Japanese gardens have had a profound influence on the British. We love their delicate flowers, foliage contrasts, stoic rocks and soothing waterfalls. Rather than rely on herbaceous perennials to maximise summer impact, Japanese gardens embrace the subtle nuances of nature – its rich palette of greens, the fleeting burst of spring blossom and autumn foliage – and see in its seasonal changes a wistful reminder of the fragile transience of life. They are inherently poetic and existential.
It’s too easy to conflate their apparent simplicity with a lack of effort. In fact, these minimalist masterpieces are characterised by care and control. Those bobbly carpets of velvet moss are meticulously weeded; shrubs and trees are pruned to enhance their natural silhouette; rocks and pebbles are strategically placed to look like they’ve always been there. They
