimmed up to look like hedges.
Always Add Water
Water is one of the three key elements of a Japanese garden. If you have the space or the expertise to build a natural-looking waterfall, then that is amazing. If not, then adding small ponds or streams can work.
The important thing is to add water. But don’t go overboard by adding large fountains and such. Instead, try adding only water sources you would see naturally in nature, not man-made structures.
The Bridge
It seems like adding a bridge of some sort to your backyard Japanese garden is nearly necessary. Most Japanese garden bridges are small, arched, and red. Although the bridge doesn’t need to be painted, it is the color exception.
When you can’t paint anything else, you are allowed to paint the bridge red. This is a focal point and in Japanese culture, stepping on a bridge gives us a choice.
We can cross over, make a change, or turn back.
It is also a way to connect us to nature. We can cross over from the modern world and into a spiritual world led by nature. That’s why bridges can be so important in gardens today with so much stress in our everyday lives.
Other Types Of Similar Gardens
If you don’t want to go Japanese, you can follow fewer rules by choosing a different type of garden. Here are a few different types of gardens that you can choose that have far fewer “rules” than Japanese gardens.
Hanging Garden
A hanging garden can give you a similar feel to a Japanese garden, turned upside down. Most hanging gardens are inspired by the Wonder of the World known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which is indeed a wonder.
In order to create a hanging garden, you need to find the right planters and the right types of plants. Oftentimes, there will be holes above so that the plants can be planted normally and the buds can grow underneath.
To-Scale Fairy Garden
If you have a small space and still want a full garden, then consider a fairy garden. You don’t need more than a few inches for a fairy garden but you can use a few square feet for a truly impressive one.
Fairy gardens are tiny gardens that are made for fairies. They likely began in a country like Iceland where according to Nat Geo, over half of the population still believe in either fairies or elves. They build little welcome homes for these fairies.
Zen Garden
View in galleryImage from LandCrafters, IncA zen garden is often confused with a general Japanese garden but the two are not necessarily the same. Zen gardens are Japanese rock gardens that don’t necessarily include plants but Japanese gardens need plants.
This doesn’t mean that zen gardens never have plants but the focus is on the rocks and the sand. They were originally created for Buddhist monks to meditate and are still used for that reason in parts of the world today.
Woodland Garden
A woodland garden can be considered a human-sized fairy garden. It has all of the same elements as a fairy garden but it is scaled to fit most humans. You will see trees, stone statues, and everything you’d see in a fairy garden.
A woodland garden can’t replace a Japanese garden because they aren’t the same. But a woodland garden is probably the closest non-culturized version of a Japanese garden because it focuses on appreciating nature.
Therapeutic Garden
A therapeutic garden is designed to create a peaceful and stress-free environment for those suffering from anxiety or who is over-stressed. Many different types of therapies are combined in a therapeutic garden.
The primary one is aromatherapy, which is why lavender, peppermint, and other similar plants are planted. Other therapies include calming tones and perhaps even the soft sounds of nature playing in the background.
Building Your Own Japanese Garden
View in galleryImage from Jay Sifford Garden DesignThe most important part of building a Japanese garden is to build one that you fall in love with.
If you have to break a rule or two to suit your needs and your taste then so be it. As long as you respect nature, then your garden will shine.
As the writer, E.B. White, once said, “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
Because nature is meant to be respected and seen as a beauty that is not owned by us, but that lets us live within it. A Japanese garden is created to accept this offer and show our respect for this great gift.
28 Japanese Garden Design Ideas to Style up Your Backyard
There is something innately profound and inherently calming about Asian design with Oriental overtones in large and Japanese design and architecture in particular. Maybe it is the influence of the regions philosophical outlook towards life that has shaped its style and design principles for several centuries or it could be a combination of their lifestyle that is deeply connected with nature and the topography of the region that offers them a unique insight into every aspect of life.
Either way, an amalgamation of all these factors has shaped Japanese culture and lifestyle into a beautifully aesthetic and naturally relaxing form and the west has borrowed generously from them in the last century or so. Japanese gardens are another amazing gift from the Far East, which have given many modern homes a soothing and serene ambiance.
