About Japanese Garden Concepts and founder Kim Nichols

From a very young age I was fascinated by all things oriental especially Japanese. I also had a strong interest in nature, plants, and trees although neither of my parents were particularly interested in the orient or in gardening. Even my name – Kim – being of oriental origin and a very common name in both China and Japan – was different from all the other names in my family which were all Celtic based. I have always wondered if I possibly had a past life in the orient and over the years, I have concluded that this is highly probably the case. It would explain my feelings of homesickness or joy when seeing film scenes, photographs or artwork and items from Japan. I will never forget the deep sense of awe and excitement I felt at about the age of ten when I first viewed a Japanese garden at the Durban Botanical Gardens in South Africa. (Sadly this garden has not been maintained and is now in total disrepair). I was utterly intrigued. Combining these interests with a deep curiosity about the meaning of life led me, after investigating many spiritual and philosophical paths, to embrace the ancient Judaic Kabbalah, Zen and Buddhism. Although I do not label myself at all, nor class myself as a Buddhist (I have taken what appeals to me from various belief systems and basically forged my own spiritual path) its simplicity and lack of dogma has impressed me the most. I have very special memories of the Kagyu Samye Dzong Tibetan Buddhist centre in Floss Street, Kensington, Johannesburg. To me, the design and creation of traditional Japanese gardens and indeed all meditation style gardens is a deeply spiritual process.
In my early twenties, my interests started building and focusing into what would eventually become a keen and passionate involvement in Japanese gardens. Largely self-taught, I would also constantly seek out people who would be able to instruct me in this and who I would be able to learn from. One of my greatest inspirations was Sima Eliovson, the doyenne of South African gardening and horticulture for many years and the acclaimed author of Gardening the Japanese Way (amongst many other excellent books). I am positive that Sima, like me, was a ‘Japanese soul’ despite us both having been born in Cape Town, South Africa. Sima too had a visceral interest in and inherent understanding of Japan and its culture. It is strange to think that if I had been born in Japan, I would probably never have studied the art of Japanese landscaping as in Japan it has always been seen, until fairly recently, as the sole domain of men. Always having been an avid reader from an early age, I devoured every book I could find on bonsai, Japanese gardening, the Japanese culture, spiritual and philosophical tomes (both Judaic and Eastern), meditation, metaphysics, philosophy and psychology. I also studied and qualified as an astrologer and lectured for the Astrological Institute of Research & Studies in Sandton, Johannesburg. Once it was translated into English (forays into learning the Japanese language did not get me as far as I had hoped) I studied the Sakuteiki, the oldest garden planning text in the world, written in the mid-to-late 11th century after being handed down as an oral tradition for many years. Later during the Kamakura period, it was referred to as the Senzai Hisshō, or the Secret Selection on Gardens before it acquired the title Sakuteiki in the Edo period. It precisely defines the art of landscape gardening as an aesthetic endeavor based on poetic feeling of the designer and the site and discusses the five main styles of gardening. One of its focuses is ishi wo tateru koto (石を立てること), literally, “the act of standing up stones”) to mean not only stone placement but garden making itself. It advises not only how to place the stones but also how to follow the “desire” of the stones. The placement of stones is paramount and crucial in absolutely any style of Japanese garden.
Sudden bereavement in 1987, a subsequent serious car accident and illness forced me into an even deeper spiritually questioning period and searching even more fervently for answers and what my path in life may be. It became very important to me to align my work with my passions.
I had been indulging in my interests through building a Japanese garden around my home and forming an extensive collection of bonsai and had continued my ardent albeit informal studies of the art of Japanese gardens when in the late 1990’s I was contacted by a prestigious nursery in Sandton, Johannesburg to help them with a proposed Japanese landscaping festival and exhibition. To me this was just an exciting project to get involved in where I would design and create the show gardens and they would be supplying all the plants and ornamentation. This exhibition however led to the launch of my company Japanese Garden Concepts which continued to operate in South Africa for more than two decades, until I emigrated from SA to the UK. After the exhibition I had over 60 people interested in having a Japanese garden designed and created for them and so JGC was born. My passions and interests had finally aligned with and been incorporated into my career.
This exposure led to JGC growing from strength to strength over the next 23 years and with me becoming the ‘go-to’ person in South Africa for all things regarding Japanese gardens – design, consultation, sourcing and supplying of materials and ornamentation, specialised plants and trees / bonsai and traditional bamboo water features (which we manufactured), screens and fences, public speaking and so on. I created a beautiful large traditional Japanese show garden (a roji style tea garden and a dry raked kare-sansui style Zen garden, along with various other Japanese influenced areas) around my home in Northmead, Benoni which was open to visitors by appointment and was also used as a filming location for various TV shows, interviews and even adverts.
Striving for perfection in any discipline involves not just reading about and studying every aspect of it but in physically getting involved, ‘walking the talk’ and hands on experience. This is how one learns, grows and develops the most. Over the years I was privileged to design and create hundreds of special gardens, large and small, some of which were very high profile and many of which will always remain close to my heart. I was featured in and wrote articles for mainstream newspapers such as The Star and Die Beeld and top SA gardening magazines (including Parks & Grounds) and photos of my gardens were often featured in such magazines and on Top Billing TV show in South Africa. My gardens were often displayed at high profile exhibitions such as Gardenex, the Eastgate Flower & Garden Show, Sandton City, etc, and for many years it was my job to provide the centrepiece show gardens for the Koi Society’s annual event. At one high profile exhibition I was approached by a group of Japanese businessmen who, through their interpreter, asked to meet the man who had created the traditional authentic Japanese garden on display. They were intrigued that a South African could accomplish this. They were caught totally off guard when they were informed that it was I, a woman, who had designed and created it. To them this was a bit of a shock as in Japan women are traditionally not involved in the discipline. To my amusement, they all went into a huddle to discuss this dilemma, then approached me again and asked to have their photograph taken with me and the garden. I was often asked to do public speaking events and/or group talks for many different organisations such as the Johannesburg Horticultural Society, the Ikebana Society, University of the Third Age and the first Johannesburg International Flower Show in October 2019.
One garden that will always hold a special significance for me was the commemoration garden I was commissioned to design and create to remember and honour the victims, survivors, and emergency workers (both Japanese and South African from Medhold and Rescue SA who were active in Miyagi Prefecture) involved with the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 11th March 2011. The Japanese ambassador to SA, Mr Toshiro Ozawa and the South African ambassador to Japan Mr Gert Grobler (who flew in for the ceremony) were both present and unveiled a commemoration plaque for the garden. They both helped to plant a Japanese cherry tree in the garden (one of 4 donated by the embassy). The ceremony and plaque also celebrated the centenary year of relations between South Africa and Japan. Members of South Africa’s small Japanese community, press and media were there in full force to cover the event. It was a privilege and an honour to design and create this garden.
In late 2021 I emigrated to the UK as a British citizen. The first year and a half has been largely taken up with settling in, deciding where to live, adjusting, etc. I am excited however to be living in a country where people are so much more interested in Japanese gardens (I have joined the Japanese Garden Society here – no such thing in SA!). Plants, shrubs and trees used in Japanese gardens remain exactly the same no matter which country one lives in, so thankfully that is not an issue. I am delighted that all the plants, especially Acers (Japanese Maple trees) in all their varieties, are commonly stocked and do not have to be specially imported. I have only had to adjust to the climatic and seasonal differences between SA and the UK. Many of the Japanese plants and trees are better suited to the more moist, humid climate in the UK and I am looking forward to working more with those plants that thrive better under the conditions here. It’s fantastic to also have all the imported authentic hand-carved granite and solid stone ornamentation so much more easily available. In South Africa we were extremely limited in this regard unless the client had a huge budget and I arranged to have items imported especially for them. I am also looking forward to collaborating with and meeting all the fascinating individuals involved in Japanese gardens in this country and getting to see the many beautiful Japanese gardens all over the United Kingdom as time and my schedule allows. It is so much easier and less expensive to travel abroad from the UK than from South Africa and for many years, as a divorced mother of two, I could not afford to travel as extensively as I wished. Maybe a trip to my beloved Japan will be possible in the next few years.
I am thrilled and deeply honoured to have become a member of the Japanese Garden Society UK, where I’ve been appointed as a committee member in an advisory capacity for the Midlands region. As a designer specializing in authentic, traditional Japanese gardens, I am privileged to create tranquil spaces that capture the essence of Japanese garden design. This role allows me to share my expertise and passion with fellow enthusiasts and professionals, contributing to the society’s mission of promoting and preserving the art of Japanese gardening and helping to cultivate a greater appreciation for this unique and beautiful art form. I’m excited to embark on this journey, bringing a touch of Japanese tranquillity to gardens across the United Kingdom.