Japanese Garden Principles
Before understanding what not to do in a Japanese garden, here’s a quick review of the guiding design principles of the Japanese garden style. The following elements: asymmetry, balance, and serenity, are your best guidance. Be purposeful but avoid cliché.
Natural materials: Choose raw materials that make sense in the scene; do not mix elements like river rocks with desert rocks. Organic shapes: Waves and swirls are nature’s way of design; steer clear of corners, harsh edges, and blockiness. Evergreen plants: Use plants with lush foliage throughout the year. Peaceful water element: Waterfalls and water spouts with trickling running water, koi ponds, and reflection pools accentuate the life-giving force of water. Enclose your garden: Gates, arbors, and bamboo fencing separate a Japanese garden from an ordinary landscape.
Three main types of Japanese gardens—Karesansui (rock/dry), Tsukiyama (hill/pond), Chaniwa (tea ceremony)—serve as the main inspiration for Japanese gardens. Other types include a traditional stroll garden, a paradise garden used in temple design, a pond garden with a large (often existing) lake or pond, and a courtyard garden used within or beside a small home or shop. Stone or gravel used in Japanese gardens, particularly rock zen gardens, is Shirakawa-suna or sand from the Shirakawa River in Kyoto, composed of granite, quartz, black mica, and white feldspar. For a local source in the U.S. that comes close, get pea gravel, which is tiny and smooth. Read on to learn the rules for what not to do as commonsense Japanese garden design principles. Along the same lines, don’t use everything that seems remotely Asian in your Japanese garden.
Gnomes and flamingos “Welcome to Mom’s Japanese Garden” or “Love Grows Here” signs Windchimes and suncatchers Out-of-place accessory buildings, such as gazebos, trellises, pergolas, and sheds that don’t go with the Japanese garden style
