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Graham visits Cowra Japanese garden

Break out the clippers and try these brilliant Japanese pruning tricks in your garden.
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When you enter a Japanese strolling garden, you are enveloped with sense of peace and serenity. But there’s more to these gardens than the illusion of endless, gently rolling hills that blend with the borrowed landscape, or the soft sound of streams gliding to gentle waterfalls.

There’s also the architecture of the plants – that have been clipped and pruned, pushed and persuaded into extraordinary shapes. The aim is to ‘find the way of the tree’ and expose its innate grace and elegance. And to create harmony within nature in a contrived space with their soft shapes draped over strong silhouettes. Here’s how it’s done.

WATCH: Graham visits Cowra Japanese Garden

About the Garden

The 5ha Cowra Japanese Garden with 3km of pathways was opened in 1979 and is a copy of the traditional Japanese strolling garden, which dates back to the 16th century. It features a rocky hillside, manicured hedges, streams and waterfalls, incorporating natural materials such as rocks, wood, water and plants. The aim is to create a place of serenity and to uplift spirits.

Cowra Japanese Garden
Don’t rip out your Australian gum trees – they look natural in a Japanese-style setting (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)

Japanese pruning techniques

Karikomi Cowra Japanese garden
(Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)

Karikomi

The shrub, quite often a rhododendron, is clipped so the top is round, and the sides go straight to the ground. O’Karikomi is a similar shape but made from several plants. Use garden shears.

Tamamono Cowra Japanese garden
(Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)

Tamamono

Shrubs, such as azaleas, are clipped into several individual semi-spherical shapes to resemble clusters of rocks or a billow of clouds. They are symmetrical and ideally with the widest part of the sphere sloping down to the ground. Use hand snips.

Niwaki Cowra Japanese Garden
(Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)

Niwaki

Also known as cloud pruning, this a long-term project that involves shaping a small evergreen garden tree, such as a cotoneaster, into shapes that suit your garden. It means regularly removing offshoots along the branches that will make the foliage too dense or will not suit your desired shape. Use pruners.

Elements of a Japanese garden

Cowra Japanese garden
Any Japanese garden has water, representing streams running into lakes, then the ocean. You can make a small pond or use a large container (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)
Cowra Japanese Garden
Sculpting shrubs and trees creates harmony between other elements in the garden, such as rocks and water (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)
Bonsai
When available space is tight, you can create a miniature garden using bonsai cultivation techniques, to end up with small trees growing in containers that mimic full-size trees (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)
Cowra Japanese garden
The aim of a Japanese garden is to create a peaceful ambience. Don’t forget to include rocks – in the water and on land (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)
White crepe myrtle
Plant crepe myrtles because the flowers look like Japanese spring blossoms but they come out in summer. Bonus! (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)
Niwaki pruning of a black pine
Niwaki pruning of a black pine, which can reach 30m, keeps its height down (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden) (Credit: Gary Lynch/Cowra Japanese Garden)

Borrow these Japanese garden tips for your garden

  • Trim dense, evergreen bushes into shapes that represent rolling hills.
  • Keep some plantings low so you can see through garden layers.
  • Allow plants to be seen from various vantage points.
  • You don’t need to limit yourself to Japanese plants. Other exotics or Australian natives are also suitable.
  • A water feature creates a calming effect, and attracts local wildlife, especially birds.

Visit Cowra Japanese Garden

Where Ken Nakajima Place, Cowra, Central West NSW

Open Every day except Christmas Day

Cost $15 adults, $13 pensioners, $8 children 5-12, $40 families

More info: cowragarden.com.au

For more gardening stories, pick up a copy of the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in selected newsagents and supermarkets or buy online today!

You might also like:

Japanese garden design ideas

How to create a Japanese garden

Everything you need to know about Japanese maples

Profile picture of Graham Ross
Graham Ross Horticulturist

Radio broadcaster and television gardening presenter, Graham Ross, has educated, entertained and inspired Australia’s gardening community and aspiring green thumbs during a career that has spanned more than 50 years.

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