ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Dimensions:  25m²
• Build time: 1 weeks

The client had a long narrow planting bed running alongside the swimming pool surround and asked for our help to make the space Japanese in feel and more interesting. Closest to the house, the bed begins with a cloud-pruned tree set in a Corten steel planter. Beyond it, we installed a traditional Japanese water basin arrangement with a silver grey granite curved bench from which to view the basin. A tall Japanese Acer, a 60 cm Narabe Yukimi lantern, and a bamboo Four-eye fence panel work together to create a natural visual pause within the garden.

From here, the planting transitions into a cluster of Nandina domestica—evergreen shrubs that bear red berries in autumn. Next comes a carefully composed grouping of evergreen domes and silver-grey granite spheres, partially nestled into a bed of silver-grey Zen gravel. One sphere rests in a patch of slate mulch softened by Soleirolia soleirolii (commonly called ‘Mind-your-own-business’). Adding height and presence, three elegant Tenshi standing stones rise from the bed, the tallest reaching around 170 cm. Framing this arrangement, another red-leaf Japanese Maple offers a final flourish of colour and texture.