Japanese Gardens are all about serenity. They are perfect for a minimalist. Less is more when creating these gardens. The landscapes are made up of well-placed stones, artfully pruned shrubs and trees, expanses of moss, stone lanterns to light pathways, water, and bamboo used in structures such as fences and tea houses.

Stones are the single most important element of the Japanese garden. You might have a Japanese garden without plants or moss, but not without stones. Partially bury large stones to mimic tree stumps, as much as three-fourths of the stone, so that they look permanent. They should be level and smaller on top, flaring out into the ground at the bottom. The stones should have a flat top look but do not cut them perfectly level.

The stones with the flat tops suggest peace and relaxation. Vertical stones are used as accents. Place the taller vertical stones at an angle to give energy to the arrangement.

Stones are the stars in a Japanese Garden landscape; the plants are subordinate. Plant them behind the stone. Do not hide the stone. You can soften the edges a little bit but you don't want to hide the major part of the stone.

Plants used traditionally in a Japanese Garden landscape include azaleas, black pines, rhododendrons, dwarf Japanese maples, and boxwoods. Cold winters can limit the use of dwarf cut-leaf Japanese maple trees in Northern gardens. There is a gorgeous substitute now available, Sambucus Black Lace™. Even if your winters are mild, you should add this beauty to your landscape. Its heavily cut leaves are almost black, fading to smoky charcoal in the summertime.

Try some new shrubs along with the traditional Japanese Garden greenery. To add a spot of blue foliage, Cupressus glabra, the Arizona Cypress, takes to pruning and makes a good bonsai specimen. Rhamnus Fine Line is a well-behaved buckthorn with upright, ferny foliage. Taxus Margarita™ is a small yew with lime green foliage that will dot the landscape with summer color. A weeping flowering cherry is the perfect focal point for your Japanese garden. Situate it by itself so that its springtime flowers and cascading form can be enjoyed without clutter.

Use trimmed azaleas and boxwoods to lead your eyes as you gaze on the landscape. If you are serious about establishing a Japanese Garden, you will soon want to learn the specialized pruning techniques. Tamamono signifies a single plant that is rounded, not round, but rounded. Use the tamamono shape to accentuate the natural roundness of azaleas.

An O-Karikomi Wave takes several years to create. You accomplish the look by shearing a line of shrubs into a ball and then, in the following years, you shear only the rounded tops, allowing some of the side and bottom growth to continue to grow. When the shrubs grow together at the base, shearing these connections forms an undulating wave that looks like one continuous shrub.

Whether you go all out and establish a Japanese garden or just incorporate a rock, a tree, or a few shrubs in the Japanese style, every garden should have a place for contemplation where serenity reigns.

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