Our NZ-Inspired Garden in Japan

When we first imagined the garden that would surround our winter wool shop, we knew we wanted something more than just decoration. We wanted a living space that would reflect the heart of our brand — a meeting point between New Zealand and Japan, between wild landscapes and refined simplicity, between warmth and stillness.

The concept of "bringing the outdoors in" is a popular one in New Zealand whether that be with a view of the garden from the windows or a decking area that flows seamlessly from the house. 

And so, the idea of a New Zealand-inspired garden in Japan was born.

A Conversation Between Cultures

This garden is a quiet conversation between two places we love. The backbone of the design draws on Japanese principles: restraint, seasonality, balance. There is heavy emphasis on evergreens in the Japanese garden. And flowers, when they bloom, are adored and admired, revered even. The spirit of our garden — the wild, textural, and slightly unkempt energy — comes from Aotearoa. It's more on the unkempt side just now as our plants are still getting established and we are not pruning them. There's a high degree of wild abandon. It might speak to my need to rebel ever so slightly against the rigidity of life in Japan. 

Plants With Meaning

Phormium (New Zealand flax, harakeke) — These bold, strappy plants offer sculptural interest all year round. Their upright form and earthy tones feel both rugged and elegant. Ours are Phormium Pink Stripe and you know I adore pink.

Pittosporum (Kōhūhū) — We love these soft, shimmering shrubs for their gentle round shapes and silvery foliage. They're fast-growing evergreen plants so they add a lushness to the garden year-round and they are well on their way to adding more privacy to our shop. We have a few different varieties. 

Wire plant ( Muehlenbeckia, Pōhuehue) — This plant is pure craziness! It's a small-leafed creeping vine that spreads quickly but is very strong so it doesn't mind being tugged and bunched into mounds. Every so often I pull its creeping tendrils away from the other plants and prod it into the round shapes that I like.

Corokia — Spindly and silver-lined, this NZ shrub adds character and edginess to the planting scheme. It’s both delicate and tough — ours is still tiny and not planted out yet but it's going to be awesome.

Coprosma — more incredible shrubs that come in a huge array of colours and varieties. We have a little hedge of "Coffee" and another little border of "Pacific Sunset". Again these are evergreen and they provide year-round interest in any garden. They grow quickly but are easy to look after as they keep their round shape as they grow. I haven't needed to prune mine at all yet. 

And from Japan:

Maki (Podocarpus macrophyllus) — Our namesake tree. These evergreen conifers stand like sentinels, giving structure and history to the garden. We have these pruned professionally once a year, the Japanese cloud-pruning method keeps these trees looking gorgeous and healthy.

Camellia — Deep green leaves and winter blooms remind us that beauty doesn’t fade with the seasons. I absolutely love these shrubs but unfortunately the two that we have, both from the original garden, are in awkward spots that are tucked away in the rear. The spectacular deep green foliage stays on throughout the year so I love them for that as well as their pretty pink flowers in winter. 

Hydrangea / Azalea — I'll be honest I had no idea that these were native to Japan / China until fairly recently. I need to do a bit more research on these but we have them!

Plant Summary

New Zealand native plants were chosen for their adaptability to our local climate here in Japan. At the same time, we embrace Japanese plants that complement the vision and respect the land we are rooted in. For a truly breathtaking glimpse into the style of New Zealand garden that we are aiming for take a look at this post on Botanic Landscape Architects.

It's important to us to create a low-maintenance garden and by that I mean one that requires only a little pruning to maintain the size of our plants in the urban setting, but doesn't change the shape or natural growth habit. We would love to plant things that help to keep the weeds down. Weeds are a huge problem here since we have the late spring /early summer rainy season, then it is incredibly humid throughout the summer. And although it rains here fairly often we have a long "dry" spell with baking heat in August and September. The temperatures can reach almost 40℃. A drought-tolerant garden is essential as we wrestle with climate change. 

A Garden That Tells the Story of Wool

Our shop specialises in New Zealand-made wool accessories — pieces that are warm, colourful, and made with intention. This garden is an extension of that ethos.

Every plant was chosen not just for beauty, but for meaning and connection. Many are drought-tolerant or evergreen. If you've ever visited the North Island of New Zealand you might remember it's green and lush, even in the depths of winter.

The garden evolves with the seasons, just like our wool collections. It shows that even in winter, life goes on quietly — green, fragrant, resilient.

The word resilient resonates with me and with people who love our shop. It might be cold but we get outdoors and get on with it. (Although right now, in July, it's hot ☀︎ but still we are out in the garden getting on with it, LOL).

Why It Matters

We hope that when you visit, the garden slows you down. That you notice the textures, the contrasts, the quiet layers. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t try too hard. But it holds a story — one of place, of memory, and of weaving together the best of two worlds.

Come take a moment beneath the Maki tree. Or pull up a chair next to our Natsu Tsubaki (summer camellia). You’ll understand what we mean.