The Original Japanese Garden

In the Japanese garden, trees and shrubs are used as individual specimens and may represent a natural scene remembered by the owner in a trip to the country or some famous shrine. The Japanese use "props" of gravel, stone and water as foils for trees and shrubs. This lead to an effect that remains stable through every season of the year, although is unlikely that maintenance time is saved because such a garden must be well groomed. The water may be a quiet pool, or a trickling stream. It may represent a dried up stream in summer and have no water at all.

Whatever approach you may take if you wish to build a Japanese garden, there are several trees and shrubs lending themselves naturally to the situation. The main idea is to use restraint. Carefully select a few well-grown specimens that give a "finished" appearance when the garden is planted. The Japanese maple is a small tree with a variety of uses in your garden. It may be used to shade a bank of azaleas or stand by itself as the principal feature. You have a choice of green or reddish foliage.

The varieties that go under the general term of "threadleaf" are lower-growing shrub types, with gracefully spreading branches. They cast a lovely reflection on the surface of a quiet pool. Again, you have a choice of green or reddish foliage. Incidentally the deep red occurs in spring and gradually turns to green during summer. The leaves fall in winter to reveal eye-appealing silhouettes of slender branches.

Pines are almost essential to the Japanese garden. The Japanese Black Pine is most popular, but you may find something equally or more attractive in our native ponderosa and shore pines or the Austrian Black Pine. Search for trees that have neither lived high nor have ever been staked.

The white flowers in spring are followed by red berry clusters in fall. Be sure to plant a clump of three to insure berry production. Although all plants are capable of bearing fruit, flowers are self-sterile and require pollen from other plants around them. In fall, cut out the old stems clear to the ground and use them for holiday table decorations . This leave space for the new shoots to develop and keeps the plants looking youthful through the years.

The Oriental magnolias lend themselves admirably to your garden, particularly the soulangeans forms (Saucer Magnolia), which may be kept to a modest height and spread with little judicious pruning. Their wonderfully fragrant saucer shaped flowers appear just ahead of the foliage and produce a remarkable show in February through May.

Colorful Japanese Iris are available at your nursery from October through December. The foliage is neat and the large flowers in blue and purple shades, often with white, will give you some late spring color. Clumps of Japanese Anemone, in white or pink, may be tucked into shady spots.

However, be sure to contain them with a wooden or metal "header" or the roots will encroach into other parts of the garden. Most popular groundcover to use in non-rock and graveled areas is the Japanese Spurge. It may be purchased in flats, pots or one-gallon containers. Give Japanese Spurge shade and plenty of peal moss, and it will look well every day in the year.

A Japanese Touch for Your Garden, by Kiyoshi Seike.