A visit to the Japanese inspired garden at a friend's house set me researching and planning a beautiful Japanese Meditation Garden of my own.
I recently visited a friends house and was struck by the quiet beauty of her entry way courtyard - simple raked sand, attractive Japanese maple and carefully placed rocks caught the eye. Her Japanese garden invited you to sit and soak it all in with a rock bench and wall-hanging water fountain to delight your senses.
While her Japanese garden had been professionally designed, it isn't necessary to spend a lot of money to have professional results when planning your Japanese inspired, meditation garden. Here are some design tips to help you get started:
I think the trickiest thing for me in designing my Japanese inspired garden will be the simplicity of the style. Each plant is given room to grow and be enjoyed individually for it's own unique beauty rather than crammed in right beside another plant. My tendancy leans more towards a Cottage Garden feel in that I usually want to try so many different plants at the same time!
Here are some stunning plants that are perfect for a Japanese Garden. Even collectors and cottage gardeners like me can find some amazing accent pieces from these plant lists:
