Creating a Japanese Garden

The desire for the Japanese garden began with the remodeling of the interior of a house in Mission Hills, Kansas. In this affluent community, many houses are torn down to make room for larger residences or houses are remodeled and added on to increase the square footage. The French entrance garden of this house gives the visitor a clue as to what lies ahead. The home’s interior has been remodeled to look like a French country manor. The ceilings have been raised and new ornamental beams, that have been through several painting techniques and now appear to be quite old, have been installed. Some walls have been removed opening up views to the back patio. One room to the left of the entrance that runs the length of the house has been decorated in a French Asian style. A large window from this room also overlooks the back of the property.

The French Asian room is the driving force behind the Japanese garden. And, it is what led the interior designer to go outside and influence the backyard makeover that was already underway. Shouldn’t the view from French Asian room be of a Japanese inspiration garden? The homeowner agreed with this vision. The interior designer and landscape designer were introduced to one another and began work on this new idea.

All this led to a phone call to Kokopelli Nursery. “Help! Do you have any plants for a Japanese garden? We’re on our way out to see what you have.”

Tomorrow – the trip to the nursery.

Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.