I went to the Japanese Tea Garden for the first time this year. The day was perfect and the garden was well maintained. There was a bit of crowd but not insufferable. I was able to get one shot of the bridge where no one was near it.

This is a full sun area with a Katsura Japanese Maple and a Scots Pine. I’d like to fill this bed with some Japanese garden inspired decor and plants. Any advice is welcome

This is quite a popular place. Hopefully, there are some perspectives you've not seen yet.

While it's definitely not a formal / true Japanese garden, I tried my best to create a garden bed based on that theme.

I'm very happy with the results.

Not really visible in the pictures is a Japanese Emperor I Maple that I still need to plant.

Open to any and all feedback!

I know this garden has been posted about many times but it still takes my breath away whenever I think about my trip there

https://japanesegarden.org/2026/06/26/zig-zag-bridge-history/

I'm sorry I am biased towards pond and moss gardens.

In order of appearance:

1. Toji pond garden, Kyoto.
   
2. Saihoji, Kyoto, also known as Kokodera.
   
3. A ryokan garden in Hakone, called Sangetsuen.
   
4. Benzaiten pagoda inside Daigoji, Kyoto.
   
5. Kinkakuji in winter.

I have to redo a part of the garden after construction work, sp I figured this is the time to make it as I always wanted: Japanese style garden instead of lawn.

The backdrop will be a bamboo wall, in progress. I will split the big cluster when I dont need the passage anymore.

I will remove the "decor-apple" tree to the right when a wall is built there.

I am thinking of having a mix of gravel"water" with islands and large portions of moss. Maybe some real water feature.

What should I do, especially considering moss?

According to what I read/saw on net: Put a weed fabric, gravel, sand and acidic soil on top. How thick?

I am very grateful for tips!

Ryōan-ji is best known for its sublime rock garden, but in autumn the gardens come alive with colour.

I’ve been trying to create a small natural landscape around my Acer ‘Moonrise’ rather than a perfectly maintained planter.
This week, dozens of tiny mushrooms suddenly appeared beneath the tree after some wet weather. They only lasted a short time, but they made the whole scene feel like a miniature forest.
I love these unexpected moments. Instead of trying to control every detail, I prefer creating the conditions and letting nature surprise me.
Previous updates of this miniature landscape:

https://www.reddit.com/r/JapaneseMaples/s/f3Fvku0vtz

A 2-part interview discussing the Moss of Saihoji with Professor Oishi Yoshitaka and Monk Fujita Ryuko.

Part 1: https://intosaihoji.com/en/journal/kosaten004-1/?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Part 2: https://intosaihoji.com/en/journal/kosaten004-2/?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Hi all

I'm planning on making a small Japanese dry garden (3x4m) and trying to source the top gravel. Based off this website I'm looking for a gravel that is:

• 2-6mm size
• Angular shape
• Grey-white to silver-grey colour (white is okay too)

Does anybody know of any suppliers in Sydney who would have this kind of gravel? Ideally shipping in bulk and is affordable - I need about 1 ton or 700L worth and my current option from Bunnings would cost me $2,600 AUD :)

The miniature landscape keeps changing faster than I expected.

The thyme has exploded into bloom, the blue star creeper has filled in beautifully, and everything is starting to blend together into one natural-looking landscape.

It’s amazing how quickly a few tiny plants can transform a shallow container.
Previous update for comparison:

https://www.reddit.com/r/JapaneseGardens/s/EWKpJBSO6P