Semi-Private Japanese Garden Design & Installation

The client wanted to transform an underused front yard into a peaceful, semi-private garden where they could sit, relax and enjoy the landscape. I designed the space around the simple forms, natural materials and carefully selected plants commonly found in Japanese-style gardens.

A custom privacy screen fence was built to frame the garden and provide separation from the street and neighbouring properties. Its distinctive rooftop design adds structure to the landscape while creating an intimate and sheltered area without making the front yard feel overly enclosed. A traditional ‘Rankei’ Japanese lantern greats visitors as they enter the garden patio.

Large boulders, mixed stone and natural flagstones were placed throughout the garden to define the space and guide visitors toward a small seating area. The arrangement of stone, plants and open space creates a natural flow through the garden and gives the landscape a calm, established appearance and the illusion of a dry pond.

Japanese maples, assorted conifers and flowering shrubs were selected to provide year-round structure, seasonal colour and a variety of textures. The challenge was balancing privacy with the open character of a front yard. Low flow underground emitter irrigation was installed for esthetics to provide controlled watering of the plants with an invisible weeping system rather than the common visible standpipes. The finished landscape provides the client with a serene, welcoming space that feels private and connected to nature.