Japanese gardens fascinate at first sight. Filled with harmony, using silhouettes and textures as well as zoning, they radiate peace and tranquility, but are never boring. It is not surprising that the idyllic Japanese landscapes inspire many to create, if not the entire garden, then at least a separate zone and corner in Japanese style landscape design. But if it is quite simple to repeat the motives, then it is not always possible to recreate the same atmosphere and the same illusion of perfection.
Difference in climatic conditions and the limited selection of “authentic” plants inevitably affects the design. But in the Japanese style, the main thing is not precision, but mood, harmony and tranquility. And it is these that you need to focus on when creating your own corner for reflection and meditation or relaxation in the Japanese style. And professional tricks will help you achieve your goal without much effort.
boriskholAs with any narrowly focused style of landscape design, the Japanese garden has its own strict criteria for arrangement and design, from which it is undesirable to deviate. The special, unique atmosphere of such a garden is created, first of all, by a limited, narrowly defined toolkit: materials, plants, permissible combinations and silhouettes in the Japanese style are strictly specified. And typical motifs, or “plots” for the garden, are transformed from simple samples into design rules.
Creating even a small meditation corner while maintaining the authentic Japanese style atmosphere is not easy. After all, this is not a landscape design trend in which one can only imitate: “fakes,” imitations and superficial attitudes are immediately recognizable. Even the slightest deviations from the philosophical foundations of the Japanese garden can lead to a loss of special mood and harmony.
The task of creating a Japanese garden seems especially difficult where winters are harsh and plants typical of Japan itself simply do not grow. But if magnolias or tropical exotics do not live in your garden, this does not mean that you cannot recreate a corner of Japan on your site. The main thing is to correctly approach the selection of plants based on their picturesqueness, watercolors, beauty of silhouettes and color palette. With materials, everything is much simpler: you can create beautiful objects from local stones.
This style has both its canons and its secrets. Let’s take a closer look at the 12 main “secrets” of the Japanese garden, which will help you avoid mistakes in decorating a Japanese-style corner on your own site.
Secret 1. Be inspired by nature
The Japanese garden glorifies the harmony of nature and its beauty. And the design of the garden always includes natural landscapes. When looking for inspiration for arranging a Japanese-style corner for your garden, turn to the natural landscapes of this distant and such a beautiful country. Hilly terrain, natural combinations of dome-shaped, picturesque silhouettes of bushes and trees with water bodies, stones and moss - these are the “basics” from which you should start in your search for ideas.
The characteristic features of the Japanese style are determined by the relationship of plants, stones, water and moss. And you must use each of these elements in such a way as to create the illusion of natural beauty and authenticity. The stones should “grow” into the ground,” the bushes should sparkle against the backdrop of large boulders. And if you remember their symbiosis and try to repeat the motifs inherent in Japanese nature, you will never go wrong. Create miniature landscapes, inspired either by the beauty of ponds or mountain landscapes, and notice the relationship between silhouettes, shapes and sizes.
Secret 2. No continuous flowering
If you want to achieve authenticity in the design of Japanese corners, then first of all forget about the most fashionable and almost mandatory principle of landscaping - the flowering relay race, thanks to which there is not even a day in the gardens when at least one plant is not blooming, every season is the same beautiful and lush. In a Japanese garden, the opposite is true: you must emphasize the beauty of each season and its character, clearly dividing the stages of flowering and the changing appearance of the landscape according to the time of year.
The main flowering season should be in spring. Magnolias, azaleas, peonies - these are the main stars of a colorful garden filled with color spots. In the summer, only water lilies and rare individual accents should bloom in a Japanese garden: the peace and tranquility of the green color, presented in all its diversity, has a stronger impact in this hot season than any abundantly blooming accents. The second “explosion” of color, and perhaps the most unforgettable, should be planned for the fall: when the leaves of the plants with the incomparable silhouettes of the bushes are painted in bright colors, the garden will flare up with fire and crimson, and the picturesqueness inherent in it will be revealed. But you shouldn’t think that a Japanese garden can be “empty” even in winter. It is with an eye to the coldest time of the year that plants with beautiful silhouettes and bizarre shapes are so strictly selected, and stones are used so carefully. When the branches are dusted with the first snow, the Japanese garden will reveal its structural harmony.
Erika Colombo
Secret 3. Become a tree worshiper
The importance of trees in the Japanese style of landscape design cannot be overestimated. And it’s not just that tree veneration is part of the local religion. They really have a special attitude: the usual structuring role of large accents is complemented by the function of the semantic center of even a small corner and the status of the main pride of the compositions. In such a garden, the trees should look natural, just like in nature (even if this sometimes requires tireless work). Curved and bowed by time and winds, picturesque and unique in silhouette, “layered” and tiered, landscape types of trees are more appropriate here than trimmed and austere ones.
When using wood in decoration, do not forget about the typical Japanese gardens plants, the variety of species and varieties of which will allow you to find a variety and species suitable for any climate. In a corner decorated in Japanese style, the following are appropriate:
- the most famous inhabitant of the Japanese garden is the pine tree, a symbol of growth and life, beautiful both in dwarf forms and in majestic giant forms;
- Sakura, unique in its picturesqueness, is a Japanese decorative cherry, the flowering of which has become a symbol of Japan;
- magnificent and variable kings of autumn maples.
Secret 4. Colored spots of flowering shrubs
Japanese style does not require planting dozens of different flowering plants. It is better to choose 1-2, but very catchy shrubs, the beauty and abundance of flowering of which will speak for themselves. Of all the flowering plants that can be used to decorate corners and areas in the Japanese style, shrubs should always be given preference. And when choosing a specific plant, it is better to focus on spring bloom and bright color: at the peak of flowering, the shrub should turn into a solid spot of color or surprise with large, unusual beautiful flowers huge size.
Absolute favorites of Japanese style:
- rhododendrons of all sizes and types, the beauty of which cannot be eclipsed, and are the standard of showiness among garden shrubs;
- tree peonies with giant and amazing watercolor flowers, in which even the stamens are especially picturesque;
- forsythia in a trimmed form, giving the landscapes grace and naturalness, captivating with the early spring scattering of dazzling yellow star flowers;
- blooming magnolias, which even in tub form are a spectacle of extraordinary beauty;
- picturesque, with elongated silhouettes and elegant contours of the irga, which not only blooms beautifully, but also provides shade without visually overwhelming even the smallest resting corner;
- the picturesque Japanese pieris, whose beauty of flowering can compete with the showiness of the leaves;
- the evergreen cherry laurel with its showy green crown, beautiful and unformed;
- hydrangeas with their very large inflorescence caps.
If there is little space, full-fledged shrubs can always be replaced with clever vines that can easily fill a bamboo fence - for example, honeysuckle or wisteria, the flowering of which will turn into another unforgettable “touch” of the Japanese spring.
Secret 5. Don't be afraid of water
Water is as fundamental an element of Japanese style as plants and stones. It is simply impossible to imagine a Japanese garden without a picturesque pond, which gives the garden special expressiveness and charm, filling the landscapes with life and emphasizing the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Ponds, waterfalls, streams literally breathe harmony and peace, and it is impossible not to admire the beauty of the water surface with water lily leaves floating on it, stone banks, densely overgrown with plants and shrubs framing the pond for hours.
Of course, if you decorate the entire area in the spirit of a Japanese garden, you can allow yourself to experiment with ponds of any type and size. But if you are arranging only one Japanese corner, especially if you are just recreating a rock garden or terrace, then water bodies seem impossible. But water is not only possible, but also necessary to be used even in such exceptional circumstances. Mobile ponds, mini-reservoirs, indoor and interior fountains will bring the water element anywhere. Moreover, setting up a mobile pond is more than easy; it does not require the same care and effort as a full-fledged pond. And in it you can always grow even exotic plants that are unavailable in your area - for example, the star of authentic Japanese gardens - the lotus. And if you don’t want to tinker with plants, just install stone wells or bowls and fill them with water (the original tsukubai are especially good - stone tanks for ritual washing of hands). You can also imitate water with clearings covered with gravel or sand: raking, leaving waves on the surface, imitates exactly the wavy surface of water in a rock garden.
Tony Shertila
Secret 6. Moss and ground covers in the company of selected perennials
In a Japanese garden, “green lawns” play very important role. But traditional lawn grasses have no place here. They need to be replaced either with moss or ground covers that are more suitable for our conditions - Waldsteinia, Acena, which look no less impressive. Japanese gardens also like to use periwinkle with its winter-green foliage. And leaf fern and pachysandra form a truly fabulous carpet that connects the stones with soft transitions.
With perennials for the Japanese garden, everything is not so simple. Aquatic species When decorating water bodies, irises and cereals can be used at your discretion, as long as they do not violate the integrity of the image and balance. But as a complement to stones, boulders, shrubs and trees, perennials are used literally “individually”, relying either on natural beauty, a “wild” effect, or on catchy foliage. Forget-me-nots, bergenia, hosta, fescue, primrose, and Japanese irises will fit well into a Japanese-style corner.
doyouknowjapan Secret 7. Stone magic
Imitating nature, starting from ponds and streams in the structure of the landscape, the Japanese garden proposes to make stones an indispensable part of the design and landscaping. The main thing for the Japanese style is simplicity, naturalness of shapes and lines. For a corner in the spirit of the Land of the Rising Sun, only natural and untreated stone is used. Bizarre, unusual stones with different colors and textures should be used along with fine decorative stone soil, coarse sand and gravel. Flat stones for step-by-step paths, river pebbles, huge boulders and a scattering of smaller stones should form the structural basis of the compositions and fill all the free space remaining from the plants. There should be at least twice as many stones in any object decorated in Japanese style as there are plants.
And remember the symbolic content of the compositions, turning all the stone elements into something more. Large boulders are a symbol of rocks, medium stones dug into the ground are islands washed by water. And the surface covered with gravel or stone chips imitates water.
Secret 8. Symbols and contrasts
In order to recreate the peace that reigns in Japanese gardens, the balance of the amazing play of richness of colors and shapes with the restrained coldness and detachment of the principles of arrangement, it is necessary to always and in everything be guided by two main principles of design - the necessity of contrasts and symbolic content. In a corner decorated in Japanese style, it is appropriate to use only those decorative elements and accessories that are symbolic in nature. And plants and stones must contrast with each other: literally every object must have its own “counterweight”.
Secret 9. Floorings and mats
Stone or other coverings are not used to pave areas, decorate terraces, or create places for drinking tea or meditation in a Japanese garden. Stones and stone chips are full-fledged “participants” of landscape combinations. And for paving, they must be replaced with a practical, but contrasting wooden platform. Wooden platforms comfortable, warm, and complement both plants and stone surprisingly well. And to add authenticity, stock up on straw mats and reed mats that you can lay on wooden platforms.
Secret 10. Using small architecture
No matter how carefully you select plants, you cannot do without accents and decorative elements. The most important thing in recreating the authentic atmosphere of a Japanese garden is the use of at least one architectural element– and whether it is a full-fledged functional object or its imitation, sculpture or decoration does not matter. It is impossible to imagine typical landscapes of Japan without stone lanterns, pagodas or tea houses, and red wooden bridges spanning a pond. And if in a small corner the construction of full-fledged functional objects is inappropriate, then small sculptures that repeat their silhouettes, decorative bridges and pagodas will always fit into the image. Most universal option– a stone lantern that is appropriate near the terrace, in the rock garden, and near the pond.
Secret 11. Bamboo is good in any form
It is almost as impossible to imagine Japanese-style decoration without bamboo as it is without stones. Aggressive, but such a beautiful bamboo growing in the garden is still a dream for the inhabitants of regions with harsh winters, although winter-hardy low species are beginning to gain greater popularity today. But bamboos growing in tubs can be used more actively, placing them not only on a terrace or recreation area, but also adding them to plants planted in the soil as accents.
But bamboo will be appropriate in your Japanese-style corner not only in its “living” form: various accessories, decor and household items made of bamboo play an equally style-forming role. A bamboo ladle, a mat, a wattle fence or fence, posts, wind chimes, bamboo stems used as support or a drain - there are many options. Be sure to include at least one bamboo element in the design of your corner - and you will immediately feel how much more expressive the stylistic content has become.
Mary Warren Secret 12. Constant attention
To create a harmonious corner in the Japanese style, in which harmony and atmosphere will reign, every minute in which will seem to transport you through time and space, you need to provide tireless care to the plants and the design as a whole. Japanese style requires tireless attention. Tying and pruning, maintaining the perfect shape, clean lines and impeccable condition of stone fills and ponds, removing fading flowers and dry leaves requires a lot of work. Without which all efforts will easily be ruined by neglect.
A dacha is not only a place where fruits and vegetables are grown, but also an opportunity to escape from problems and communicate with nature. Therefore, most summer residents try to create all kinds of places for relaxation on their plots.
