Portfolios Archive - The Japanese Garden Centre

Drilled rock garden, Berkshire

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 18 m²
Build time: 1 week

The client had a pre-existing bed that they wanted to remodel, keeping the large specimen Japanese Acer and two drilled rock water feature.

We moved the water feature more central to the area and added two Tenshi standing stones to the side. Dwarf rhododendrons Bloombux were planted around the bases of the Tenshi stones. Bloombux are evergreen and have been genetically modified so that they grow in almost any soil. For two weeks in June they bear small pink flowers, which are really popular amongst bees and other wildlife. On the other side of the water feature we planted two Naninda domestica, again evergreen, they provide interest all year round and produce attractive red berries in Autumn.

Towards the back of the planting bed is an attractive Oribe lantern. Carved in Japan from sandstone, this lantern took a skillful artisan carver 3 weeks to intricately hand carved to the highest detail. Around the lantern we planted evergreen Ferns and leptinella squalida ‘platts black’ which will provide low ground cover.

Behind the lantern is a decorative bamboo four-eye fence, creating a visual barrier between the planting bed and the rest of the lawned garden. To finish the area is top dressed with small scottish cobbles.

Client

Private Garden, Berkshire

Project Date

December 2024

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Small front courtyard, London

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 5 m²
Build time: 2 days

The client wanted to transform their small courtyard into a pocket of Japanese tranquillity. We removed the cobbles and introduced a panel wall, behind which paving was laid to allow for hidden storage area for communal bins. In front of the wall we positioned 3 Tenshi standing stones with ground cover planting and a tall Red leaf Japanese Acer in a corten planter. The garden was top dressed with silver grey zen gravel and rectangular palisades as edging.

Client

Private Garden, London

Project Date

September 2024

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Stroll Garden, Kent

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 1,100 m²
Build time: 20 weeks

The garden wraps around the house, offering several viewpoints. To ensure it worked from multiple angles, we had to be creative in our design. The path through the garden is divided into sections of dark grey granite paving and composite decking.

At the front of the house, on either side of the meandering path, are planting beds topped with small Scottish cobbles. These beds feature groupings of blue-grey granite rocks, accompanied by a variety of plants, including evergreen ground cover, shrubs, and Japanese maples in raised corten planters. Stone guide lights along the path provide low ambient lighting.

As the path curves around to the side of the house, the planting bed widens to include low-level plants such as ophiopogon, and shrubs like Bloombux rhododendrons, Pieris, and Nandina. Tall bamboos and Japanese maples stand out against the retaining wall behind them. This section concludes with a 60 cm diameter Kodai Maru Yukimi lantern and a water feature arrangement.

A curving path of dark grey paving leads into the back garden, featuring a small zen garden with blue-grey granite in silver-grey zen gravel. The lawn includes additional blue-grey granite feature rocks and a large red Japanese maple. A large stream begins in one corner of the garden, ‘overflowing’ into the space with a sea of small cobbles. Within this sea stands a Misaki lantern positioned on a rock. A large specimen Carsten’s Wintergold cloud tree, dwarf purple rhododendrons, and pink azaleas are planted on the land islands around the water.

The path continues to the other side of the house, where tiered planting beds emerge. These beds are formed and retained using silver-grey palisades and rendered walls, matching the rest of the garden. Natural rock steps lead down to a lower level, which is relatively open, featuring a few mature trees and granite feature rocks.

Client

Private Garden, Kent

Project Date

June, 2024

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Indoor Garden, RAI Restaurant London

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 15m²
Build time: 1 week

We completed two indoor gardens in RAI, a Japanese restaurant in London. In an intimate setting, the owners wanted guests to be immersed in nature during their meal.

The first garden features a 40cm Sumo san lantern with bespoke light diffusers and tall Tenshi standing stones. In front of the window, we installed a traditional water feature arrangement with an elegant Oribe lantern.

On the other side of the entrance, the second garden featured 5 blue-grey granite standing stones with underplanting. The gardens were top dressed with 6mm silver-grey zen gravel and Kuro basalt cobbles.

The restaurant has two planters outside where we created a standing stone feature using square palisades. Either side we planted a combination of bamboo and pieris. The planters were dressed with 14mm silver-grey zen gravel.

All indoor artificial plants were supplied by Interior Landscaping products.

www.rairestaurant.com/

Client

RAI Restaurant, London

Project Date

January, 2024

Category

Corporate Japanese Gardens & Garden Shows

Tea House Garden, London

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 20m²
Build time: 4 weeks

This project consisted of a fully insulated Japanese tea house with a flat roof and decking. Within the decking is a small garden consisting of an evergreen pittosporum, Oribe lantern, and a decorative shoji window. In another area of the garden, we installed a circular water feature and curved granite bench in a bed of silver-grey zen gravel.

Client

Private garden, London

Project Date

May, 2022

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Japanese Garden, Surrey

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 429m²
Build time: 6 weeks

A meandering pathway takes you on a journey through a tiered garden. As you enter the first level of the garden to the right of the path are 3 vertical palisades with evergreen underplanting in a bed of 6mm silver grey Zen gravel. Ahead is a shallow water basin arrangement and 60cm Kodai Maru Yukimi snow lantern. Kuro basalt cobbles lay around the base of the water basin, with kneeling stones and evergreen planting beside. The rest of the bed consists of 6mm silver-grey zen gravel, feature rocks, bamboo four eye fencing and ground cover planting. A stepping stone pathway through the gravel leads to a beige granite curved bench.

