Whats plants are there to go in a Japanese Garden?

Hi,

As the subject says, what plants are there that I can use in my Japanese garden? My problem is when I'm googling, most of searches brings up Acers and nothing much else. I have Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Japanese Blood Grass, Ferns & Hostas.

I'm wondering if there any flowering shrubs, flowers, etc. that I can use and must like some shade? I feel daft for asking, because I'm having difficulties with Google.

Thanks

 

Two sites with lots of shade loving plants to browse:

https://www.edrom-nurseries.co.uk/shop/pc/home.asp

http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

i have bought plants from both these and never had a bad one. Hope they help!

 

well anything with the postfix japonica on it? Skimmia japonica, Fatsia japonica, Aucuba japonica? Honeysuckles?

The issue about Japanese gardens, is that they revolve around space as much as they revolve around plants. More space, less plants.. everything has a symbolic meaning, although I'm not sure if you're after this aspect of a Japanese garden or a garden filled with Japanese plants..

 

maybe there are usefull books in the library?
for good design ideas the web doesn't provide a wealth of information, I find. Books are more comprehensive in that case

 

That Edrum site is fantastic - gardeners paradise!

 

Bamboo.
There are a number of species, ranging from tiny 30cm (Pleioblastus pygmyae), up to 5/6 meter giants. (Phyllostachys spp)
So you should find one that fits in your situation.

 

Bit too obvious but, Acers.

 

I would ask is it a Japanese garden or a Japanese style garden ? That is, a garden purely with Japanese plants, or a garden that has plants from different places that look similar to Japanese or are trained in the Japanese style?
Books are a great source as mentioned above. For a Japanese garden something like 'Designing and Creating Japanese Gardens' by Penny Underwood is excellent in my opinion. Or for a Japanese style garden, 'Serene Gardens - Creating Japanese design and detail in the western garden' by Yoko Kawaguchi in my opinion is excellent too.
You might find yourself more restricted in terms of a pure Japanese garden for flowers. You might find the search more interesting though as you seek out certain plants. But in a Japanese style garden you will find a whole lot more flowering plants that would suit. For instance in the plant directory of Yoko's book there are masses of flowering plants, and not just flowering shrubs.
gazania

 

hakonechloa macra aureola .... (Japanese Forest grass)

one of my favourites and a 'must have' in any garden ... this was the perennial plant of the year in 2009 ... looks good on it's own and even better when planted along the front of a border

http://www.sugarcreekgardens.com/Grasses Images&Files/2009PerPlantofYearFlyerHakone.pdf

 

Hi again clum, I would consider both camellias and hydrangeas if you havn't already. Camellias have so many different flower types and colours AND you get both spring and autumn flowering depending on the type. Can be expensive but well worth it. Shrubs, hedging and climbers. Another has to be hydrangeas. In the pic is Hydrangea serrata beni gaku which I can recommend for colour. There are lots of other Japanese hydrangeas too. Again shrubs, hedging and climbers.
By the way in the pic are also, Japanese Burnett that gets tall pink hanging tassles, Japanese Acuba that gets bright berries, Japanese Osmanthus heterophyllis goshiki which has up to a range of 5 (go) colours and white frangrant flowers in autumn, there is a tricolour version too which is quite nice, and there is a Japanese snake barked maple in the background which has been grown from seed collected in Japan. All add a bit of colour to a shady corner of a Japanese garden.
It might sound strange in a Japanese garden but I also have big pots of Chrysanthemums. Mum's are a really big deal in Japan and come september after months of pinching out mine are gonna be a massive splash of colour.
gazania

 

Here you go clum, a pot of mum's waiting to flower.
gazania

 

Oh thanks for all your replies and suggestions

I am doing a Japanese style garden in myown way. I never thought about camelias or hydrangeas. I'll need to look up the other plants you've suggested, as I don't them. My problem is everything will be pots or planters, as my back garden is paved for my wheelchair. So I have to consider the plant sizes, which makes it more fun

 

I am going to try to follow this thread as there is one more spot left on our property --in shade--where we would like to try this theme.

 

Okay clum, a Japanese potted area in your garden, brilliant idea There is a massive amount of pots that will look the part and a massive amount of plants that will go in them. The Japanese are masters of keeping plants in pots as you know. Most of my Japanese plants have at one time been kept in pots. Usually until they have outgrown them and then had to go in the ground. But I have kept acers, pines, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, sacred bamboos, kojo no mai and other plants in pots for well over 10 years with no ill effects. It's great fun to trim them in a style you like as you would with bonsai. And root trim and fresh compost every couple of years will keep most plants happy and thriving.
As well as plants in pots you can have dry gardens in pots. Simply, gravel and an interesting rock or two can be very pleasing and soothing to the eye, and hey, next to no maintainance.Simple moss gardens also look good. Add a few ferns. Bamboos in barrels. No need to worry about the things spreading then. Or bamboos in raised beds to act as a screen should you want one.
Pots look best raised on different levels so simple platforms made of 2"x2" do fine. That is, cut a length of 2x2 into 4 pieces. Then lay 2 pieces down, and the other 2 across and on top of these to make an open square. depending on how you want the pot, just keep adding pieces. Pot just sits on top then. Painted black these could look really Japanese. Blimey, hope that makes sense ? Or old pots turned upside down make good pot stands.
And of course raised beds can look cool both as planters and dry gardens. You can gain some height quickly with some plants as they will be raised in the beds.
Perhaps a small water feature with suitable planting.
Some camellias and hydrangeas can be easily trained up small trellis work so the flowers can be at a level where you can best appreciate them. I don't buy trellis as I make them from bamboo canes which would look the part for you. Really get into it and use authentic Japanese knotting methods to tie them together.
Hey, I'm waffling now. Good luck clum.
gazania

 

Japanese painted ferns look good aswell