LMcG/Shutterstock
Creating a Japanese-inspired garden is all about balance. Finding the right flowering shrub to complement a tranquil design without overpowering it can be tricky. For gardeners hoping to add more color to their Japanese-inspired gardens, azaleas strike the perfect balance. Their sculptural forms and spring blooms add soft vibrancy without breaking the serenity of stone, moss, or maple-filled spaces. In Japan, azaleas have been treasured for hundreds of years, but none more so than the satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum), which has over 500 cultivars. It is one of several types of azalea you can grow in your garden.
This azalea is a natural hybrid, native to the four southernmost islands of Japan. The shrubs can be easily pruned into graceful shapes and have flowers in rich shades of pink, salmon, red, and white. The name satsuki translates to ‘fifth month’ in English, a reference to their May bloom time. They are a highlight of a late-spring garden. Japanese gardeners have long used satsuki azaleas as living art, shearing them into rounded mounds, hedge-like forms, or boulder-like shapes. Even in modern landscapes, azaleas are treated like royalty in the garden. Their flowers can be so abundant that they nearly hide the foliage. Cultivars range from compact to large shrubs suitable for semi-shaded borders.
How to grow satsuki azaleas in your Japanese-style garden
J E Williams/Shutterstock
Azaleas need filtered light, so the best spot in your garden to plant azaleas for stunning blooms is beneath a pine, oak, or maple tree. They prefer well-drained, rich, slightly acidic soil (with a pH of 4.5 to 6.0) topped with wood chips or pine bark mulch to retain moisture and protect their roots. Shallow-rooted by nature, azaleas respond best to slow, steady watering at their base. Avoid overhead irrigation. Expect showy, funnel-shaped flowers in late spring. After your azaleas bloom, you will need to prune them to encourage more flowers in future seasons. They are semi-evergreen in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 8.
These common shrubs can actually become stunning bonsai trees, but in traditional meditative Japanese gardens, azaleas are often trimmed into low, cloud-like forms. If you’re looking for a colder-climate plant, consider hardy hybrid azaleas, such as ‘Rosy Lights’ (Rhododendron ‘Rosy Lights’), which is hardy in Zones 3 to 7. It will survive in a colder garden far better than any satsuki azalea. No matter which species or cultivar you choose, or whether you prune it into a sculpted hedge or bonsai, your azalea is sure to stand out in your Japanese culture-inspired garden.
Comments are closed.