Insightful rundown of the top-ranked garden at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show, showcasing the year's most extraordinary horticultural design.
Glimpse Into the Minimalist Zen of Kazuyuki Ishihara's Tea Garden
Stepping into the world of Kazuyuki Ishihara, a renowned Japanese gardener, feels like strolling through a tranquil Japanese satoyama landscape at Chelsea Flower Show. His meticulously crafted gardens, adorned with acers, irises, water, stones, and moss, transport visitors to a serene paradise. This master artisan has graced Chelsea with 17 small gardens, many bestowed with Gold or Best in Show medals, but this is his first to grace the Main Avenue.
This garden, tailored as his personal haven, is designed to soothe the mind as you leisurely wander towards the tea house, refreshed and at peace, ready for a meditative tea ceremony.
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As you enter his "Cha no Niwa – Japanese Tea Garden" on two open sides, you'll notice trees common in Japan's countryside, such as Acer palmatum 'Inaba-shidare', Acer palmatum f. polymorphum, hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), and Cornus florida. Perennials like Iris 'Flight of Butterflies' grace the garden as well. The design of the garden is inspired by the traditional ikebana flower arranging art form, with the shape and arrangement of the stones harmonizing beautifully with the plants.
Unlike many of the extravagant, plant-heavy gardens at Chelsea, this one demonstrates that simplicity can be stunning. "Rather than fill a garden with a plethora of plants, I prefer to use a small selection and keep them pruned, leaving ample space," Ishihara shared with Monty Don.
See our exclusive interview with Kazuyuki Ishihara.
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Kazuyuki Ishihara's design philosophy for the minimalist tea garden triumphantly claimed Garden of the Year and People's Choice Best Show Garden, marking a milestone for the veteran designer[1][3][4].
Key aspects of Ishihara's design philosophy:
- Integration of Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship: Ishihara's garden epitomizes remarkable carpentry, plastering, pruning, and plant husbandry skills, each reflecting authentic Japanese horticultural and construction artistry.
- Conceptual Vision: Ishihara imagined the garden as a small, secluded sanctuary in Japan's ancient capital, offering visitors an escapist space to relinquish worldly worries. The contemplative garden path ultimately leads to an elevated tea house, cultivating an atmosphere of peace and relaxation.
- Plant Selection & Materials: The garden's planting features pine bonsai, Japanese maples, enkianthus, moss, lily turf, and ferns, creating nuanced textures and colors. Carefully positioned boulders serve as more than mere decoration, guiding visitors along the path.
- Mindful Execution: Monty Don, a distinguished gardening presenter, commended the garden for its flawless design, expressing that no improvements could be made. Ishihara's evident passion for Japanese gardens, apparent in his minimalist yet rich spatial experience, is unmistakable[1].
Ishihara's approach blends meticulous craftsmanship, traditional horticultural philosophy, and minimalist aesthetics to create a calming sanctuary, steeped in cultural heritage, and invites visitors on a reflective journey.
In essence, Ishihara's work is grounded in traditional techniques, a minimalist design philosophy, and the skilful use of select plants and materials to produce a garden that woozens the spirit of traditional Japanese tea gardens and induces a meditative mood.
- The "Cha no Niwa – Japanese Tea Garden" by Kazuyuki Ishihara, winner of Garden of the Year and People's Choice Best Show Garden, displays a unique minimalist design philosophy combined with traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
- Ishihara's garden design features intricate carpentry, plastering, pruning, and plant husbandry, demonstrating his mastery of authentic Japanese horticultural artistry.
- In addition to the meticulous craftsmanship, the garden showcases a small selection of plants like pine bonsai, Japanese maples, enkianthus, moss, and ferns, kept pruned to provide space for visitors to explore.
- The home-and-garden lifestyle enthusiast can draw inspiration from Kazuyuki Ishihara's approach to gardening, which emphasizes mindful execution and the creation of a calming sanctuary that induces a meditative mood, blending traditional techniques and minimalist aesthetics.