Beautiful and balanced garden adds to the look of the homeHere are a few inspirations that will hopefully help add a compact, yet vibrant Japanese garden to your very own home. Each design has unique blend of elements that have their distinct significance. Enjoy the tranquil visual treat-
A gorgeous Japanese garden showcasing the wide variety of plants one can useFiery Japanese Maple in the garden offer a tasteful and colorful contrast to the green monotonyby Richard Kramer
Give your garden a Oriental entrance with style galoreSerene and private Japanese garden encased in a fence of Bamboo goodness!by Jesse
Japanese Blood Grass and a pond with lovely waterfalls stand out in this home gardenby Gaile Guevara
Miniature Landscapes with Grand Tradition
Stylish Japanese garden taking shape in the heart of Manhattanby New Eco: Urban Landscape Design
While Japanese gardens initially started off by borrowing largely from the Chinese model, over several hundred years they evolved their own inimitable flavor and distinct features that are identified as intrinsic and essential components of the set up.
These gardens are basically miniature versions of bigger and grander landscapes and they are a pleasing and idealized view of nature at its nourishing best.
by Grace Design Associates
Stunning Japanese garden exudes a soothing vibe perfect for finding inner peaceNo one will understand a Japanese garden until you’ve walked through one, and you hear the crunch underfoot, and you smell it, and you experience it over time. Now there’s no perfect photograph or movie that can give you the complete experience since it is more than just visual brilliance.
by Debra Prinzing
Use of colored carp and gold fish in the koi ponds along with stone lanternRefreshing little garden borrowing heavily from the Japanese motifby Angelien Landscape
Small and compact Japanese corner garden offers an exquisite and polished appearanceby SRM Architecture and Interiors
Simple garden space with a fine balance of rock, water and a touch of Japanese mapleby Charles McClure
Aesthetic Artistry at its Natural Best
Lovely use of stone and still water in this home Japanese gardenBalance, poise and a sense of natural beauty that is neither forced nor contrived is the essence of a Japanese garden design.
While placing them at the heart of your home as a vibrant and energizing hub will give your open interiors a whole new meaning, one in the backyard will allow you to stroll through captivating elegance while collecting your thoughts. One of the important things to remember is that Japanese gardens are asymmetric by nature and it is one of the carefully planned features that give them their special appeal.
by Kikuchi & Associates
Picture perfect Japanese garden with stone pathwayDaft and compact Japanese garden with Shoji Screens perfect for the contemporary homeJapanese gardens derive their beauty from a mixing and blending of different elements in a symbolic and natural manner to create an ambient atmosphere. Rocks, sand, water, bamboo, trees, flowers and even bridges are placed with precision to create an exceptional sense of organic asymmetry.
by Garden Mentors
Compact deck space and a Japanese garden give this backyard a unique presenceby Garden Architecture
Japanese zen garden perfect for the modern minimalistic homeA Balance of Symbolic Elements
Japanese Garden Bridge is an interesting and aesthetic addition for your backyardby Eco Minded Solutions
The most alluring aspect of trying to design a Japanese garden for your home is the elements that can go into its making and what each of them signifies.
Water is one of the basic components and from still ponds to flowing streams and even small cascades; you can incorporate any feature that you feel is best for your garden. Water and stone are the ying-yang and hence the balance each other and their placement must be done accordingly. For those not keen on fresh water usage, sand is a suitable substitute as it represents both water and clouds in the context of Japanese gardens.
by HartmanBaldwin Design
Rocks are another essential feature and their meaning depends on both their composition and placement. It could vary anywhere between a towering mountain to rocky shores eroded by constant corrosion caused by waves. Koi Ponds, stone lanterns, garden bridges and wash basins all add up to painting the perfect scenery.
Minimal Japanese Garden with elegant use of rock and sandStriking waterfalls perfect for a vibrant Japanese GardenAt the end of the day, conjuring up and creating a perfect Japanese garden is a task for both a creative home owner and an expert who specializes in the craft.
With right imagination and technique, one can truly create a piece of heaven in your backyard that is draped in greenery.
by Q. Le
Japanese gravel garden with a distinct patternOpen boundaries and soothing atmosphere allow you to enjoy this garden both from outside and withinby Huettl Landscape Architecture
Tasteful and refined Japanese garden crafted to perfectionby Cathy Warner
Sherry is a blogger who loves to live her life to the fullest. She enjoys everything associated with design, décor and stylish modern trends. Born in California, Sherry has grown up on open ranches and in a wild setting, which has defined her taste for design and developed her interest in examining how structures and homes interact with the beauti[...]Next Post
Japanese Backyard Gardens - Top 135 Photos, Landscaping, Garden & Garden
Japanese Tea House
Miriam's River House Designs, LLC
Photo shows Japanese Tea House west side.
