Creating a Japanese bed »Nice ideas, tips and tricks

How big should a Japanese bed be?

Very few people in Japan can afford a large garden. Therefore, this type of design is also very suitable for small areas. Try to integrate all the important elements without cluttering the small area. The art here is often in omitting, otherwise the Japanese bed quickly looks kitschy.

Which plants belong in a Japanese bed?

Most of all, trees, shrubs, and other green plants are found in a Japanese garden. Flowering plants are used very sparingly, for example cherry trees, azaleas and rhododendrons for spring or Irises and peonies for summer. However, a lush blaze of color is undesirable and disturbs the harmony.

Evergreen plants such as Boxwoodthat is artfully cut into shape, conifers and pines. Ferns and hardy bamboo are also popular. In autumn, colorful foliage adds some color to the garden. You can plant maple trees here, for example.

Which design features cannot be missing in any Japanese bed?

In addition to the typical plants, water and stones are indispensable design elements. What is less well known is that moss is also one of the four elements in a Japanese garden. It's hard to come by, however.

If you only design a single bed or a small area, you can integrate the water in the form of a small basin or replace it with gravel. In order to be able to rake the typical wave pattern into a gravel surface, the layer should be at least five centimeters thick.

The most important elements of a Japanese bed:

• Plants: mainly green plants (trees, shrubs, boxwood, bamboo, ferns), only a few flowering plants
• Water: as a pond, Stream, Waterfall or small pool
• Stones: a gravel bed can also replace a water surface
• Moss: sometimes difficult to obtain, can be replaced by star moss or Andean cushions
• Figures: use only very sparingly and occasionally