What to Avoid When Planning a Japanese Garden

Refrain from painting wooden benches, fences, gates, arbors, or other garden structures. Instead, stain them as needed or allow them to weather naturally. An exception would be a brightly colored bridge that serves as a focal point. These are often painted a red-orange and have a lacquer finish.

Don't go overboard with those chrysanthemums and begonias: Too much color can take over the landscape and upset the flow. Use bright colors sparingly, more as an accent.

You love Buddha figures, pagodas, bridges, and lanterns and can't wait to use these accents in your garden. Remember, less is more. Yes, you can have too many Buddhas and pagodas, and it can make your yard look like a showcase for your collection.

Along the same lines, don't use everything that seems remotely Asian in your Japanese garden.

White gravel—or any other color—does not look natural in a Japanese garden. The same goes for glass or other non-natural materials.

Sure, they look adorable, all those giraffes and dogs and bunny rabbits. But not in a Japanese garden. Save it for your next yard—the one with the wishing well and naughty gnome statues.

 A miniature bridge with a big boulder, for instance, is just wrong!

Don't combine rocks and rock-type formations that would not occur together in nature. It might look odd to mix rocks that would you would find in a forest with those from a desert.

Waterfalls are a key element in Japanese gardens, and many are made of plastic. That's fine; remember to conceal them with soil, rocks, and plants.

Release yourself from that symmetrical, even-number-is-the-best part of your personality, and understand those garden elements look more random and aesthetically pleasing if arranged in odd numbers groupings. This rule pretty much applies to most types of modern design, both interior, and exterior.  ​

We all have different concepts of what "cute" is, but plastic or plaster figures, folksy signs, or other outdoor design elements will most likely be out of place. What not to use in a Japanese garden:

• Gnomes and flamingos
• "Welcome to Mom's Japanese Garden" or "Love Grows Here" signs
• Windchimes and suncatchers
• Out-of-place accessory buildings, such as gazebos, trellises, pergolas, and sheds that don't go with the Japanese garden style.

Sure, pine trees are one of the recommended plants for a Japanese garden. But that doesn't mean that every pine tree needs to be shaped like a Christmas tree. Pines in Japanese landscaping are favored for their irregular form.