Japanese gardens are a great inspiration for everyone who have a small garden. These types of gardens are celebrated around the world and are noted for their minimalist approach. Japanese gardens were developed under the influences of the distinctive and stylized Chinese gardens. They were designed for multiple purposes providing a place for relaxation, recreation and for an exhibition of unusual rocks and rare specimens of plants. The Japanese garden is not truly a singular type. Despite the fact that certain rules apply to every garden, Japanese garden landscaping is categorized into many types.

One popular style of Japanese Garden is the rock gardens type. It is ordinarily defined by such adjectives as quietness and tranquil. Each Japanese garden is different from the next due to the fact that everybody incorporates their own unique styles and interests. An example is having bonsai in your Japanese garden, growing dwarfed plants, rock pools and miniature mountains, or having specialized types of plants.

Maymont's Japanese Garden is a great example for your home garden. It is a blend of several different styles of Japanese gardens from two distinct periods of time. The design for this Japanese Garden was conceived in 1970, construction started in 1971 and it was completed in 1974. The Maymont Japanese Garden now includes trained and pruned trees and shrubs, raked sand pools, stone groupings and multiple water areas—all designed to create the impression of an old, naturally developed landscape. The objective of a Japanese garden is to establish a space that creates a mood of serenity and symbolism inspired by nature, designed in a very controlled fashion. Maymont's does this naturally and contrasts strongly to other types of gardens. Maymont has recently been expanded; as it originally encompassed a much smaller area.

If you don’t live near Maymont, no problem. There are many Japanese Gardens around the world for you to visit. James Irvine Japanese Garden, is an unexpected haven within the exciting urban environs of Downtown Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. The Como Ordway Memorial Japanese Garden is a living symbol of the peace and friendship that exists between Saint Paul and its sister city Nagasaki, Japan. The Shinwa-En Japanese Garden was built in 1978 by local Japanese American gardeners, landscapers, and nurserymen in Longbeach, CA. Talaongan is a Japanese Garden, covering about 12 hectares of land in the Philippines. The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park is operated by the City of Houston, Parks and Recreation Department and was created by the efforts of American and Japanese businesses with grants from many foundations and individuals.

There are many unique styles to apply to your garden. While not every Japanese garden has a water feature, most do as the calming effect of water is undeniable. A water source in a Japanese garden should appear to be part of the natural surroundings; Not as an obvious fountain as seen in traditional gardens. Japanese garden lanterns as also a good choice because they provide a soft illumination to the garden using candles or oil lamps. For trees, in a typical Japanese garden people often choose ones that lose their leaves in the cooler months and then look replenished with new spring foliage and flowers.

However you design your Japanese Garden, make it a tranquil oasis where history melds with nature and design. Afterwards, post your pictures up on garden sharing sites, such as Garden Gateways Photo Tours. Doing this will let people all around the world enjoy and comment on your design and landscape.