The gardens of Japan are an art form, their gardeners artists. Photo / Getty Images
Asian gardens evoke a sense of deep calm and tranquillity. Zen principles guide fine balance between hard and soft structural forms and the wilder natural elements.
The sound of water or wind chimes calms the mind; the gentle movement a breeze gives to a cluster of tall sedges, or the flutter of a maple leaf or blossom as it falls are all part of the quiet charm. These cleverly handled small spaces tell a story and allow visitors to connect with their inner self.
The gardens of Japan are an art form, their gardeners artists. These gardens are deeply rooted in spirituality, their symbolic elements connected with the foundation religions and philosophy that helped shape their society.
For inspiration, wander through a leafy glade in native bush, where a stream is lined with mossy stones and ferns, all suffused with dappled light. Step across the stream from stone to stone.
Capture that feeling in a bottle and bring it home with you. This is the feeling you want in a Japanese-inspired garden.
The gardens are often designed around a courtyard for contemplation. There might be a water feature here, perhaps a fishpond with Japanese irises, a simple bench seat, a specimen tree - Japanese maple and cherry are favourites - and the meaningful placement of stones surrounded by fine gravel.
A path might lead in and out of this space with flagstones staggered so the visitor experiences a journey through the garden.
Japanese and Chinese gardens can be found throughout New Zealand.
Some have been gifted by sister cities. As New Zealanders we have an affinity with other Pacific Rim cultures and there are strong ties, historically, too.
Gardens in Southeast Asia, including Bali, Thailand and Singapore, have a more tropical flavour.
Think lush edibles such as banana palms and pawpaw, passionfruit, bamboo, taro, lotus ponds, plus other fascinating fruit we can't grow here such as dragonfruit and rambutan - yum.
Permaculture has its origins in the productive food systems of these countries. Food crops are managed in natural cycles, with animals a part of this system. Water chestnuts and lotus can be grown for ornamental value and food production in a water feature.
Fish will add interest and boost the fertility of your pond ecosystem.
I would love to give rice-growing a go. If you're interested, check out a fascinating YouTube video of Professor Yoshimasa Sakurai successfully growing rice in Kaiwaka, north of Auckland. The Koanga Institute sometimes has Yoshi's rice seed for sale. The main challenge with rice growing is getting your harvest hulled. En masse this tall grass could be dramatic in a contemporary garden design - a minimalist palette and productive, too.
Earth and tiles: Beautiful mud walls, or neribei, are often seen on outer grounds of temples and country houses in Japan. They are about 35cm thick and embedded with roof tiles and thin stones.
In the Kuyushu province these historic walls are known as hakata-bei, and are built with mud and the remnants of clay roof tiles and stones from the battlefields after clan wars. They are an elegant, refined re-use of materials and the ultimate in natural hard landscaping.
Rammed earth can be used in landscaping to make retaining walls, feature walls and even raised vege beds.
Raised beds of rammed earth require the correct mix of 70 per cent sand, 30 per cent clay and a small amount of cement, plus good drainage and concrete footings to stop water getting in.
Versatile bamboo: Using bamboo as a material in landscaping has long been associated with Japanese gardens and is common throughout Asia.
Mark Mortimer, from Bambusero, makes elegant fences and gates with the material. We're about to build a sliding driveway gate for our community allotments with a timber frame fitted with bamboo panels.
In countries where bamboo is used for building permanent structures it is smoke-cured for durability and soaked in seawater for a month to prevent future insect damage.
The bamboo water feature shishi odoshi (deer-scarers) will add movement and sound to your garden - just avoid setting it up outside your neighbour's bedroom window.
Beauty in the detail: Special knotting techniques are the key to making beautiful bamboo features.
The care and shaping of trees and shrubs is an art form in Japan, where bamboo, rope binding, and stone weights are used to support or shape trees.
A horticulturist friend visiting Japan was amazed to see even the tallest street trees were carefully pruned in an idealistic natural form. They managed to grow trees in tricky areas between tall city buildings in this way. It is not surprising that Asian gardens are a continuing source of inspiration for designers throughout the world.