Feature Rocks
Japanese style gardens are all about subtly recreating natural landscapes in a garden environment. Along with water and plants, the placement of stone is a core element of the style. It is a way to symbolise mountains, hills and other geographical forms and is a natural link to what you see in the wild, particularly when used near and in water and alongside plants.
When we talk about selecting stones for Japanese gardens, most people will immediately think of the dry stone gardens in Japan. Two excellent examples of these are Ryoan-ji and the more modern looking Jisso-in, both in Kyoto. However, there is much more to the use of stone in the Japanese gardens. Whether it is in building streams, ponds or detailing to edge a planting bed, each stone is deliberately selected and positioned. These little details are often overlooked, but taking the extra time to use the right rocks really does make a difference.
We use a large variety of stone, sourced from the UK and further afield in our gardens. The different types of stone suit specific spaces, thanks to their features, texture, shape and size. A decision on what stone to use is primarily based on what we want to create in the design, but we also consider factors such as availability of the materials, handling and cost.
Stones can be positioned on their own, in groups of 2, or as an odd number.
Blue-Grey Granite
We use blue grey granite rockery for a whole range of things including standing stones, stepping stones, streams and spill stones as the shapes available and colour variations create an attractive feature. Blue grey granite rock is very hard and will not crack in cold weather.
We have rock available from gabion stone, up to large pieces that are only moveable by machinery. It is rare for blue grey granite to have a naturally flat base so they need burying in the ground for stability and to ensure the rock is positioned upright.
Tenshi Stones
Tenshi standing stones are an attractive green to grey colour, with striking bright white bands running through the stone. Formed from Gneiss this hard durable stone is the ideal material for standing stone groupings in Japanese gardens.
Compared to blue grey granite, Tenshi stones are taller and slender making it easier to add height into the garden. Tenshi are available in a range of sizes to make an attractive stone grouping. They also have sawn bases so are naturally more stable, however it is recommended to bury approx. 10-20cm in the ground for stability.
Mountain Stones
Made from the same stone as our Tenshi stones, the mountain stones offer a lower, feature arrangement. These rocks are used to depict mountains rising out from the sea or on land. They all vary in shape, with flat bases, although it is still recommended to bury the base for stability.
Purple and Welsh Slate
We work closely with our suppliers and source attractive stones that we can use as feature standing stones. Striking variations in colour make these an attractive standing stone.
It is rare for our slate pieces to have a naturally flat base so they need burying in the ground for stability and to ensure the rock is positioned upright.
Dark Grey Monoliths
Tall and slender, our Dark grey Limestone standing stones create an attractive standing stone arrangement. They are available in various heights and have a flat base. We recommend that you bury part of the stone in the ground for added stability (minimum 10cm).
Their craggy appearance is full of character and although tall, they are not too heavy to move into position. Use clipped evergreen ‘Cloud’ planting around the base of the standing stones to enhance the feature.
Granite Palisades
Silver grey granite palisades are most commonly used to retain beds or edge paths. They can however, also make an attractive standing stone feature when positioned upright. We would complete the arrangement by planting low evergreen planting around the bases of the stones. We recommend burying a minimum of 10cm in the ground for stability.
Available in square, rectangular, and oversized profiles.
Kentish Ragstone
We mainly use Kentish ragstone for feature stones. We tend to source stone that has been dug from stone outcrops, rather than broken by blasting in a quarry. We find that the shape of the individual pieces is better and the texture more natural. The surface is generally porous, which means moss can easily establish itself on the stone’s surface.
Zimbabwean Stone
Having grown up in Harare, before moving to the UK, Howard would frequently see large attractive natural boulders when driving around Zimbabwe. 30 years ago we collected a stock of Zimbabwean rock from a chrome mining cooperative.
It has beautiful red and brown earthy colours and is really well weathered and textured. The small pieces look like mountains and we have lots of pieces with really dramatic shapes. These pieces are perfect for indoor gardens, and we love using a piece of Howard’s homeland in our projects.
