Japanese Garden

Leesa

There is a book called "Japanese Touch for your Garden" by Kiyoshi Seike- it's about $17 at Amazon. You can buy it used for less than that. I think I am on my third copy of this book - I keep lending it to friends who have seen my Japanese Garden. Ponds and "water interests" are usually created by using a different sizes and textures - for example a "stream" of larger round stones bordered by pea gravel often with a small bridge of wood or stone. I suspect that the illusion of a pond might take more space than you have indicated that you have - you need to have the perspective of distance to create pond "edges" with the different textures of stones.

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Respectfully, Lee Sanner

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Whimsical

Stephen,
I don't know how your pops is, but I would get a book with great examples of suburban style japanese gardens, and tell him you want to make part or all of the yard look like that. Get him involved, and his wallet involved also. Its his yard after all, and you are hepling to beautify it. My parents would have keeled over from a heart attack if I told them I was willing to work and make their yard look like that. I never willingly did yard work as a teen. I should think they would be all for it, if you showed them pictures of what you were after.
But, on the note of japanese maples. Small ones can be had for pretty reasonable prices, and no other maple can touch them in beauty. Plus, many of them will naturally stay small. Its the named specialty varieties that get pricey. As for water features, trust me a water basin or a deer chaser will do so much more for a small area than a gravel bed(in my humble opinion), and the moisture will help tremendously for moss.
As a vote of inspiration, I have seen japanese gardens in a 10'x6' space that were so beautiful, I never wanted to leave.

stephentoddpope

well we have a japanese maple in the front yard it is about 20 feet tall, i am getting a small airlayer off of, could i just plant that in the ground, and let it grow, will it grow fast enpough, what is a deer chaser, and that is about exactly the amount of room i have, thnx

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"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

Whimsical

a deer chaser is an ancient element of a japanese garden. They are made of bamboo and work much like those litte birds you put on a glass of water and it perpetually tips back and forth, looking like its drinking water. Except these are usually around 2 feet tall. They traditionally are fed by a stream, but now most are just powered by a small aquarium/fountain pump. You will see exactly what I'm talking about when you goto the library. They are almost as common of an element as a stone lantern.

The airlayer will have to stay on the tree for a few months. There are good threads here about air layering. That is a good idea. You can get the tree the exact size you want it for free. Make sure you have everything really planned out before you even sink a shovel in the dirt.

stephentoddpope

ok, i am thinking about, maby a little stone path, leading into a mall circle, around the water, what ever it may be, and a small leanto, disguised as a gazibo, w, some bonai, and maby a raised garden space, w/ some juniper procumbens nana plante there covering it, and some hummingbird vine covering the secluding fence, would that look like a japanee garden?

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"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare