Japanese garden elements

Stone

The heart of a Japanese garden is not plants, but stone. When creating your Japanese garden, the first thing to do is choose and place your stones. Then plan the planting around them.

Stones should always be placed in odd groupings, and there should be balance between types of stone (vertical, horizontal, leaning, etc).

Water

Water's always present in a Japanese garden – if not literally (streams, pools, water features) then metaphorically (dry gardens – stone and gravel gardens – have areas which represent the sea, a pond, or a stream). Here's some info about Japanese water features.

Plants

The stones are the permanent bones of the garden. The plants are the part that changes with the seasons. In a Japanese garden, the plants should be ideally be local species. Make sure to choose high, low, and mid-level plants, a mixture of textures, and plants which will be interesting in different seasons. More about Japanese garden plants.

Japanese garden ornaments

A stone lantern or basin is a quick way to make your garden feel Japanese. Like everything else, they should fit the feel of the garden. More about Japanese garden ornaments.