Stepping down to the next tier we designed and constructed a Japanese summerhouse with a shoji door and shoji window for added interest. The summerhouse overlooks an area of grass with a Kasuga lantern and panoramic views.

Carrying on along the path down to the next tier, the path leads around a ‘Fishermans net’ with silver-grey granite palisades, Zen gravel and a variety of evergreen planting such as Pieris, Bloombux rhododendron and Nandina domestica. Further down the path is a palisade monolith arrangement and evergreen planting.

Client

Private Garden, Oxted

Project Date

August, 22

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Stroll Garden, Cambridge

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 80m²
Build time: 6 weeks

The inspiration for this garden was an Island wrapping around sea. 6mm silver grey zen gravel depicts the sea, with a large feature rock in the center with raked gravel that represents ripples in the water. The Island is edged with granite setts and planted with a variety of deciduous and evergreen planting. Nearest the house and in the central viewpoint from the kitchen and patio doors is a traditional water feature. A 60cm shallow bachi is fed by a horizontal bamboo spout, with kneeling stones and mixed cobbles. Beside the water feature is a 60cm Narabe Yukimi granite lantern. Behind the water feature is a four-eye bamboo fence with a variety of evergreen plants to create all year-round interest.

Towards the end of the garden we created a stepping stone pathway through an area previously planted with silver birch. On the other side of the island are blue-grey granite feature rocks with dwarf rhododendron Bloombux around a dark grey stone patio.

Client

Private Garden, Cambridge

Project Date

June'23

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Internal Courtyard Gardens

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 8m²
Build time: 2 weeks

Our client had recently extended their house and it now includes two courtyards open to the elements but fully contained within the property. Impressive full-length windows allow for natural light and dramatic views of the internal gardens from several angles within the living space.

Courtyard one was designed to represent the external facade of a Japanese residence with a Shoji door and window looking out from the ‘house’ into the courtyard garden. We created a small timber deck made from traditional Shou Sugi Ban ‘charred’ wood. The narrow roof section was finished using rustic cedar shakes. Three self-watering planters containing a green-leaf Japanese Acer, an evergreen Pittosporum Tom thumb and Bloombux rhododendron are positioned next to a bespoke black granite water feature. Silver-grey Zen gravel finishes off the garden.

Courtyard two ties in visually with the first courtyard by featuring a narrow ‘wall panel’ with a circular Shoji window under cedar shakes. A Tenshi stone grouping, evergreen planting and a specimen Ilex Crenata ‘cloud’ tree completes this very small garden. The floor is covered with silver-grey Zen gravel and low-spreading ground cover plants.

Client

Private Garden, London

Project Date

March,22

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Japanese Garden, Bath

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 42m²
Build time: 5 weeks

To access the garden from the house are three natural stepping stones that dissect a raised bed and lead to a pathway through 6mm silver-grey zen gravel. A tall Japanese Acer is positioned in the corner with low evergreen plants such as Ophiopogon nigrescens and dwarf rhododendron Bloombux. The raised bed is edged with silver-grey palisades. On the otherside, a water basin arrangement is positioned in front of the Oriel window. A long horizontal bamboo spout feeds a contemporary basin with water cascading down a short stream. Next to the water feature is a red weeping Japanese Acer, bench seating within the border and another Japanese Acer of a green variety. The green acer is part of a third raised bed which includes a 3 Tenshi standing stone feature with dwarf Rhododendron Bloombux underplanting.

To the right of the pathway is a raised bed with a Carstens Wintergold specimen cloud tree and 60cm Kodai Maru Yukimi granite lantern. All the raised beds are top-dressed with Scottish cobbles.

Along the rear boundary are bespoke wooden fences with Shou Sugi Ban finish. In the center is a pergola, also finished with Shou Sugi Ban and dark grey granite paving. On either side of the pergola are corten planters with tall bamboo.

Client

Private garden, Bath

Project Date

March 2023

Category

Private Japanese Gardens

Courtyard Garden, Essex

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Dimensions: 45m²
Build time: 2 weeks

We created a dark grey granite floating path above the main planting beds. The paving was cut in situ to create a curving path through the garden. As the courtyard is between two walls of the house, this presented the opportunity to create a tranquil garden that has several viewpoints.

In the corner of the courtyard is a stepping stone pathway leading to a seating area consisting of two silver grey curved granite benches. A water feature with traditional kneeling stones and Scottish cobbles is positioned nearby so the tranquil sound of running water can be heard while sitting in the garden. A shallow corten steel bowl was powder coated dark grey to provide a modern twist on a Japanese water basin arrangement. Feeding the water feature is a horizontal bamboo spout. The back of the horizontal spout is hidden within evergreen planting. Alongside the water feature is low ground cover planting consisting of ophiopogon nigrescens, ophiopogon minor and mind your own business*. There is also an ilex crenata cloud tree.

Directly in front is a 90cm Kodai Maru Yukimi granite lantern with an electric light which creates low ambient lighting in the evening. Near the lantern is evergreen planting of Pittosporum and ferns. Opposite this bed is a Tenshi standing stone arrangement of 3 rocks which are underplanted with Bloombux Rhododendron. Behind the standing stones are Nandina domestica planted in a dark grey planter and a tall green leaf Japanese Acer.

The planting beds were top dressed in 6mm silver grey zen gravel.

*This project was completed in April 2021. We visited the garden again in August 2022 and some pictures shown here show the spread of low ground cover plants since planting.