Asian Style

 Design for a Japanese Garden

Simple & elegant, this Seattle front yard relies on elements of traditional Japanese garden design, yet features plants that are easy to maintain. A hedge of Japanese Holly conveys formality, as does the gated entrance, & the stone elements, which are carefully placed. Strawberry Trees & deciduous Burning Bushes offer seasonal interest & color. Round pavers lead to a granite bench by the 'pond,' a simple excavated area lined with landscape fabric & filled with gravel. Douglas Irises add a touch of color in spring. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List

A. Arbutus unedo (2) Strawberry Tree

B. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis' (1) Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

C. Euonymous alatus 'Compacta' (3) Dwarf Burning Bush

D. Fragaria chiloensis (18) Wild Strawberry

E. Ilex crenata 'Convexa' (8) Japanese Holly

F. Iris douglasiana (9) Douglas Iris

G. Pinus mugo pumilio (2) Dwarf Mugo Pine

H. Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (12) Stonecrop

I designed this garden which appeared in the 1998 Sunset publication, Low-Maintenance Gardening. It is appropriate for USDA Zone 8.