3 Ways to Incorporate a Japanese Garden Theme Into Your Pond in Sun Prairie and Cottage Grove WI Areas

Japanese gardens are known for their tranquil beauty. If you have a pond and want to give it a zen flair that inspires serenity, here are 3 ways to incorporate a Japanese garden theme into your pond in Sun Prairie and Cottage Grove, WI, areas. 

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Japanese gardens often feature water. Water has an almost magical quality: on some days, it is a blank canvas that reflects the beauty of its surroundings and the sky. On other days, the wind ripples its surface to create a mesmerizing dance of light on water. If you have fish, their colorful forms come in and out of view… and ultimately, the pond is a beautiful marriage of stillness and movement. 

A Serene Color Palette

A simple color palette, dominated by green, will create a serene environment. While color is great, it’s too energizing for a contemplative space. Other areas of your landscape could become cheerful explosions of color, but keep the pond area more tranquil by focusing on form and texture: a combination of aquatic plants such as lily pads (these will bloom seasonally); and pond-side plants such as reeds, ornamental grasses, ground covers, ferns, moss, and evergreen shrubs. You can certainly have more than one color in a Japanese style garden, but it is isolated and therefore highlighted. For example, the lily pad could steal the show while it is blooming. Water lilies only bloom for about 4 days, so it’s a spectacle worth noting by not having other plants competing with it.

Maintain a simple color palette when it comes to stones and pavers, too. A stepping stone path can encourage a slower and more contemplative stroll to the pond’s edge, where a natural stone or paver “landing” offers enough space for a comfortable bench. Neutral or slightly darker greys work well with a lush, green landscape because they don’t offer a dramatic contrast. The areas between stepping stones could be planted with moss or low ground covers such as creeping thyme, for a softer look.

Whether you’re using natural stone or manufactured stone (concrete pavers), allow a patina to develop. Avoid sealing paving stones so that as the years pass, nature will gift you with the growth of lichen and moss surrounding your pond.

Movement and Stillness

The interplay of movement and stillness will make for a relaxing experience. Ponds need to be aerated, and one beautiful option is to elevate a bubbler-type fountain higher than the pond to give the feeling of a mountain spring. The pump allows water to spill over the rock in a free-form way. Then, the water will make its way over rounded rocks and/or rock ledges to the pond.

Water isn’t the only thing that can be moving. Plants such as ornamental grasses and reeds will sway in the wind - a wonderful contrast to the perfect stillness of boulders and paving stones. If you enjoy the sound of wind chimes, you could enjoy the melodious sounds of wind chimes and moving water together.

Serenity

Privacy is essential for a sense of serenity, so consider adding a wall (either a living wall of cedars, or a privacy fence) on at least two sides of the pond area. A privacy fence can be covered with climbing vines to soften the look; and again, allow a natural patina to develop on the wood, to reveal its character.

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