Japanese-Style Garden Design DIY

Plan your site based upon its view and potential. It must be enclosed with gates, fences and walls to create your own private space. The site can be as small as a patio area, for a viewing garden, or as large as your entire backyard, for a strolling garden.

Draw the site measurements onto your graph paper using a scale of 1 inch to 1 foot. Leave room for notations as you work out your design.

Place rocks and hardscape components like raked sand, crushed white or beige stone and stepping-stones within your design. The open spaces created by these elements are as important as the live plantings you select. Three rocks typically represent a mountain view, while paths mark your journey through life, with each twist revealing a view you can appreciate.

Sketch a water feature like a koi pond or babbling fountain into your design, taking size and balance into consideration.

Specify trees in your design. A small space may only have room for bonsai trees, while a large space may easily take cherry, flowering plum and pine trees. Plan for the mature size of each tree as you place it into your garden plan.

Indicate shrubs on your design that will provide color interest. Azaleas, wisterias and hydrangeas all work well in Japanese-style gardens. Note blooming times so you can balance color within your garden.

Add finishing touches like moss, bamboo plants and ornamental grasses as well as symbolic statues, lanterns and basins into your design. Traditionally, according to both Shinto and Buddhism, a basin is placed at the garden entrance so visitors can clean their hands and rinse their mouths before entering.