The Bones that Form Your Garden
Rocks and Stones in Japanese Gardens
Rock forms:
Rocks and stones are used in a number of Japanese garden designs like terracing, alpine gardens, miniature gardens, rock walls, natural gardens, sunken gardens, cascades, formal gardens and landscapes. The positioning of the rocks depends a lot on the overall design you have in mind. Sometimes it is good to use rocks of the same formation and material or you could opt for more than one type if you like the stratified look. Japanese gardeners, loyal to the ancient traditions, regard stones as the bones that form the skeleton of their Japanese miniature garden and all the other features that are used as decoration, focus on these “centers.” Rocks should be embedded deep down in the soil. They should be placed in such a way that their placement creates clefts or pockets in which the plants can grow.
Types of rocks and stones:
If you want the plants in your Japanese miniature garden to grow partly over and around the rock forms or to grow on the rocks, then porous rocks are very useful. Solid, non-porous rocks and hard flints have a significant place in Japanese gardens, but they are also used to create isolated and barren crags and peaks. Tufa is a porous rock that has a cellular composition, like sponge or pumice, and plants favoring lime usually attach themselves to the rock with great affection. One disadvantage of this rock is that in smoky or industrial atmosphere, it absorbs smog and smuts easily. Limestone is also very good for rock plants and alpine and the best varieties come from Derbyshire, Westmorland and York-shire.