This course is designed for anyone interested in specialising in Japanese garden design or who wants to introduce these elements into existing garden design practise. Japanese gardens have been admired and enjoyed by Westeners for generations, and many public and country house gardens have set aside an area for them. These days garden designers are finding an increase in the number of commercial clients who wish to integrate these ideas into larger buildings, hospitals and schools.

Japanese gardens are very versatile and particularly useful for creating an illusion of space in a small courtyard or patio garden and as they require little maintenance integrate well with modern architecture. A Japanese garden exudes a general feeling of peace and tranquillity and is becoming very popular as a healing garden.

COURSE CONTENTS

The elements of the Japanese Garden
Layouts, materials and design principles
Stone groupings and stepping stones
Sand gardens and stone pavements
Bamboo and bamboo fences
Plants, trees, shaping and pruning
Walls and gates
Lanterns, stone towers, statues
The courtyard garden
Water gardens - streams, waterfalls, bridges
Shishi-odoshi (water fountain) and Koi pond

The HDI Diploma will be awarded to students who achieve 70% or more on questions set at the end of each module and who satisfactorily submit a garden design at the end of the course. Diploma students will be able to use Dip. HDI (Japanese garden design) after their name.