Japanese Garden

Going by the weather its time to get gardening in earnest now – There’s so much to catch up with and so much about to inspire us. I love going round gardens to get inspiration for plant combinations and with the Chelsea flower show on every night my notebook is packed! This week-end I was in the Brecon Beacons in Wales and we visited one of their famous gardens. My favourite area there was a Japanese inspired Garden. This could be easy to replicate at home by painting a shady wall or fence in a light colour and planting it with fresh green Shuttle Cock ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) Red leaved Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) for contrast and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) for the sweet smelling flowers in late winter or maybe a spring flowering Cornus kousa shrub. I would probably add some evergreen Euonymus japonicas shrubs for all year round interest along the back of the bed and some Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrid) for the beautiful pink or white flowers in the autumn. A large granite bowl and a deer scarer would finish the look.