This plan shows one of our company projects where we designed and constructed a Japanese courtyard garden in a home that had an existing interior garden. The design of the home was inspired by sukiya style architecture, which beautifully complimented our Japanese garden project. One challenge of this project was that it was in a […]

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If you have the desire to incorporate the architecture on your site into your garden, or if you simply have a wish to add an air of grace to structures in your garden, you will probably find this technique to be of help. The effect developed as long piers built for fishing and relaxing and […]

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A nobedan walk is a type of pathway, or stone walk, found in Japanese gardens. These pathways utilize unique stone pavement layout and design principles. Nobedan are often found in tea and entry gardens. It is an art of arranging various sized stones in a design that is artistic and functional. They help to create […]

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Bonsai is greatly regarded as an icon of Japanese art and culture. “Bonsai” is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai. Here the “bon” is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture and “sai” means a planting or plantings). The word bonsai is often used in English as an umbrella term for […]

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Shishi Odishi have become a popular artifact in western Japanese gardens. If you are interested in having one in your garden you should choose it for its aesthetic and sound. Keep in mind that this feature alone will not make your garden more Japanese. Shishi Odishi is an additional garden fountain which is very popular […]

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Karesansui, or Japanese dry garden, literally means dry mountains and water. Whether you are looking to design and build a Zen style garden, dry pond or dry stream the common element is the use of rocks and gravel to simulate water. Maybe you are interested in a large open courtyard garden with raked sea gravel […]

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One of many topics to consider when planning and building your Japanese garden is the use of hedges. Hedges are used in the United States for the same reasons there are used in Japan. They are predominantly used for screening, defining spaces and directing traffic flow. In Japan hedges, fences and walls are often used […]

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The “tsukubai”, or water basin, is a common water feature found in Japanese gardens. Before entering a tea room guests were expected to be pure of mind and body. Thus the tea garden provided a serene environment to relax the spirit and within it the garden a water basin for cleansing the body. The water […]

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When I lived in Japan I had the joy of being in a traditional Japanese sukiya style home. At night the shoji screens were closed and then opened during the day providing an uninterrupted view of the garden. When the tatami room is opened up to the garden it is like sitting on a covered […]

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More and more people are looking to Japanese garden for inspiration, or to create an authentic Japanese garden of their own. In addition to a well thought out plan good stone work is the back bone of the garden. Many publications write about 3 and 5 stone arrangements known as ishi-gumi and iwa-gumi. Although these […]

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