How to Create a Japanese Garden in a Small Patio

Line the perimeter of the patio with larger Japanese plants and trees, such as the Maidenhair tree, flowering cherry trees, Japanese maple trees, gingko bilboa and flowering apricot. This will help create the illusion of seclusion, even if it's a small space.

Incorporate a trellis for climbing plants such as honeysuckle, jasmine, evergreen clematis, ivy and bougainvillea. Use the trellis between larger plants around your patio's perimeter if desired to add to the feeling of seclusion.

Add rocks and smooth stones of varying sizes around your patio, as Japanese gardens generally feature lots of stones, boulders and rocks to create shifts in elevation. Use boulders to house potted plants, as stepping stones, or as natural seats or barriers.

Use ornamental grasses in one or more corners of the patio, such as Japanese forest grass or Japanese temple grass. Add ground cover plants if desired, particularly if you want to create a slightly overgrown, natural effect and do not mind plants growing over your patio stones. Ideas for ground cover plants include Irish moss, rock cress, chamomile, violet, Saint John's wort or juniper.

Place additional flowers and shrubs around your designated garden area as desired, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, herbaceous peony and clivia. Since you are working with a patio, look for smaller shrub varieties that will fit in large planters and containers. Arrange some plants and bushes around and on rock and stones if desired. If you are creating an area of the same type of plant or flower, remember to group them in odd numbers to avoid symmetry; Japanese garden principles dictate that the eye should keep moving around the garden, creating a spiritual sense of motion.

Add additional elements to your garden, such as Buddha statues, stone lanterns and water features. Water feature ideas appropriate for small spaces include water harps or small fountains.