With its hills and uneven terrain, San Francisco isn’t altogether dissimilar from the uneven coastal landscapes of Japan. Moreover, the California climate is also welcoming of plants native to many Asian countries like China.
If you are considering revamping your landscape or adding some appealing thematic twists, you’ll find that Asian inspired garden measures are a natural fit for properties in and around the San Francisco area. With their beauty and timeless appeal, Asian-style gardens offer serene style that will enchant viewers and enhance your home.
Working with the Land
The most harmonious landscapes and gardens work with the terrain at hand. While the human hand can bulldoze and construct at will, it can’t always refashion the geography to suit its desire.
In such cases, it’s important to work with what you’ve got and if you’ve got hills and slopes in your front and backyards, you might as well look for landscaping solutions that complement them as they can’t reasonably be changed.
Some landscaping companies specialize in terrace-style gardens which are a cornerstone of many Asian-style gardens. Retaining walls and terraces are essential features of San Francisco landscape design and when designed with Japanese or other Asian influences, they appear highly stylized as well as easy to maintain.
Your landscaper will be able to recommend some Asian-inspired plantings that are ideal for terrace gardens-plants that will exude Asian beauty but also thrive in your particular location.
Asian Styles
Within the spectrum of Asian gardens and landscapes there is considerable variation. Some may rely considerably on hardscape elements; others might opt for a classic style and install the divisions of a Japanese tea garden.
From Zen-inspired landscapes to Asian fusion settings, homeowners have many stylistic elements to consider when designing their ideal garden or landscape. Be sure to check out examples of Asian landscapes and online galleries to get ideas for your own property.
Plants, Props, and Design Features
Whether you’re looking for a complete Asian transformation or simply want to incorporate a few characteristic elements to your landscape, the Asian design ethic is utterly recognizable as it is revered.
When considering your setting, you might opt for decidedly Japanese or Chinese plantings like ornamental cherry trees, Mondo grass, Chinese wisteria, or Japanese painted ferns. The Japanese garden aesthetic is highly natural as opposed to the rigid formality of classic European gardens.
The bonsai and pruning styles are often reflective of the sea-swept coast and other garden features are installed to mimic or to be suggestive of nature itself.
When considering props and other features for your Asian landscape, consider paths of flat stones, ponds of raked gravel, natural stone basins, bamboo fencing, and rustic wood patios and decks. Because the Asian motif is also widely admired in this country-especially in San Francisco-it will be easy to procure props and other features that embody the Asian style.
When designing your Asian-inspired landscape, it helps to contact a company that has experience with this style and understands the principles that govern the Asian landscape aesthetic.
Once you install your new landscape and garden, you’ll love how balanced and in harmony it is with its geographical setting; its calming and peaceful effects are renowned the world over, but you won’t have to go further than your own backyard to enjoy them!
