I have designed a variety of Japanese gardens in Devon and Dorset with either a Japanese-style design or just Japanese planting.  It is a particular delight to design Japanese gardens based on traditional styles and principles, and I loved my trip to Japan to research various styles of Japanese gardens in Nara, Kyoto and further west.

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The decision of whether to design a dry landscape garden (sand/gravel & rocks) usually associated with Zen temples to aid meditation, a tea garden (Roji - path to a tea house), a stroll garden (built on a small scale or on larger Daimyo estates), or a small, enclosed courtyard garden (Tsubu) is guided by the size, shape, aspect and gradient of the garden and, of course the requirements of my clients.

As with all gardens the balance is between natural wildness and control to provide those experiencing the garden with a sense of stillness and wonder throughout all seasons, by using views from outside the garden (shakkei), changing views along a path, water/sand/stone streams, asymmetric spaces, rocks and Japanese plants such as plum, cherry, pine, bamboo and azalea.

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