The Journey to my Japanese Garden

My Japanese Garden

For more than twenty years, I dreamed of creating a small Japanese-inspired garden beside our home. I have always been drawn to Japanese aesthetics—the quiet beauty of the gardens, the artistry of the textiles, and the sense of calm that seems to run through so much of Japanese design.

I made several attempts to create that feeling in a small corner of our landscape, but none of them quite worked. A fern garden quickly grew out of control, one landscaping project never materialized, and more than once I wondered if this dream was simply not meant to be.

Then, at the beginning of this year, I decided to create more calm, relaxation, and balance in my life. That little garden suddenly felt less like a landscaping project and more like part of a larger goal.

Through a fortunate connection, I was introduced to a designer from the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Japanese Garden.

Over several days, I watched him carefully place stone, gravel, plants, and moss, transforming a neglected side bed into something far beyond what I had imagined.

This year, I decided to spend less time worrying about what might happen and more time creating things that bring me peace. This little garden is one of those things. What I love most isn’t any individual element or stone. It’s the feeling the garden creates. It reminds me to slow down, exhale and simply be present.

After more than twenty years, my Japanese garden has finally arrived! And perhaps fittingly, it came at exactly the moment I needed it most.