Can a Japanese garden be low maintenance?
Many traditional Japanese gardens are maintenance heavy, requiring not just a lot of care but a lot of knowledgeable care. The challenge with this project was to create a garden that was both a beautiful Japanese garden and low care. How did we achieve that?
First, we prioritized hardscape. The walkways are basalt, set on concrete so that they will need no care and weeds have nowhere to get started. We then created pockets of Karesansui Niwa inspired dry garden. These areas utilize granite chips and beach pebbles. By utilizing multiple stone and aggregate varieties we maximized hardscape without making the garden feel hard or sterile.
The areas for planting are full and lush, with ground cover plants that will eventually cover all the bark dust and keep weeds away. We selected plant varieties that work with the Japanese garden aesthetic without requiring specialized pruning skills (not that it would hurt).
Our (wonderful) clients wanted a water feature. The tsukubai produces a lot of sound for such a small element. And it is built in a way that should keep care and water loss very low.
So yes, you can have a low maintenance Japanese garden (if you work with a good Japanese garden designer). But what will it look like? See for yourself:
