How to design a small Japanese garden?

Japanese gardens have an attractive elegance. And it is that nature in Japan is unique. Living in a territory where earthquakes and typhoons are common, plants do everything they can to adapt and move on. This causes them to take curious shapes … and then people are inspired by them to create masterpieces. That is the case of the bonsai masters: observing the trees that grow in the mountains of the country, and understanding the needs they have, they have managed to develop an art that, although it originated in China, was in the Japanese country where it was consolidated .

But is it necessary to have a plot of hundreds of meters to have a garden of this style? Absolutely. In fact, it is possible to have a small Japanese garden on a terrace, or even in a small patio. You just have to choose the right plants.

Make a draft

The rough draft is the first step in designing a small Japanese garden. You can do it with some garden design program, or on paper. It is important that you include the paths, and the type of plant you want to put in each corner. If you do not know the names or are not sure which ones you can put, do not worry: below we will show you a selection of those that do not grow much.

For now, you do have to decide where you will put the trees, shrubs, shade plants, etc., so that It will be necessary for you to know where the sun rises from your garden, and which are the areas and from what time they are left in the shade throughout the day. Keep in mind that there are many, such as ferns for example, that do not support direct sun, so it is very important to know this well.

Choose the plants

Let’s move on to the plants. Which ones can be in a small Japanese garden? It will depend a lot on the weather, and also on the meters that the garden has. So we are going to show you a selection of varied plants, of different sizes and with a different resistance to cold, so you know which one to choose:

• Japanese maple: its scientific name is Maple palmate. They are a set of deciduous trees and shrubs with palmate leaves, more or less lobed, that can grow from 1 to 10 meters approximately. In spring and / or autumn its leaves change color, turning reddish, orange, yellowish or purple. They tolerate pruning well, but they need a temperate and humid climate, as well as acid soils (pH 4 to 6). They grow in shade / semi-shade, although there are certain varieties (such as the Seyriu or the osakazuki) that tolerate some sun if the humidity is very high. They resist up to -18ºC.
• Azalea: The rhododendron japonicum or Rhododendron simsii are two species known as azalea. They are usually evergreen, reaching a height of one meter at most. During spring they produce flowers of different colors, such as pink, red or white. They require acidic soils and some shade. They resist up to -2ºC.

• Japanese camellia: the Camellia japonica It is an evergreen tree that can reach 11 meters in height. It has glossy dark green leaves, somewhat leathery, and in spring it produces large pink flowers. It can be had both in a pot and in the garden as long as the soil or earth is acidic. and is kept in shade or semi-shade. It resists frosts down to -4ºC.
• Weeping blossom cherry: we are talking about Prunus subhirtellawhich is one of the species of Prunus native to Japan, in addition to the Prunus serrulata. We recommend this one because although it can grow up to 12 meters, the normal thing is that it does not exceed 6 meters. In addition, unlike the more well-known flowering cherry (P. serrulata), it has a weeping demeanor. In autumn its leaves turn reddish before falling, and in spring it fills with white or pink flowers. It grows in fertile, well-drained soils. Resists up to -18ºC.

• hostas: Many of the hostas that are known are native to China, but are often included in Japanese gardens, such as the Host of fortune. It is a perennial or perennial plant that reaches a height of 15 centimeters and a width of 30 centimeters. The leaves are green, bluish-green, or yellowish with a green margin depending on the variety or cultivar. The flowers are tubular, white, blue or lavender in color and bloom in spring. It prefers fertile soils, somewhat acidic and well drained, as well as shade. Of course, they need protection against the wind and, especially, against snails and slugs. Otherwise, they support up to -4ºC.
• Japanese painted fern: it is a fern whose scientific name is A Japanese garden. It loses its leaves in autumn, and sprouts again in spring. These leaves are actually fronds that are up to 75 centimeters in length, and are greenish-gray with reddish veins. It needs shade, as well as a soil rich in organic matter. Supports up to -12ºC.

• Tulip magnolia: specifically, we refer to the magnolia lilifloraa deciduous shrub that, although native to China, has been cultivated in Japan for centuries. It reaches a height of 4 meters, and has large green leaves, as well as large pink flowers that sprout in spring. It is a plant that has to be in shade, and have acidic soil (with a pH between 4 and 6) to grow. It supports well up to -20ºC.
• Siberian dwarf pine: it is an evergreen conifer whose scientific name is Pinus lined up. It grows between 1 and 3 meters tall, making it a very interesting plant to have in a small Japanese garden or in a pot. Its cultivation is recommended in temperate climates where summers are mild and winters are cold or very cold, because in temperate-warm climates (such as the Mediterranean for example) it has a hard time. Resists up to -30ºC.

Prepare the ground

Once the plants have been chosen, taking into account their characteristics and rusticity, it is time to prepare the land where they will be grown. And it is that, whether you are going to grow them in pots or if you will do it in the ground, there are certain things that have to be done so that the Japanese garden sits on a good ‘foundation. Let’s know what they are:

Japanese garden in pots

The first thing is to clean the land, and in the meantime decide if the ground is going to be paved or if not. Wild herbs and stones must be removed (You can save the big ones and the rocks, as they can be useful to make, for example, the edge of the paths).

If you are going to pave it, after cleaning it is time to proceed with it. Although if you allow me a tip, rather than paving, you may be interested in putting gravel. Or if there are small children, you can have a »Europeanized» Japanese garden by putting natural or artificial grass.

Japanese garden in ground

If you plan to have your garden on land, then you have to remove the herbs and stones. This can be done by removing it with a walking tractor, or with a hoe. As soon as you have it, you have to level it with a rake; In this way, you can move on to the next step: the installation of the irrigation system.

In the event that you are already clear about where you are going to put each plant, it is a good time to install irrigation. We recommend the drip irrigation, since this way the water is used much better, but you can choose the one that best suits your needs and / or budget.

Plant the plants / place the pots

Now is the time to do the most interesting thing: plant. Well, plant or place the pots on their site. Choose the location of each of them, and put them there. If you are going to plant them in the ground, do so in spring by carefully removing them from the containers and inserting them into the hole you have made.

Yes, keep in mind that the ones that are going to be bigger have to be left behind the smaller onesso that everyone can grow well. From the following month you can start paying them.

Ideas for decorating a small Japanese garden

If you need ideas to create your small Japanese garden, take a look at these images: