Japanese Gardening

Let's dive right in at the deep end, shall we?

We all instinctively know what a Japanese garden looks like, right? Hmmm, not quite so sure about that. More likely, what we expect to see are certain aspects of Japanese gardening to appear before our eyes.

The ever popular Japanese maples, aflame with vibrant color every autumn. A serene pond, perhaps with a small island representing the ancient turtle. Trained and trimmed pine trees, made to look old and beautiful. Or those wonderful arching bridges, done as only the Japanese gardeners can do them. Graceful koi gliding sensuously through tranquil waters, their striking colors on display for all to see.

These are just some of the elements of the increasingly popular Japanese garden.

It has been 35 years since I made my first somewhat feeble attempt to build a Japanese style garden. What it lacked in content, it certainly made up for in effort.

The pond was laboriously dug by hand and lined with concrete. I don't think I will ever forget the blazing hot day we chose to mix and pour the concrete bottom for that pond! Oh yes, make no mistake, building a Japanese garden is work. I don't want to scare you away from building one for yourself. Make sure that you understand each portion of what you want to build, and take it in small chunks. Over a period of time the garden will develop nicely and give you something to be proud of and get great enjoyment from.

There are a number of different types of plants that you might want to consider. Since you won't have room for everything, even though you might like to, here is a selection of plantings to think about.

Japanese Maples. There is an excellent book on Japanese Maples by Vertrees/Gregory which is considered to be the bible on the subject. For several years the original book was unavailable, but has recently been revised and updated by Peter Gregory. All the original work was by John Vertrees, who passed away in 1993. If you are new to the subject and would like to learn more but do not wish to acquire a whole library of books on maples, this is the one book I would suggest you get started with.

The small Japanese Maple to the right is a Sango Kaku, commonly known as a coralbark maple for the vivid color of its' bark. Right from the early spring leaf growth to the color change in the fall, the contrast in color between the bark and foliage has to be seen to be appreciated. A wonderful little tree you should consider having.

Taken as a group, Japanese maples are remarkably hardy. If you are at all familiar with Japan, you will be aware that the group of islands which makes up Japan spans a vast distance from North to South, thus providing a wide climate range from which to draw.

Your own climate will have a bearing on how successful you will be at growing these wonderful trees. If you are in a desert, you had better be thinking about a dry garden, or karasansui. The maples won't make it there.

Here, on the west coast of Canada, we enjoy a temperate climate with fairly mild winters. The ocean mass keeps the temperature swings within tolerable levels for these plants, much as it does in Japan.

They require a reasonably good soil with adequate drainage. Their tolerance to wet feet is not good. Once the plants become established, very little is necessary in the way of maintenance other than removal of the small branch die off so common to these trees. Plus the obvious summertime watering.

You will need to consider how much space is available for your garden. One of the great attributes of building a Japanese garden is that it can be done in a small space.
Just a single maple, with some rhododendrons or Japanese azaleas and a bamboo can make a pleasing composition.

Japanese maples are tolerant of most kinds of weather, except extreme dry heat and wind. They do NOT like wind. It has a tendency to dry the leaves out quickly, leaving them dessicated and in poor shape. Since their leaves are one of the outstanding features of Japanese maples, they need a little help.

Planting these trees in pots or tubs permits you to move them from an open location to a more sheltered space during the windy season. But be warned! A larger specimen in a 20 gallon container is heavy! You might need a helper or two. Or better yet, rig up something with two wheels when your high priced assistant is unavailable.

This one is a Bloodgood Japanese maple, planted in a wood box about 16" square. It is over 6 feet tall now, and needs to be transplanted into the ground to allow it to grow larger.

Almost a subject on its' own, pots suitable for Japanese maples come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. If you are planning to leave the maples in a pot for either a long period before transplanting, or perhaps permanently, there are a couple of things to consider.

First is the actual size of the pot. Now I am sure you have all seen those incredible bonsai plants in very shallow pots. A bonsai requires very little in the way of nutrients, and everything is deliberately done to stunt the growth of the trees, a small pot being one of them.

If it is your long term goal to keep the trees potted, make sure that you pick a smaller hybrid. No sense trying to fit a tree that wants to grow 25 feet tall in a two gallon pot!

And while you are at it, why not go for something with an oriental design. It suits both the tree and your oriental style garden much better. The tree in this pot, which came from China, is a small "Red Pygmy" hybrid.

It is also well to remember, that in the warmer weather of summer, that any pot tends to dry out quickly. Keep your potted plants watered regularly, and add a mulch to the surface to inhibit evaporation.

For many people, bamboo is a case of you love 'em or you hate 'em!

If you have been the unfortunate victim of a runaway bamboo, you know what I mean. It definitely does not have to be that way.

There are running bamboos, which are the ones invariably responsible for the horror stories, and there are the well behaved clumping bamboos.

You should not have any trouble finding plants which will suit your purpose, as long as you know just what you need.

Now, bamboos come in a huge variety of sizes. Some will stay tiny, no matter what you do to them, while others are grown literally for their timber. The climate you grow them in will have the biggest bearing on how they perform, and it is well to know that just because a plant will grow to biblical proportions in its' native habitat, your garden may not suit its' tastes at all.

In the temperate areas of North America, there are at least 200 varieties of bamboo available. Now, many of these will be unsuitable for you, but it does illustrate just what a wide choice you have. To be on the safe side, it will pay you to check around in your neighborhood to see what is growing successfully there.

Unlike maples, bamboos are wind tolerant. In fact, the gentle rustling sound the bamboos make in a light breeze is one of the joys of sitting in your garden. Very soothing.

The low growing plant here is a runner. So it will be necessary to keep the plant in check by one of two methods. Every year as the new shoots come up, cut them back to the point you wish to contain the roots within. Alternatively, an area outside the plant can have a root barrier installed. This would be done before you plant the bamboo.

Among the most popular plants in any Japanese garden, rhodos and azaleas make a wonderful addition. There are hundreds of hybrid varieties to choose from. Azaleas usually have the smaller leaves and are a smaller growing plant, whereas rhodos are usually the opposite. Now, not all rhodos are huge, but some will grow to a tree size.

The Japanese have excelled at the fine art of pruning these plants to give those sculpted round forms. You can do it too, you have to keep at it!

This is where you can add a splash of spring color to your Japanese garden. Rhododendrons in particular come in a spectacular variety of colors, you name it, you can probably find it.