article: Choosing a Water Garden Style

Choosing a Water Garden Style

Before you begin choosing the plants that you want to use in your water garden, you need to figure out what kind of atmosphere and the style of water garden you want to create.

There are many choices out there for a water garden, two of then are Japanese or Oriental flavor. These are popular with koi-keepers. Not only because koi are associated with Japan, but also because they architectural. A subtle setting will enhance rather than distract the from their shape and color. It is a structured, but informal style. This is idea for small gardens or a secluded corner of a larger area. Japanese gardens are a peaceful retreat from the stress and hubbub of everyday life. The gentle feeling of harmony that it creates with foliage rather that bright flowers, and a pattern of greens and grays relying on leaf shape and size for variety.

The Japanese water garden looks good all year round, but is striking in the spring and autumn. This is when it blazes into color. Japanese varieties of trees, such as Acer, which is a maple and Prunus, which is a plum and cherry tree, are often grown for their beautiful blossom in the spring and the gorgeous color in the autumn.

The surrounding area of your pond is an essential element of the total design of the Japanese water garden. The pond is spectacular when it is surrounded with rocks, stones, or boulders. These combined with a few Japanese style plants such as bamboo or a small Acer will instantly create Oriental atmosphere. This type of water garden could be adapted to either a small patio pool or a large informal pond landscaped in the lawn.

Oriental water garden are different from the ones of Japanese style because there are more plants planted rather than just foliage or trees. If you intend to grow marginal plants species that will grow with their roots in the waterlogged soil at a ponds edge, you should contain the plants in containers or build a retaining wall. You could also try one or two of the vigorous water lilies. They will have to be of a deep-water variety and supported so that their leaves and flowers are just level with the surface of the water.

Your choice of furniture or ornaments surrounding your water garden should stay with the same theme that you have chosen for your garden. This will continue the feeling throughout your yard and be even more creative