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ordinarily to travel from the Netherlands to Japan , you ’d have to cover a distance of more than 5,700 miles . But for Netherlander Ramon Smit , a trip to Japan is as sluttish as step out into his own backyard . While the aloofness is brusk , it take Smit over eight years to complete his journeying .
East meets west in this quaint Japanese - style garden located in the Netherland metropolis of Gouda ( yes , the same townspeople famous for its cheese ) .
“ We grease one’s palms our 1920s red - brick home in Gouda because of the price and the size of it of the garden behind it . Even before we signed the contract , I already had in mind that it must be a Japanese - style garden , ” says Smit .
One of Smit ’s favorite sideline , and the inspiration behind his garden , is growing Bonsai trees . Here , he applies the art on a large scale .
Inspired by one of his other hobbies — farm Bonsai Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree — Smit had the ultimate finish of creating a Japanese garden on-key to Japanese standards . He venture on his ambitious labor , working with a low budget , scant gardening experience , and a little assistance from his protagonist .
hired hand - set rock formations create a small pool and waterfall . A Japanese - style lantern and Japanese maple tote up oriental flair .
The size of the garden is about 215 square feet , with nearly every substantial inch covered by meander stone pathways , Japanese - theme statuary , and nearly 20 unlike mintage of plants and trees . Over 10 tons of rock were used to carve out pool , a stream , and small waterfall . Smit hauled all the materials into the garden himself , by hand and garden cart .
plant that grow well in Gouda ’s climate and suit a Japanese theme let in yews , cedars , spruce trees , boxwood , azalea , fern , and astilbes . Natural moss growth thrives in the shady areas of the garden , adding soft yin to the yang of the concentrated Oliver Stone .
Because the atmospheric condition in Gouda can be quite utmost , with below - zero temperature and big snowfall in the wintertime and temperatures as in high spirits as 96 degree in the summer , Smit was limited in the types of plant he could use . “ Because of our clime , I did not practice tropical or Mediterranean industrial plant . I do have a 100 - year - onetime olive tree diagram in the minuscule garden right beside the menage , but it did not do well over the winter and lost a few offset , ” he says .
Specimens he ’s had great achiever with and that complement his Japanese theme include various type of yews , cedars , spruce trees , boxwoods , maidenhair tree trees , azaleas , fern , astilbe , andJapanese maples . “ I also had somehostas , but the snails got the better of them , so I got disembarrass of those , ” he enjoin .
A pleasing combining of round granite stepping stones and desert disastrous flag chip at meandering pathways throughout the garden .
Smit acquire most of his unique Nipponese lanterns topically at various garden centers and out-of-door markets , using them as focal points throughout the garden . The granite bridge and stepping Stone fare from a natural - stone wholesale company . “ For paving , I used granite stepping stones and desert opprobrious flagstone , pick out them for the color and shape . In Japanese garden , neat origin combine with more natural forms for contrast , ” he says .
Smit ’s next plans include building a Nipponese - mode teahouse to supervene upon his shed . “ When the temperature is correct , I can sit outdoors and eat , or simply enjoy seeing the garden mature with the year , ” he says .
Garden house decorator and owner , Ramon Smit . See morephotos of Ramon ’s gardenon Facebook .
See another garden featuring bonsai trees : Maple Garden in Ohio .