A Japanese garden can be a stylish and unusual place to relax. He doesn't require large space, 5-7 m2 is enough. Armed with information about creating a Japanese-style garden with your own hands and with a little effort, you can get a magical corner for relaxation and rest.
Distinctive features of Japanese landscape design
The style of an oriental garden is determined by the nature of the state of Japan, more than half of whose area is occupied by mountainous areas. The landscapes are dominated by rocks, mountain streams, lakes, and the seashore. The elements of water, stone and plants predominate here.
Therefore, Japan is characterized by a muted color scheme of gray-brown and greenish tones. Floral elements complement the picture; this is the philosophical principle of non-interference in nature. Nature itself is beautiful and harmonious. It doesn't need decoration.
The area of a Japanese green corner is often small, but all elements are carefully thought out. Photo example:
Site planning basics
Depending on the terrain, there are two types of garden layout:
- flat (suitable for small areas);
- hilly.
For the Japanese style, elements of water and stone are required. Water is a pond, stream, fountain, it all depends on your financial capabilities. The stones represent mountains; there can be from one to a dozen of them, if the territory allows.
Much attention is paid to paths, bridges and gazebos. Plants in such a garden are not the main component. Therefore, they should not be too pompous. Moss and monochrome low flowers, “weeping” trees, modest green shrubs - these are its characteristic inhabitants.
Basic techniques for creating a Japanese-style garden
Should be adhered to certain rules, which will allow you to achieve the best result:
- The design does not have to be symmetrical.
- Each component of the garden is thought out in advance and fits harmoniously into the composition.
- The elements are selected in soft shades, of the correct shape, if they are stones, then rounded. Such components are designed to calm and relax a person.
- Unoccupied land in Japanese classical gardens is covered with gravel or compacted. It is not forbidden to plant lawn grass. Green meadows are made small.
- The elements of the garden are placed at a certain distance from each other. There is no need to plant a large number of plants and install a lot of stones.
DIY Japanese garden design step by step
- We are drawing up a project. It will depend on the area of the site: flat or hilly. It is easier to plant a garden on a flat area. Hilly - more like a Japanese landscape.
- We pay attention to the tracks, their configuration and the material from which they will be made. Paths made of flat stones will look more organic.
- We select stones. They should match in color and not have sharp corners or chips. The stones are placed in the center of the garden, avoiding piling one on top of another. The distance between them is planted with grass or moss, or sprinkled with gravel.
- We select vegetation taking into account the Russian climate. No need to clutter the garden big trees and bushes, especially if its territory is small. Ground covers and low bushes or small conifers are suitable. Of the large trees, you can plant one, but it is textured, bright and blooms for a long time.
- We are planning auxiliary components: a stream, a fountain, a pond, a gazebo or a bridge.
- Thinking through the lighting. Lanterns can be either high, up to 2 m, or hidden in the bushes.
- An important step in designing a Japanese garden is the choice of plants. They must be cold-resistant and combined with Japanese style.
Selection of plants for Japanese design
Vegetation is chosen based on the fact that in a Japanese classical garden it is decorative all year round. In cold climates evergreens few. Therefore, given the frosty winters, the following trees and shrubs are planted in our Japanese gardens:
- pine, which can be shaped according to the gardener’s wishes;
- felt cherry;
- maple;
- tree peony;
- frost-resistant rhododendron;
- different varieties of barberry and hawthorn;
- cold-resistant spirea;
- winter-hardy ground covers;
- ferns;
- perennial flowers.
The main thing is to avoid pretentiousness. The garden should look simple and concise. If you follow the basic rules, you will have an amazing place for solitude and escape from everyday worries.
Calmness and the leisurely passage of time surrounded by stones and the sound of water - this can be the space in your garden. It’s not difficult to make a Japanese garden in your country house with your own hands. How? Read our article!
Having heard the phrase “Japanese garden” out of the corner of a curious ear, many imagine only bright paper lanterns, a statue of a pot-bellied, imperturbable Buddha, or bright, agile fish in a pond. Meanwhile, a Japanese-style garden has many faces, and quite often there is only one solo element.
As you already understand, in our article today we will tell you how to create a Japanese-style garden on your small area or at least try to organize an atmospheric oriental corner there.
Concept
A Japanese-style garden is always a clear arrangement of details and accents. You shouldn’t think that something can grow there on its own: the choice of plants for this space is deeply symbolic, and their arrangement should create big picture, which you can appreciate not only being in the garden itself, but also looking at it from afar.
As a rule, garden elements are arranged according to visual distance: starting from the largest in the foreground and ending with the smallest in the distance. Thus, even if you create a Japanese garden on a meter-long piece of land behind the house, you will still get smooth transitions and overall integrity of the picture.
As for the general color combination, then the main color of the Japanese garden is green. Its shades can vary from dark emerald to light green, thereby creating a feeling of constant dynamics and silent “conversation” in the garden.
When choosing plants, give preference evergreen shrubs and do not forget about symbolism: for example, a pine tree means longevity, and a plum tree means spiritual beauty. Which do you prefer? Maybe maple is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge?
Rock garden
The Japanese garden is the only type of garden that can consist entirely of stones. Yes, yes, no flowers at all. Only stones - ancient boulders overgrown with moss, angular cobblestones and small shiny pebbles.
In Japanese tradition, stones have very multifaceted meanings, ranging from longevity to the infinity of time and connection with ancestors. We do not encourage you to try to build a stone kingdom on your 6 acres, but dry streams of stones will be very appropriate and will even help you zone the space.
Gazebo and pond
It's great if these two elements are combined in your Japanese garden, because relaxing in it usually involves contemplating water. It is absolutely not necessary to build a fortress moat filled with water around the house and raise rare living creatures there - a small reservoir surrounded by curved trees or bushes will be enough.
As for the gazebo, don’t even think about organizing a barbecue there or anything like that. A gazebo in a Japanese garden suggests a leisurely, even slightly detached rest and should represent open space, where you can sit down for a while and drink tea. It is usually performed in the form of a pagoda; It would also be a good idea to equip the path to it with small lanterns - this way you can easily make your way there in the evenings without the risk of falling into the fish pond.
Kingdom of Moss
Moss in Japanese tradition symbolizes maternal protection, as well as the endless passage of time. Perhaps this is why, when we find ourselves in a forest surrounded by a space of moss, time seems to stand still. Who knows, maybe at this moment we have a tiny opportunity to control it?
If your dacha is located in the forest or you simply know what constant rains and a damp climate are, then creating a kingdom of moss in your garden will not be difficult for you: moss is very unpretentious and “spreads” beautifully throughout the area on its own.
Of course, we do not encourage you to cover everything with it, from the house to the surprised cat who dozed off just a couple of hours ago. But if you want to create a fairy tale in your garden, filled with secrets and quiet whispers, then moss will be a great idea for this. Besides, isn't it nice to constantly feel the endless passage of time while walking through it barefoot?
Photo: animeblog.ru, landscape-expert.com, remontbp.com, artrea.ru
Japanese aesthetics are completely special. Luxury and intricacy, redundancy of objects are alien to her. Japanese beauty lies in calm balance, harmony of shapes, lines, shades and sounds.
The Japanese landscape is not just a picturesque picture, but a way of understanding the world, which is based on a very respectful, poetic attitude towards nature.
Garden design in Japan, of course, is also the result of the work of masters, but, above all, it is a product of intellectual labor. A Japanese gardener will not “reshape” the relief and remake the landscape, trying to adapt the area to his own whim. He is a student of Nature and, creating a landscape, follows its laws.
Even the tiniest Japanese garden is a copy of the surrounding nature, a philosophical interpretation of the environment that is characteristic of a particular area. There is nothing random in it, not a single meaningless detail: every stone, lantern or stump is a symbol of a certain concept and is “responsible” for luck, health, and material well-being.
Advantages and features of a Japanese garden
Why does the Japanese landscape captivate Europeans?
Mysterious thoughtfulness, clarity of lines, smooth flow of shade into shade... But it also has other interesting qualities.
The Japanese garden promotes the formation of a reasonable, equanimous attitude towards life; it pacifies and develops the sense of taste. 
A Japanese garden is an excellent stress reliever. And also, since it is dominated by Feng Shui, the doctrine of the circulation of energies, it is also a place of strength and physical healing.
Finally, such a garden is wonderful suitable model for a plot of any size, even very small. It will also fit perfectly into areas non-standard shape– too narrow, located on a slope, with rocky, hummocky soil. 
However, realizing the Japanese dream is not so easy.
What does this require?
— Firstly, to have a truly refined taste.
— Secondly, quite extensive knowledge about Japanese culture. Moreover, you need to share a worldview that will become the conceptual basis for your garden. In particular, remember that absolutely all objects must be full of meaning and be located where they are prescribed by Feng Shui.
The unshakable rules that should be followed when setting up a garden in Japanese include:
- multidimensionality. A garden is created, first of all, for contemplation, therefore, at every turn of the path, from every elevation, a new perspective should open up. To achieve this, level differences, bridges, and hills are widely used.
- Lack of symmetry. Nature does without rulers and compasses, and the Japanese garden, let us remind you, repeats nature in everything.
- The main elements in the Japanese worldview are plants, water and stones. This is, if you like, the “holy trinity” of the Japanese garden.
- There are traditionally a lot of stones. They are located in groups, forming local rock gardens; paths are laid out of them, and dry streams are made.
- An important nuance is the use local materials. There is no need to bring picturesque stones from afar - they will be alien to your area.
- Water is welcome in any form. It could be a pond, stream, fountain.
- Composition is another priority of the Japanese landscape. Individual objects should be combined into picturesque groups: a stream, a bridge and a textured pine tree, for example, or a stone, a bush and a lantern above them.
If you dream of decorating your entire personal plot, then first break it into parts of irregular, arbitrary shape. It is desirable that they coincide with the main functional areas.
Then take care of a soft, natural transition from zone to zone: use stones, trees, and discreet accessories as conditional boundaries.
However, do not try to recreate Japan among Russian aspens and birches; do not mindlessly copy garden samples from Kyoto and Okinawa. Main - general principles. And choose plants, stones, flowers from the local habitat: only such a landscape will look believable, which ultimately corresponds to Japanese philosophy.
Basic colors of a Japanese garden
In the Land of the Rising Sun, they believe that a large number of wildly flowering plants of various types can unbalance a person, deprive him of peace and thoughtfulness.
A legend has been passed down from generation to generation, according to which a certain shogun, having heard about the beauty of one of the gardens, notified the owner that he would come to him for a tour. When the bishop stepped through the garden gate at the appointed hour, he did not see a single flowering plant– all the flowers were mercilessly cut off. The guest got angry... But the owner invited him to the gazebo, where there was a flower on the table - the only one, unique. Such a dramatic reception made the shogun’s heart tremble with surging feelings.
In other words, the charmingly restrained range of the Japanese garden, consisting of shades and halftones, smooth transitions. The pinnacle of skill is to ensure that a certain corner of the garden is designed in numerous shades of one single color. Let's say white, yellow or purple.
But gray, moss green, muted brown and non-blinding white can be called the basic colors for the Japanese landscape.
Metaphysics of trees in a Japanese garden
A classic Japanese plot is unthinkable without three, one might say, sacred plants - plum, pine and bamboo. The first symbolizes spring, the triumph of life and is considered the tree of the samurai.
The tradition of admiring plum blossom branches (hanami) is no less strong than in the case of sakura.
Pine represents courage, fortitude and longevity; a crooked, wind-worn pine tree is one of the most recognizable emblems of the Land of the Rising Sun.
And bamboo is associated with flexibility, strength, and the ability to overcome any circumstances.
Deep symbolism, however, was formed later. And the first Japanese gardeners simply used those trees and shrubs that grew nearby. At the same time, mountain plants were planted in areas where there were a lot of stones, and valley plants were used to decorate estates located in the lowlands. This means that it is not at all necessary to buy Japanese seedlings and seeds; familiar, local flora is quite suitable for the garden. 
Bamboo, for example, can be replaced with willow, fargesia, saza, and tall Sakhalin knotweed.
Siberian cedar from Russian pine forest will cope with the role of white and black Japanese pine, and native cherries will bloom and smell no worse than Japanese ume plums.
When choosing plants, remember: your task is not to make the garden shimmer with colors from the first days of spring until late autumn. And the point is that bright bursts of flowering alternate with long dormant phases.
Cherries, smooth elms, oaks and especially maples also look very Japanese - the pattern of their leaves and rich autumn palette fully correspond to Japanese ideals of beauty and harmony.
Bushes, herbs and flowers
When choosing shrubs, you should consider the architecture of each plant, the texture and shades of its leaves. More often landscape designers barberry, cotoneaster and hawthorn are recommended. Thanks to the berries and the shade of the foliage, these crops are quite effective and also hold their shape for a long time after being cut.
It is impossible to do without periodic pruning: tradition requires that the garden have spherical-shaped plants. It is given not only to cotoneaster, barberry, boxwood, but even to low elms, thujas, dwarf yews, and rhododendrons. These and other trimmed plants are often used to form hedges. 