The gravel path contains a Japanese dry river bed and an Inukshuk sculpture, metaphysically designed. The surrounding garden is the inner Roji garden and contains a Roji stepping stone path designed with a metaphysical pattern. pattern. Photo credits:Dan Drobnick
Japanese inspired garden Postcode 3141
Groundswell Gardens
Low maintenance Japanese inspired garden with a focus on foliage.
Fresh Design Idea: Medium Size Oriental Backyard Lot and Garden with Midday Shade - Great Interior Photo
Formal Structural Garden
Charlotte Rowe Garden Design
Charlotte Rowe Garden Design. Large formal garden structural with water rill, limestone paving, clipped Cloud planting with petanques court and subtle garden lighting.
A Japanese-Inspired Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland
Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (JMMDS)
A pair of world travelers with a deep love of Japan asked JMMDS to design a Japanese-inspired landscape that would complement the contemporary renovation of their home in Edinburgh, Scotland.
JMMDS created a plan that included a handsome cut-stone patio, meandering stepping stone paths, sweeping bed lines, stony mounds, a grassy pool of space, and swaths of elegant plantings. JMMDS was on site during the installation to craft the mounds and place the plants and stones. Julie Moir Messervy set out the ancient pieces of gneiss from Scotland’s Isle of Lewis. With the planting design, JMMDS sought to evoke the feeling of a traditional Japanese garden using locally suitable plants. The designers and clients visited nurseries in search of distinctive plant specimens, including cloud-pruned hollies, craggy pines, Japanese maples of varied color and habit, and a particularly notable Japanese snowbell tree. Beneath these, they laid drifts of sedges, hellebores, European gingers, ferns, and Solomon's Seal. Evergreen azaleas, juniper, rhododendrons, and hebe were clustered around the lawn. JMMDS placed bamboos within root-controlled patio beds and planted mondo grass, sedums, and mosses among the stepping stones.
Project designers: Julie Moir Messervy, Principal; Erica Bowman, Senior Landscape Architect Collaborators: Helen Lucas Architects, Steven Ogilvie (garden installers) Photography: Angus Bremner
Renovation d'un jardin de Ville à Blagnac
Urbanessence Espaces Verts
Stylish Design: Small Modern Japanese Backyard Garden with Midday Shade - Latest Trend
0007
Stylized Japanese garden
Landscape for Siberia
Author Andrey Meshchaninov.
Fresh Design Idea: Medium Japanese Oriental Backyard Spring Garden with Midday Shade - Great Interior Photo
Zen Garden
The Garden Artist LLC
Blu Fish Photography
Pictured: Medium Size Plot and Garden in Fall backyard oriental with afternoon shade
East meets West
Daniela Müller your green guide
Für den existierenden Garten im englischen Stil wünschte die Bauherrin sich eine Harmonisierung der Gartenflächen bei gleichzeitiger Integration eines Japanischen Teehauses.
East meets West
Daniela Müller your green guide
Dynamisch lenkt der Kreisweg den Blick in den verborgenen Teil der Gartenanlage.
Design ideas for a mid-sized oriental Japanese backyard spring garden with midday shade and gravel
Bavaria
One Square Rate
Celia Popkin
Original Design Example: Large Sunny Japanese Backyard Oriental Garden with Good Lighting
Kirman Design based on A contemporary garden Japanese garden aesthetics. This garden utilises Granite as the main material for paving, pathways and cladding. Porcelain Design Clad from London Stone is used to create a darker contrasting set of feature walls. Colorful planting lifts the space. A large contemporary pond is the main focal point od the garden with floating granite bridges from once gravel area to the next.
Giant boulders add more gravitas and scale offset by three specimen Japanese maples.
