GARDEN DESIGN
EAST MEETS WEST :
CREATING A TRANQUIL ENGLISH GARDEN IN THE HEART OF JAPAN
Located 100 kilometres southwest of Tokyo on the island of Honshû , lies an extraordinary landscaping project . Most designers , given the opportunity to create a scheme in the heart of one of Japan ’ s bustling towns would be forgiven for relying solely on typical Japanese hard landscaping elements . A sori-bashi bridge , rocks , gravel and sand all obvious choices , and all synonymous with Japanese garden design .
But British-born landscape designer Stuart Axtell had a more unorthodox vision when tasked with transforming a derelict area of land for his private residential client . The result ? A serene space that embodies the beauty of formal English gardens while honouring
Japanese cultural values and design principles . It ’ s a scheme that despite contrasting so starkly with its surroundings still manages to incorporate two essential Japanese garden elements - stone to form the structure of the landscape ; and water , to represent life-giving force . It was only apt therefore that Stuart , who is Haddonstone ’ s sole East Asian distributor , placed the Northamptonshire cast stone manufacturer ’ s Neapolitan Small Double Fountain and Pool Surround centre stage in his scheme .
Drawing inspiration from his childhood in the South West of England , Stuart named the project Kingswell , after the small Somerset hamlet between Bath and Wells where he was born . As part of the design process , Stuart travelled back to the UK with his client to source designs especially for the garden . Together , they carefully selected a variety of products from Haddonstone ’ s extensive garden and landscaping range . Known for their enduring beauty and exceptional quality , these handcrafted-to-order designs were made especially for the project , and once completed , the pieces were securely packaged and shipped across to Japan .
The cast stone designs that Stuart and his client chose for Kingswell evoke that classic combination of elegance and grandeur which is so admired in English garden design . Among the designs selected were
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