Why Create A Japanese Garden?

There are many reasons why you may choose to create a Japanese garden in your front or back yard, including:

Aesthetics: There is no denying the beauty of Japanese style gardens, and being able to create a similar look in your own yard will make your house appear even more attractive to visitors. As mostly evergreen plants are used in a Japanese garden design, your yard will look beautiful all year round.

Japanese Gardens Melbourne

Versatility: A Japanese style garden will work in any size yard and with any style home that you may have. Large spaces will work for meandering paths and water features, whilst smaller yards and atriums can become a Japanese sanctuary of sorts.

Maintenance: There is no need to spend your weekends slaving away in the upkeep of your Japanese garden – they can be relatively maintenance free. This makes these kinds of gardens highly suited to those people who spend a lot of time working or travelling.

Therapy: Japanese style gardens are consistently used in homes and businesses where stress levels can be particularly high. These tranquil spaces can have a soothing effect on visitors, as well as being readily used for meditation and as a time-out space.

Cost: It is true that the creation of a Japanese gardens can be slightly more expensive then other styles, but after a few years you may find that your yard is paying for itself. There are no annual plants used in traditional Japanese style gardens, meaning that the costs of replacing bulbs each year is completely removed, as well as the cost of your time to replant them.

What Is A Japanese Garden?

Most people have heard of a Japanese garden before, and many have even seen one, either in real life or in photographs, but do you know what a Japanese garden actually is? Originally, they were created to express belief in Buddhism and Taoism, by replicating the mountainous regions in which these religions flourished, but these days they are more about focusing contemplation within an individual.

Typically, Japanese gardens will have a “home” at their centres. This is where the garden is supposed to be viewed, or is viewed best. Japanese gardens also include particular elements, such as: water (whether that is real or symbolic), a bridge or stepping stones over the water, rocks or stone arrangements, a lantern (they are typically made of stone), a Japanese teahouse or pavilion, and something to enclose the area (like hedges or fences).

Japanese Gardens Melbourne

Japanese Gardens Melbourne

A Karesansui Garden, also known as a “dry landscape”, is the only garden in the Japanese style that does not include water. Instead, raked gravel or sand will simulate the feeling of water. Mosses and small shrubs are planted amongst the rocks and sand to represent ponds or islands, as well as many other real life elements.

A Tsukiyama Garden is one that aims to make a small area appear much larger and more spacious. This Japanese style uses shrubs to hide buildings and other man made constructions, turning the focus instead onto the natural and living elements of the garden.

And, finally, a Chaniwa Garden is one that is built for holding tea ceremonies, which are very important in the Japanese culture. This is why traditional Japanese gardens will include a pavilion of some kind, so that people may go there whenever they wish to complete ceremonies.

All types of Japanese gardens are beautiful and evoke a sense of peace, tranquility and wellbeing, making them a perfect choice for homes or workplaces that experience a lot of stress, such as doctor’s surgeries.