Zen Garden
The Garden Artist LLC
Blu Fish Photography
Pictured: Spring Lot and Medium Size Oriental Backyard Garden with
Back garden planting with large boulder
Maximize Design Lush back
90 garden planting, with flowering perennials, grasses and evergreen ground covers. The tree is a mature Amelanchier (Serviceberry). A large boulder that was found on site sits in a bed of Irish Moss (Sagina) and Japanese Acorus Grass.
Japanese Garden Design
The art and craft of Japanese gardening has continued to flourish and develop for over 1300 years in Japan and 150 years in various places around the world. Japanese gardens are known for their beauty and calming effect. Creating a Japanese garden in your home is a great way to decorate your outdoor space and create the perfect place to relax.
In Japan, landscape design is considered an art. There are precise aesthetic requirements for its design. This is the art of a complete and harmonious connection between man and nature. In this publication, we will talk about how and by what principles a Japanese-style garden design is designed.
Japanese garden design: key features
The Japanese garden is balanced and serene. This is an old tradition, rooted in the depths of antiquity. With a strong Chinese influence, he is mainly inspired by Buddhist philosophy. That is why we find elements of Chinese art in its design. This is a place for reflection. Spiritual, wild, without many plants, a few mosses, ferns, small stones, this garden is made for relaxation.
There are what we call "Japanese steps", flat stones that mark the way. Another element present in the Japanese garden is the red bridge. The Japanese garden is rich in decorations: lanterns, statues, pagodas, streams, a fountain, etc. If you look for a synonym for "Japanese garden", then it is certainly "peace of mind.
" This garden is designed to bring harmony and inner balance. More and more people are taking inspiration from this type of garden layout and creating their own harmonious Japanese garden spaces. The first gardens of this type appeared on the island of Honshu. They imitated sanctuaries. The Japanese Garden is a sacred place dedicated to meditation.
Japanese Garden Design: Planning Principles
In this place of contemplation and inner peace, every element is carefully organized to come to a harmonious whole. Water symbolizes purity and plays an aesthetic role. Often there is a source of water: a lake, a pond, a river, or a beautiful fountain. This is the idea of the source of life.
The vast majority of people are not familiar with Japanese gardens. They have seen them in public parks, and because they are so beautiful, it seems that landscaping such a garden can require a significant investment. However, in almost every Japanese garden there are details and design elements that can be successfully integrated into any garden.
It is not necessary to try to recreate an exact copy. Instead, it's best to learn from Japanese gardening techniques and try to get that special atmosphere that inspires a Japanese garden. However, to do this, you first need to take a closer look at the main details of the Japanese garden traditions of design and landscaping.
Seasonality in a Japanese Garden
Japan is one of the regions in the world that places great cultural significance on the different seasons of the year when it comes to everyday life and the feelings and emotions they evoke. For this reason, it is not difficult to appreciate the importance of the seasons in Japanese gardening. For example, in the best Japanese gardens during the growing season, you rarely and probably never see a red-leaved Japanese maple. Seasonal color changes are highly prized in horticulture in Japan.
Spring is a period of rebirth, so the presence of leafy plants is a desirable feature. The goal is a short, fading color background that suits this time of year.
The summer season is a time for green backgrounds, not the flowering shrubs and perennials often found in traditional gardening. In the days when air conditioners did not yet exist, there was nothing better than visiting the garden in summer with the sound of dripping water to cool off.
Autumn is the time of leaf fall, which marks the approach of the end of the year. Winter is the season when the garden rests. In addition, this is a period of trees without foliage and green spaces wrapped in snow.
To achieve all this in your garden, you can grow small flowers in delicate colors. For the summer period, choose plants with a lot of foliage. Try to include clear and elegant color changes during the fall and winter periods.
Japanese Garden Design: Space Planning
A Japanese garden and a Japanese home are a perfect match. In general, this is due to the fact that Japanese houses often offer excellent views of the garden, which allow the outside to be present inside.
Japanese garden design does not involve planting close to windows. Do not fill every centimeter with plants or groups of stones. In the garden, you need empty space in the form of a lawn, a small area of gravel or a pond with water, which give the appearance of depth.
There are also many techniques that can "deceive" the eye into believing that the garden is larger or deeper than it really is. For example, long and narrow areas can benefit from sparse stands in the foreground and larger stands in the background.
