ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Dimensions:  70m²
• Build time: 4 weeks

Behind the garage, our clients had a strip of land running alongside the house leading to the back garden, of which they wanted to create a Japanese inspired garden. Our concept was to create a stroll garden using a meandering pathway.

From the main garden, steps lead you down into the Japanese garden and onto a floating path made from composite decking. To the right of the path is a raised planting bed that is retained by silver grey palisades. Within the bed are feature blue grey granite rockery stone, an informal stone seat and a variety of evergreen planting. Planting includes ground cover soleirolia soleirolii, ophiopogon minor, ophiopogon kokuryu and pieris japonica. A hydrangea switch Ophelia provides colour interest as it’s delicate flowers change through shades of white to pink from spring to autumn. Finally the bed is top dressed with 8-16mm Scottish cobbles.

To the left of the pathway the bed is set lower creating the floating path effect. Mirroring the other bed, it is top dressed with small Scottish cobbles. Yew evergreen domes are planted at the narrowest part of the bed, and it widens to incorporate a water feature arrangement. A 60cm tetsu bachi is fed by a horizontal bamboo spout which is positioned over a blue grey granite feature stone. Traditional kneeling stones are placed around the basin, with larger Scottish Cobbles surrounding the feature. Behind the bamboo spout are evergreen Nandina domestica and a tall red Japanese Acer. Further along the bed is a Nozuro-doro lantern made from natural pieces of blue grey granite rockery. We had initially created this nozuro-doro for the client’s relatives in 2003, which has now been relocated and gifted to our client. Along the back of this bed we created a Japanese fence with cedar shingle roof detailing, to provide an attractive backdrop to the garden. Part of this fencing juts out into the garden, providing a physical division between different elements in the garden. It features a large cut out window with shoji lattice detailing, providing a small glimpse of the garden behind, creating interest, enticing you to continue your journey through the garden to discover more.

As you pass the wall panel the floating path ends and silver grey irregular stepping stones lead you through an area of silver grey 14mm zen gravel. Directly ahead is a small red weeping Japanese Acer, with the stepping stones leading to two blue grey granite steps up to a raised patio finished with composite decking. To the right of the pathway the raised bed continues and features a set of 3 Tenshi standing stones, with a four eye fence detail behind and evergreen acuba japonica planting.

The left hand side of the path features more feature blue grey granite stones,  a tall red Japanese acer, clump forming bamboo fargesia and evergreen euonymus green spider.  The garden finishes with a small patio of dark grey granite paving, ending round the back of the garage.