Make a Japanese Garden

Am building a 1 bedroom cottage and have a space on the side, where my bedroom windows are, that I am thinking might be just the place for a small Japanese garden. Believe it or not, it is presently being over-run with bamboo – don’t ever plant bamboo – it will overtake everything. I’ve been looking at a lot of stuff on internet and have some ideas. This will be a do-it-yourself project. Any ideas of what I SHOULD NOT do…to start?

I have a beautiful spot in my back yard that I think would be a great place for a small Japanese Garden. Anyone got any ideas.

not happening this summer….

I formed a pagoda out of rocks last night. It looks kind of cool. I cant wait to take the deck out and dig a pond.

I really want to do this, but Im not really sure where to start. THe backyard looks so much better than it did last year at this time, and I am a little hesitant to start digging a hole for a pond.
One of the things on my list to do is to pull the deck out. Its too small for anything other than a couple of chairs and adds no character to the yard. Maybe if I get up the nerve to do that then I can make a patio with a japanese garden around it.

I have a small city lot, and I have to admit, I kind of let it go over the last couple of years. Once I had a huge vegetable garden that was the envy of the neighborhood, at least to those neighbors that liked vegetable gardens. Becuase of time constraints, crazy job with lots of travelling and a divorce the yard fell apart. But it was driving me crazy to look at a boring lawn with dandelions. And this year I decided to change things. I bought a book on Japanese garden design two weeks ago and have mulled over a few things in my head.
Today I took action and started with a cedar hedge, making a green enclosure around the yard, as a start to the garden. I am planning on having just a simple courtyard enclosed by an evergreen garden with some raked gravel. But I might still tuck in a tiny little vegetable garden, away from view, to remember the past.

under start a Japanese garden!

Going to put this off until spring.

I have a small backyard. It’s not really suitable for any great expansive landscaping project. The Japanese courtyard garden fits well with my personality and the space. Minimalist, calming and different. I’ll use mugho pine, bamboo and pea gravel – I’ll upload a photo the minute it’s done!

I have a 3m by 6m space set aside for this, between the house and the forthcoming extension. It will be a place of solitude and meditation.