Japanese Garden Design: Materials
Quality materials are essential for every garden. You can familiarize yourself with the available options before proceeding with the arrangement of the site. Good quality materials can be expensive, and it's best to wait until you have enough money to afford them without compromising on poor quality materials.
As far as plants are concerned, it is recommended that you choose species suitable for your area, even if they are not typical of a Japanese-style garden.
You should also think about the care the plants need in the beginning and after. A well-manicured mixed-design garden is always preferable to a neglected original garden.
To sum it up, in order to fully implement the design of a Japanese-style garden, you should choose high-quality materials. You can also choose green plants suitable for your geographic region and always keep the garden in good condition so that all elements remain at their best.
Balance in Japanese Garden Design
Overloading a garden with bad architecture, ostentatious rock groups, or too many views creates a feeling of discomfort that doesn't support the goals of Japanese gardening. In addition, no inscriptions and plates should be made on plants, they unnecessarily overload the design of the garden.
The Japanese garden is not a collection of Japanese plants, but a composition of plants and materials, which is a landscape miniature. Creating a space that resembles a mountainous, meadow or coastal area, plantings growing in these places are used.
To create a design where there is no dominant part, you should avoid mixing high-contrast elements and textures with the color of the foliage, preferring a harmonious combination of plants.
So, in summary, when arranging a Japanese garden, it would be best to avoid ostentatious artistry and excessively ostentatious stone compositions. You should also remove everything unnecessary or overloading the garden. Choose a harmonious composition in the form of the best combination of plants instead of sharp contrasts.
Japanese-style garden design: the right proportions
When integrating large stones, for example to mark hills or streams, the priority will be to use different sizes and shapes in order to effectively reproduce what is naturally found in nature. Similarly, the same goes for plants, creating an association with old and new.
It is also important to consider ideal planting sizes; this is because stones and mounds do not increase in contrast to plantings.
Plants are carefully chosen to be in proportion to the arrangement of the rest of the garden.
Large trees are not often seen in Japanese gardens because they are out of proportion to the rest of the garden. Trees are suitable for park and temple garden areas where the environment and architecture are appropriate in proportion. Large trees are common in traditional gardens. They are still important for providing shade in summer. One way to integrate these trees into your garden while still maintaining harmony is to use additional plantings of smaller trees to create balance. So you will avoid imbalances in the design of the Japanese garden.
In your Japanese garden, you must take into account the dimensions and proportions of the walls, passages and the size of the plantings. You can integrate plantings of different sizes into your garden. And if you have tall trees in your yard, you can gradually balance the tall trees with small plantations of trees and shrubs.
Japanese Garden Design Features
Bringing the atmosphere of a Japanese garden doesn't mean you have to plant bamboo and put lanterns everywhere.
There are different ways to create an atmosphere of calm and serenity in your garden:
- Avoid color contrasts. They are perfect for creating delightful gardens. However, a feature of Japanese gardens is its atmosphere of calm and serenity, and everyone who visits it fully feels it.
- Keep to scale. When the dimensions of the garden details are very large, everything around can seem insignificant. And when they are very small, it may seem strange. By keeping the right size, the composition will promote a calm state of mind for whoever visits this garden.
- Do not try to use and plant all the available territory. Gardeners often tend to plant plants in whatever open spaces are available. But free spaces between stands are a great opportunity for harmonization.
Despite the common elements of Japanese gardens, there are several types. Next, we will talk about some of them.
Japanese Dry Landscape Garden
This is a fairly well-known type of Japanese gardening, commonly referred to as a Zen garden.
Although dry landscaped gardens are used by the monks to practice Zen, ceremonies are often held in large rooms with no windows.
There are no water bodies in this type of garden. Gravel is used instead, and the image of dry lakes or dry rivers is created. In a dry landscaped garden, people usually focus on the stones, but those who create such gardens focus on the empty spaces around the stone compositions. This is called "yohaku no bi" - reflecting the special charm of emptiness and transparency. Its purpose is not to walk for people, but for contemplation, as they do with works of art. The most common Japanese contemplation garden begins with a pond and a garden that leads down the slopes. Bridges are usually located on the side of the pond, and stones and shrubs are placed on opposite sides of the slope. Some elements of the garden are presented in the form of traditional lanterns, pagodas and figurines.
Japanese walking gardens
Most Japanese walking gardens are inspired by the Edo period.
