Hello friends,

I’ve never posted in Reddit before but I have been browsing through this lovely subreddit and I wondered: a lot of whT I end up seeing is large scale projects. Books have been much the same. Additionally a lot of things talk about traditional Japanese plants but it feels antithetical a little to grow them here (San Antonio, TX) because it feels like part of the beauty of Japanese gardens I’ve seen is the feeling of being “more natural than nature”. So I wondered first, if there are books that talk about the feeling of coziness and enclosure that so many gardens have in a small space, and how to adapt principles of design but to use plants that are more natural in the habitat. Had anyone found good resources on small space and native design?

I just got back from tour of Japanese gardens in Japan, organized by the North American Japanese Garden Association. I think this, https://maps.app.goo.gl/DMDd7oCsGMzFzBbw5, has all the gardens we visited.

Some of our guides were academics and gave us extensive background information on the history of the gardens, the area, and the culture at the time the gardens were created and recreated. Some of the other guides were practitioners that maintained the gardens in Japan. They were able to give us practical down to earth insights to how a Japanese garden is maintained and how the gardens maintenance differs between gardens.

As time permits, I will share my photos and thoughts from the gardens we visited. My initial thought, from owning a Japanese style dry garden, is there are no true dry gardens in Japan. Even Ryōan-ji has moss around the rocks so maybe it's damp but not truly dry.

Ever wondered how to blend the serenity of a traditional Zen garden with sleek modern aesthetics? Get inspired here.

https://zenfusionhome.com/modern-japanese-garden-design-landscaping-ideas-tips/

Kyoto is known for being the epicentre of Japanese gardens. Here are some of the most stunning private gardens you must visit. https://zenfusionhome.com/discover-hidden-private-japanese-gardens-exclusive-lesser-known-gems-in-japan/

Looking to add some low maintenance plants to put in the stone areas. Any suggestions?

Located in the Midwest, USA

Ignore the dirt sections…reseeding some grass

Hey everyone, If you're into the history behind Japanese gardens or curious about why they've become so popular here, you might want to check it out: 

https://zenfusionhome.com/zen-japanese-garden-history-influence-in-western-culture/

Gardens for Peace is an annual NAJGA event that brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace.

 Activities have been happening at gardens all over North America. Check out our calendar of events here!

Next Friday, September 20th at 10am PT, our G4P webinar will feature wellness focused programs at three gardens:

• Gresham Japanese Garden (Gresham, Oregon)
• Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens (Columbus, Ohio)

 Wendy Lo, Curator of Education at the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens will moderate. Join us to learn more about these programs and the important impact they have in their communities.

 Gardens for Peace is made possible due to support from Rettig Garden Fostering & Stewardship.

Register for the Gardens for Peace Webinar https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodOusqT4oGNILRI0WUIFfAgSZm6DoZyts#/registration

We are looking to experience smaller, more intimate Japanese gardens while visiting Tokyo and Nagoya in September. Which ones would you recommend?

Gardens within tea houses or other venues are perfectly fine, and larger parks or gardens are also of interest, as long as they feature smaller, secluded areas within the grounds.

We are particularly interested in smaller gardens, as we are building a summer house with an atrium (6x9 meters) that we would like to design with inspiration from a Japanese garden (gravel paths, islands of greenery, etc.).

Thank you for your suggestions!