Yard of the Week: Japanese Tea Garden Celebrates Nature's Cycles
A designer found on Houzz creates a private courtyard garden that honors precious moments and natural beauty
The young couple who bought this property in Ōmihachiman, in Japan’s Shiga Prefecture, were unsure what they should do with the courtyard in their new home.
Surrounded by the living room, a traditional Japanese room and a hallway on three sides as well as a pathway and fence on the fourth, the enclosed garden had the benefit of privacy. However, living in isolation during the pandemic made the couple feel that this secluded space was cold and artificial.
Surrounded by the living room, a traditional Japanese room and a hallway on three sides as well as a pathway and fence on the fourth, the enclosed garden had the benefit of privacy. However, living in isolation during the pandemic made the couple feel that this secluded space was cold and artificial.
After reaching out to a few landscape architects and designers on Houzz, they chose Enatsu Garden Architect as the most suitable match.
The owners thought that the other pros they spoke to had dominant styles, and they worried that this would distract from the values they wanted to imbue in the garden. Enatsu, however, gave them suggestions based on their needs, so the owners felt that they could count on him to represent their vision.
The owners thought that the other pros they spoke to had dominant styles, and they worried that this would distract from the values they wanted to imbue in the garden. Enatsu, however, gave them suggestions based on their needs, so the owners felt that they could count on him to represent their vision.
The homeowners requested a design that combined beauty and functionality. They wanted a space where they could enjoy tea parties with friends who have a taste for Japanese tea ceremonies, and where they could reflect, relax and feel at home.
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To achieve this, Enatsu proposed a tea garden that would not only be appealing from all three sides, but also practical.
“This garden will have many visitors, including the owners’ friends. And when it does, it has to be functional as well as visually appealing. It’s a compact space that’s around 167 square feet. I came up with various ways to ease access from all sides,” Enatsu says.
“This garden will have many visitors, including the owners’ friends. And when it does, it has to be functional as well as visually appealing. It’s a compact space that’s around 167 square feet. I came up with various ways to ease access from all sides,” Enatsu says.
Among them is the open veranda — built next to the traditional Japanese room — styled as a small wood deck. The traditional room has two sliding doors. As the doors are quite high off the ground, stepping stones would have been necessary to help people safely enter and exit the room, and the two doors would have required two large rocks to be placed into the relatively small garden. Thanks to the deck, they were able to make do with a single stepping stone.
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A stone wash basin is a necessity in a Japanese tea garden to allow participants to cleanse their hands, so one is accessible from the open veranda.
The path from the living room was created using gravel to make general maintenance tasks such as weeding and watering easier.
You can also walk across the small passageways provided on three sides. These paths also protect the home’s foundation from mud and other dirt.
You can also walk across the small passageways provided on three sides. These paths also protect the home’s foundation from mud and other dirt.
Of course, this tranquil courtyard doesn’t just focus on functional aspects but also brings visual appeal.
There are 15 types of plants in the garden. To portray the philosophy dear to the homeowners, Enatsu says that he focused on plants whose appearance changes each season, representing a natural ebb and flow.
“I took care of most of the planting design. The owners really wanted plants with autumnal leaves. I planted a maple tree, which turns red, and Japanese spicebush, which turns yellow. Now they can look forward to the contrasting red and yellow tones during autumn,” the designer says.
There are 15 types of plants in the garden. To portray the philosophy dear to the homeowners, Enatsu says that he focused on plants whose appearance changes each season, representing a natural ebb and flow.
“I took care of most of the planting design. The owners really wanted plants with autumnal leaves. I planted a maple tree, which turns red, and Japanese spicebush, which turns yellow. Now they can look forward to the contrasting red and yellow tones during autumn,” the designer says.
There is a white-flowered camellia next to the living room. Not only is it evergreen, but it will also decorate the tea room with seasonal flowers when it blooms from October to March. What’s more, the dreamy falling petals leave a silhouette of the stalks, closely resembling the owners’ views on the circle of life.
It took about four days to build this courtyard garden. Enatsu was meticulous about the materials chosen because of its compact space. “I carefully selected each and every stone for the garden and wash basin. Stones that were too big were no good, but those that were too small looked thin. Although it was quite challenging creating a small garden, it was a real pleasure to be a part of this project,” he says.
The homeowners are also really pleased with the result, telling us that they especially appreciate its unique beauty, which could not have been found in anything manufactured or prefabricated. They tell us they are looking forward to seeing it change each season.
The owner was not initially particularly interested in the garden’s plants, but says that the end effect has completely exceeded their expectations, and that they were blown away when they saw the finished garden.
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The owner was not initially particularly interested in the garden’s plants, but says that the end effect has completely exceeded their expectations, and that they were blown away when they saw the finished garden.
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
Who lives here: A couple in their 30s
Location: Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Size: About 167 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Taijiro Enatsu of Enatsu Garden Architect
This period also got them thinking about natural cycles and growing older. What came to mind was the fleeting nature of human life as we hand the baton to each next generation, and the process of blooming and withering, which leaves seeds for a new cycle. They decided to commission a garden that would mirror their view on life and death and the beauty of nature.
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