’11 Simple Ways To Turn Your Garden Japanese’ from Making A Japanese Garden Dot Com

Posted on February 20, 2013 by making a japanese garden

Hi,
Thanks for visiting makingajapanesegarden.com.

If you have always wanted or dreamt of a Japanese style garden space for your home whether indoors or outdoors then I have some great news for you. Launched today is my new FREE book ’11 Simple Ways To Turn Your Garden Japanese’ and this short video will tell you more. Take a look!

To find out more and how you can make your Japanese garden dream a reality without breaking the bank! CLICK HERE for your complimentary copy and free membership to ‘The Japanese Garden Bulletin’ our weekely new newsletter for fans of Japanese gardens and making a Japanese garden.

The Japanese Garden Bulletin NEW Newsletter – Listen To What It’s About…

Posted on January 15, 2013 by making a japanese garden

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Hii,

Thanks for stopping by making a Japanese garden dot com.

In a very short while I am launching an exciting, interesting and inspiring newsletter on Japanese gardens …it will be totally free and take a listen to my little message about the service I am providing for Japanese garden enthusiasts.

CLICK on the audio players ‘Arrow’ to LISTEN

Making A Japanese Garden – Boundaries

Posted on October 22, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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However large or small Japanese gardens have at least one entrance and the simplest explanation of this is that when entering the garden you are part of a seperate world. When making a japanese garden this is something that you must consider.

If you have armarked a space for your Japanese garden then really think about this important ingredient – the entrance. Think carefully about the boundary of your garden – will it have a stone or brick wall on any of the sides, what will the shape be and where are you planning on putting plants, trees, shrubs, pathways etc.

Entrances and boundaries are ideally identified in positional terms first. I always advise the drawing of a design sletch before any construction begins. This will allow you to be very detailed and clear in your thoughts for making a Japanese garden AND will help you to reconcile your space with your plans when you are standing by your bare piece of land.

A plan really works. It crystalises your design in your minds eye and is very helpful with the placement of entrances and boundaries. Bamboo is very popular for boundaries but to keep it authentic try and use a Japanese bamboo – a lot of display Japanese gardens around the world make a big deal of Bamboo ( quite rightly) but more often than not it will be a Chinese bamboo!

Boundaries signify the end of one world and the beginning of the next – your garden. You may want a pathway leading to a gate or more than one pathway. They should alwyas be at right-angle with no smooth corners as the Japanese believe that demons need smooth corners to be able to change direction.

A path leading to a gate or from it is a great place to start planning when making a Japanese garden , look at it as the first few correct pieces in a jigsaw and you build your design and garden ingredients from there.

Boundaries can also be used bewteen different areas of your garden and bamboo fences make a simple and relatively cheap way of doing it and they are pleasing on the eye because of their authenticity.

One very important principle in Japanese gardening to consider is that everything you do in your garden in terms of design and maintenance should appear to not have been interfered with by humans – its appearance should be natural.

Making A Japanese Garden – Rewarding But Demanding Too!

Posted on October 10, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Steve’s Tea House – made of Cedar

Hi,
Thanks for visiting my website , and hopefully I can give you some inspiration if you are thinking of making a Japanese garden. I visited a gentleman called Steve at his home to take a look at his Japanese Pond viewing garden.

It has been a labour of love for Steve who lived and worked in Japan for 7 years. On a business trip before he moved there he had a couple of hours to spare before catching a flight home and asked the concierge at the hotel if they could recommend something to do for a couple of hours.

“Do you like gardens?” the concierge asked Steve , to which he replied “Yes” and he promptly directed to look at his very first Japanese garden with its different entrances, beautifully crafted Azeleas , trees and shrubs. Rock formations and paths at right-angles.

He was struck by it’s beauty and promptly fell in love with Japanese gardens. Whilst in Japan he visited over 80 different gardens mainly in the Kyoto area and amassed a very large collection of Japanese garden textbooks and journals.

The knowledge he gained was defining in his plans for making a Japanese garden and this he did at his home in the UK. It took two years to build , is completely enclosed and has a large Koi pond which has been troublesome to say the least.

Japanese plants, trees and shrubs grow freely in his garden as the climate difference between Japan and the UK is actually not that different. As he pointed out to me some of his Acer’s in their native Japan can withstand sub-zero temperatures.

I went to film a video with Steve and to ask him all sorts of questions about his Japanese garden and its construction and will be making this chat available soon. I have to edit it first!

Steve says the most demanding part of the garden were the rocks, pond and pathways as he wanted to stay true to his original design. Like me Steve also believes very strongly that you have ‘freewill’ to go about making a Japanese garden in whatever styles or styles you wish.

His is a Pond Viewing garden BUT it has a Tea house too because he likes them. That is the key message about making a Japanese garden – add what you want and what feels right in your garden area. Don’t be intimidated by technical books after all Japanese gardens are simplicity with nature!

It was a really interesting visit and I am looking forward to letting you see the video but to wet your appetite here are some photograph’s of Steve Mazloumian’s Japanese garden!

Steve has about 8 different varieites of Acer’s in the garden

: The Moon Window – providing a peak into the garden!

A Koi Pond, Lantern and Autumn Colours!

A Zen feel to one area of the garden – note the autumn colours again.

