A place of beautiful serenity, a Japanese water garden provides a place for you to go where you can relax, think, and listen to and appreciate the nature around you. No doubt you have seen other gardens like this, but you can actually create one of your own in your back yard, which will allow you to enjoy it for many years.

Even if you live in an area that is crowded and noisy, if you have your own back yard you can design one of these gardens for your enjoyment. Using some natural sound barriers and placing the garden in the right place will be very important. You can use boulders to help create a barrier against the noise of traffic and neighbors. There are a variety of plants that can help you create a barrier as well, included various tall bushes. Unless you buy mature plants, remember that these bushes will take a few years to get big enough to provide a total barrier, but the mature plants will cost you a bit more.

For those that have a little more land to work with, this will not be a problem and unless you want to create a natural barrier for privacy, you will not need to take that first step.

Once sound barriers have been decided, locations will also need to be decided. You want your utopia to be away from traffic and neighbors, but within the confines of your land. This will allow you to have some privacy and gain the feel that you are truly "away" from the humdrum of everyday life. It should be a place that you can "escape" to, not one that enhances the stresses in life.

Next of all you will need to decide whether or not you want to have Koi fish in your garden. Many Japanese water gardens have these kinds of fish in them, but they will require that you care for them. If you decide to have the fish, make sure that the pond is deep enough to avoid freezing in the winter. Also be sure that you build the pond large enough for the fish.

In order to enhance the feel of your gardens you will need a few decorative elements as well. You will probably want to use various stone steps throughout the garden and some boulders for decoration. Many people put bridges into their gardens and use lanterns to light up the water garden. You may also want to use bamboo, dwarf pines, and some benches throughout the garden as well.

A Japanese water garden is one that will require some work and research in its creation, but the benefits are unparalleled. For many years you and your friends and family will watch the pond thrive and bask in the serenity that it creates. It is an aesthetic beauty and a lovely addition to any back yard.

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