What is Barakura Style Gardening?

Forget everything you know about planting. This is “Barakura style”! In shorthand, this is horticultural freedom, this is flower arranging but with REAL plants!

The Barakura style gives immediate enjoyment, and is designed as a container installation! You’ll be mixing the plants of your wildest dreams, in a density that gives impact from day one.

What’s in a Barakura-style container?

When I first arrived at the Barakura English Garden in Japan, I must admit I was surprised to see this innovative style of planting, with annuals, perennials and shrubs being used all in the same container. Having grown up with patio pots stuffed full of glitzy annuals and nothing else, this was quite a revelation to me!

You cannot guarantee a Barakura style container will look the same for nine months, but you can guarantee it will evolve over time, and can be interchanged and parts replanted as you wish!

How to create your own

Upon planting, you are not limited with plant choice. Here, you can let your artistic flair rule. I have witnessed many ethereal plantings being created over the years, with a sometimes surprising density of plants. You can also customise your plants as you plant them – multi rooted plants can be split, root-balls can be reshaped to fit a rectangular spot, anything is possible…

Barakura style also throws caution to the wind when it comes to plant pairings. In this style, you might be mixing plants with slightly different requirements into one space. But, this does not matter, as you’re creating a mid to short term container, not one that’s set to last for 3 years! Go on, live a little!