Top Ten Plants for Small Japanese Gardens in Australia
Australia has a different climate to Japan. However, many plants popular in Japan are also available and grow quite well in Melbourne. I would like to introduce the top ten plants that I have been growing in my own Japanese garden.
Choosing plants for your garden is probably the most exciting part of designing your garden. You need to consider the soil, sunlight, position, their aesthetic appeal, and their function in your garden. Hopefully my selection will give you some ideas for your own garden.
This is my favourite choice for evergreen ground cover. It is so strong and grows well up to about 10 cm high. It prefers part shade. It is rather slow growing and so easy to look after. It requires minimum water and will happily grow without fertiliser. You don’t need to do anything but you might like to thin out some old leaves before new leaves grow every Spring to make them even more attractive. You can’t walk on them, however, so don’t step on them.
2. Pieris japonica
It has been cherished as a low (1 to 3 m high) evergreen plant with beautiful small flowers since ancient times in Japan. Many poems have been written about this plant. Its leaves contain some poison and have been used as insect repellant. It was often planted to protect gardens from wild deer. There are so many different types that you may find it hard to choose the one you like.
3. Japanese maple
There are many types of maple. One of the most popular type in Japan is Acer palmatum, whose leaves turn into beautiful colours at many Japanese temples in Autumn. But they can grow up to 15m high. Choose a maple that suits your garden carefully. Also note that possums love maple leaves.
I chose a low, cascading maple called Otohime (Princess) in a corner of my garden where possums cannot attack (or should I say, haven’t attacked so far!).
4. Japanese box
This pant is ideal for hedging. Although English Box seems to be more popular in Australia, in my opinion Japanese Box is much easier to grow, tougher and more effective for hedging.
5. Nandina
The name, Nandina comes from its Japanese name, Nanten which means transferring troubles. Because of the name, it has been regarded as a lucky plant and many Japanese families grow this plant in their gardens. It is necessary to trim every year to keep it tidy. Its red fruits were used as cough medicine. Its trunk doesn’t usually grow thick, but there is a Nandina with a trunk of 20 cm diameter used as one of the special pillars at the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.
6. Ferns
Ferns add a delicate accent in small Japanese gardens. They can give soft touch to rocks or stone lanterns and help create harmony in tsubo gardens.
7. Camellia japonica
Camellia is one of the most popular plants with over 3700 varieties. I prefer a small flower with a white single petal, but they are so hard to find here. The popular types in Australia tend to have large flowers, often too large for Japanese gardens. I was so pleased to find white Kamo Hon Ami in Melbourne. This is one of only a few camellia flowers that are accepted for use in Japanese tea ceremonies.
8. Pine
Probably the Pine tree is the most valued plant for a Japanese garden. It is almost a sacred tree for the Japanese people. But you have to be cautious about planting a pine tree in your garden. It can grow tall, and to keep it neat and beautiful, you need a skilled Japanese gardener.
I grow Black Pine in my garden. Because I cut it so often for ikebana, it is still under 1m high after being planted 20 years ago. Its style is not like bonsai tree, but it is very attractive.
9. Rhapis humilis
This palm is very popular as an indoor plant. It is very attractive in shady tsubo gardens.
10. Azalea
Beautifully clipped Azalea is often a highlight of many Japanese gardens such as Shisendo temple garden in Kyoto. Azalea is more popular in gardens in Tokyo than any other part of Japan. There are many gardens famous for Azalea such as Nezu shrine, Rikugien and Imperial palace. This is because Azalea was a favourite flower of Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu who established Edo (Tokyo) in the 17th century.
However, choose Azalea carefully for your garden. Popular Azalea in the nurseries in Australian have large flowers and large leaves. Although they are beautiful, their leaves and flowers are often just too large for designing small Japanese gardens. The smaller varieties can be hard to find, but if you persevere, you’ll be rewarded! Look out for varieties such as Kurume.