For creating green walls and carpets are used different types spirea, deutia, as well as herbs - molinia, feather grass, miscanthus. Mosses, decorative sedges and grasses are widely used.
Arrange several miniature monogardens. They can be formed from hostas, ferns, that is, plants of the same type, supplemented with stones. This artistic method fully corresponds to the spirit of the Japanese garden.
Flowers in the Eastern worldview have as many meanings as trees. Everyone knows, for example, that the chrysanthemum is the same symbol of Japan as a sakura branch or the silhouette of a pine tree. Daylilies, irises, and bulbous plants are also in high esteem.
Plant chrysanthemum-shungika. This is a special, edible type of flower, very popular in the East. The Japanese prepare many dishes from the leaves of this chrysanthemum, claiming that they have healing properties.
Peonies are appropriate in the Japanese garden, signifying love, amaralis, a symbol of modesty, as well as white roses - a sign of nobility. However, there should be flowers in moderation and it is better to place them not in common flower beds, but in separate lawns.
Stones and more stones...
Their importance for the Japanese garden is enormous. 
Firstly, stones are used to lay out a recreation area - a patio. As well as the main path going deep into the garden. For it, large slabs with uneven edges are chosen, and smaller samples are used to cover secondary paths and boundaries between zones.
Secondly, stones are needed for a dry landscape, in other words, for. The fact is that in the old days the Japanese believed that gods lived among scattered blocks and boulders. Since then, the rocky landscapes have been a place where monks meditate. 
At the heart of the rock garden is a heptagon of lines, at the intersection of which large fragments of flagstone, granite, and quartz are installed. The space between them is covered with pebbles, on the surface of which waves are drawn. 
Stones are selected taking into account both shape and color. Gray and bluish are identified with the element of water, greenish with vegetation, and stones of strange shapes symbolize animals in the garden.
The stone garden should be located in such a way that the sun does not blind the eyes of those who admire it.
The more varied the shape of the fragments, the better. In this case, there must be a lying, horizontally elongated stone; curved; flat; low-vertical and stone statue. Without the latter, the Japanese say, a garden is not a garden.
Variety of reservoirs
There should also be a tsukubai bowl made of stone, a low tub that was once used as a washstand. Tsukubai these days are part of the decor, as well as a reminder that water is the eternal, philosophical companion of stone.
If space and possibilities allow, you can dig a pond, a characteristic feature of the estates of Japanese aristocrats. Often in the middle of such a reservoir an island is poured (a symbol of the habitat of souls, that is, immortality), connecting it to the shore using wooden flooring or stones (stone slabs). 
Almost always there is a waterfall in the Japanese landscape. The jets fall from a piece of rock into a narrow channel formed by smaller stones. Splashing and murmuring are considered one of the best music, and flying water adds dynamics to the landscape. 
You can organize traditional Japanese ponds without extra costs by resorting to modern means. Tsukubai bowls, for example, today are made from polyvinyl chloride, painted to resemble old, mossy stone.
Small architectural forms and lighting
If you intend to follow the canons of Japanese landscape art in everything, then without tea house not enough. Moreover, the first Japanese gardens arose around such houses as an addition to the traditional tea ceremony. 
Actually, today a tea pavilion can be an ordinary wooden gazebo in the shape of a pagoda or cube, painted red, brown, white.
Another important attribute is the zigzag yatsuhashi bridge. Its elongated, serpentine silhouette symbolizes the tortuosity of life’s path, the road that a person travels in search of truth. 
Bridges can also be curved, resembling a rainbow, imitate ships, be made of wood and stone, and extend not only over reservoirs, but also over dry streams. 
Near a pond, waterfall, or rock garden, don’t forget to install benches - straight, ascetic in shape, consisting of stone supports and flat wooden seats. 
Stone lanterns are a tribute to tradition that should not be abandoned. Such lamps come in a variety of shapes and heights - from squat ones, reminiscent of rounded stones, to tall pillars. 
There are also hanging lanterns, lamps made of bronze, in the form of pagodas, carved squares, cylinders, polygons... Some of them shine upward, others are designed to illuminate the ground...
If you place these devices correctly - along the paths, along the perimeter of the patio, at the edge of the pond, near the gazebo - the area will receive the optimal dose of natural light: dim, but a little mysterious, like the entire garden.