MY JAPANESE GARDEN

IN THE BEGINNING

I started to make my Japanese garden about thirty five ago the main reason for it being Japanese was that I had started to keep Japanese koi and to keep Japanese koi you have to keep your pond water at the best parameters possible so a filter is required not only does a filter keep the water quality in good condition it also keeps the water clear so that you can see and enjoy your koi ,also with the water being clear you can see if any of your koi are having problems. I didn't want my filter to be on view I wanted it out of sight so I then started to design my garden with the main concern being to hide my filter.

My Japanese garden may look large and I have put a lot in it maybe more than I should but when you enjoy nature ,trees, water and rocks what can you do, I have several varieties of trees but they are mostly bonsai, a large and a small koi pond which are connected via a small stream and they are fed by a waterfall from my filter.

A Stroll garden, a Zen garden. and the size is only 70foot long by 35foot wide, this and the following pages will guide you through my Japanese garden, enjoy your stroll.

NIWAKI

Niwaki is the word for the style of the trees in a Japanese garden rather than the tree itself, with the gnarled and twisted trunks and cloud shaped branches, trees play a very important role in in the landscape and gardens of Japan, I have been shaping the tree's and pines in my Japanese garden over the years trying to get that very effect.