What Would You Like To Know More About? Design, Zen gardens, General Information? Take our free SURVEY

Posted on October 3, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Hi,

Thanks for vsiiting makingajapanesegarden.com , the fact that you are here says that

Japanese courtyard gardens , want to know more about them?

you have an interest in Japanese gardens and you are looking for information on the subject!

You will find lots of it on this website but so that we can give you MORE of the information that you are looking for it would be really helpful if you could spare 5 seconds and let us know in our short survey. You don’t have to leave your name or an email address but by taking part you are helping us solve a problem for you = we like that! AND helping us to give the best information possible not just on making a Japanese garden but ALL aspects of this unique and fascinating subject.

THANKS in advance and if you have any comments you can leave them as part of the survey! CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY

Click here to take survey

Making a Japanese Garden – Fences and Gates

Posted on September 3, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Hi Japan Directory

If you are ambitious and keen to make a realistic representation of a Japanese garden then a couple of things you will be probably be interested in are GATES and FENCES.

Typical example of fencing in a Japanese garden

Most Japanese gardens are intended to be seen from outside looking in and have a feeling of being seperate from our everyday world. Enclosure of the garden is achieved by the use of gates and fences whether wooden or made of Bamboo.

Zen gardens are havens of tranquilty and contemplating whilst a Japanese garden is also a place where visitors can go to escape form the stresses and strains of life – a gate signifies the place where you can enter this separate world and a signifier of returning to the world once you exit the garden.

You may think that fences are all about ‘enclosure’ and that thought would seem obvious and to a certain extent is right. Fences also have another meaning associated with them its called ‘Miegakure’ in Japanese a pretty accurate translation would be ‘Hide and reveal’.

So if you are thinking of making a Japanese garden imagine how tantalising some fencing would be adorned with climbers that give the visitor a small glimpse of what lies behind your fencing – a stunning Japanese garden.

If you are keen to make a Tea garden in your space then the gate will open to a pathway that will lead to your Tea house.

The whole concept of the use of gatesand fences in a Japanese garden is all about teasing what lies within the boudaries and containing the space for respite from everyday life. The latter being the reason that these types of garden appeal to so many Westerner’s and Japanese garden designers.

A Japanese garden is a miniature expression of nature and has to be sealed off from the outside world and its worth remebering that fences and gates are just as inportant ina Japanese garden as a stone lantern or Azaleas!

Kew Gardens In London – Video Of The Japanese Garden Area

Posted on August 28, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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When making a Japanese garden there is perhaps no better way to formulate the design ideas that you may have in your imagination than actually looking at exsisting Japanese gardens.

I recently visited the garden and had a great time. From The Imperial Gateway to a beautiful Karensui area to stunning rock placement and topiary it is all here on this short video. Steven Speilberg I am not but I hope that you take a look and enjoy it!

Claim Your FREE Copies Of Our Japanese Garden Ebooks On AMAZON Kindle

Posted on August 23, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Hi,

Thanks for visiting makingajapanesegarden.com .

Following on from yesterdays post – our 2 E books are available for the next 5 DAYS ONLY on AMAZON KINDLE. Here are the details and we hope you enjoy them and they help with your plans to make a Japanese garden.

Japanese Gardens – Revealed and Explained – CLICK HERE to access a free copy.

Japanese Zen Gardens – CLICK HERE to access your free copy.

Japanese Zen Gardens – Amazon Kindle Version

Posted on August 14, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Hi ,

Thanks for stopping by my website – I recently designed and built my own Zen garden ( a small space one I in my rear garden.

Here is a shot of my simplistic Zen garden – all but finished!

I have just finished writing a magazine for iPad and iPhone that will be published in 3 weeks time . BUT if you have a Kindle from Amazon I have uploaded the edition today. It is ALL about Zen gardens. What are they?, What is there history? What ingredients? Rocks, Stones, Sand, Gravel, Plants and Shrubs. There are some great images and EVERYTHING you would want to know if you have ever wondered ‘WHAT IS A ZEN GARDEN?’. I also take readers through the process of building a Zen garden – design tips, how it is constructed, what to use, where to pace your garden and much more! It has been a labour of love for me and it is available now JUST CLICK HERE and below is the cover:

Japanese And Zen Gardens Book

CLICK HERE for more information and I have kept the cost very low!

PS there is also a Chapter on COURTYARD GARDENS a sort of home interior Zen garden – they are beautiful!

Making A Japanese Zen Garden – update

Posted on August 4, 2012 by making a japanese garden

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Hi,

Thanks for visiting my website, I have just returned from a very pleasant break in Sweden. I now have the 4th video in a five video series that takes you step by step through making a small space Japanese Zen garden.

It is fairly easy to do and takes very little time – once you have planned it you could build it withing 2 or 3 days but a lot of folks like to take their time and that is what I did!

You can watch VIDEO 4 by CLICKING HERE

I have put all four video’s for Making A Japanese Zen garden on my Youtube channel and you can see them all by CLICKING HERE. Each video is hopefully easy to follow and they range between 2 to 3 minutes for each one.

This is a shot I took earlier today that shows it 75% done, today I will be making an ‘Island’ of grass around the single stone.

A small space Zen garden that I have 75% completed at my home

I will post some more photos very soon and hope you check out the video’s! The reason the sand is not yet raked is because we have once again had so much rain that it is a solid mass and very wet!

Enjoy your day.

Russ