Hi...I am from Texas, but currently living for three years in Nagoya, Japan (my husbands employement). The house we are renting has a glass atrium in the center of it. It is maybe 10 feet by 6 feet. I am not able to plant anything in it, it has a solid floor (with drainage) with large gravel on top, so anything I put in it will have to be potted. 1/2 of the atrium is covered (ceiling), the other 1/2 is open to the sky....with a small over hang above. When it rains, 1/2 of the atrium gets wet. Nagoya does not get much snow, but can get chilly in the winter....which will effect the plants that are in the atrium, due to it being open above. Sunlight is very minimal...... My questions is what type of plants to put in it???? I want some with height (trees) and also smaller ones. I cannot use indoor plants, due to the cool winters here.....and most outdoor plants need more light that what it receives. Does anyone have any ideas??? I'd appreciate any help I can get!!!
Have you tried googling sub-tropical small trees, and/or plants? Do you practice bonsai, or are you interested in taking courses over there (what an opportunity!)? Keeping even naturally small trees in containers requires some knowledge with regard to soil mixes (gritty and fast draining), sun requirements (not everything likes full sun, though more do than otherwise), etc. You might go to a local nursery and get suggestions there, as they'll be most familiar with your climate, etc. and have plants that do well there, plus they could advise you on how to trim them, etc. in future. There are just so many to choose from otherwise (but who knows what they 'carry' there) that it's hard to narrow it down. Obviously anything like a large conifer (vs a dwarf variety or one you deliberately bonsai) would end up too large to deal with, but small Japanese maples (not the very lacey 'dissectum' ones who dislike full sun) would be one place to start.
Neat problem. I guess your first question is indeed hardiness, and I would select plants that can handle at least one zone colder than where you are, as they will be in containers and that atrium might be a bit of a cold sink. Next, the question of container growing; this is not a particularly limiting factor. You're talking a three-year span, in which many plants will not outgrow a well-chosen container, and I'm sure that potting soil mixes are readily available there. Finally, you obviously need plants that can tolerate shade, of which there are zillions. Maples might indeed be good; in conifers your choices include yews (taxus), cephalotaxus, and hemlocks (tsuga). Hemlocks need moisture, yews don't, but obviously even if things are under the overhang you can water them. There are rhodos too. Then there are ferns, hostas, hellebores, epimediums, arisaemas, dicentras, snowdrops... and heavens knows how many more. I'd say the world of hardy shade plants lies at your feet.
Wow! What an exciting and inspiring project. I would start with a perimeter planting of dwarf variegated bamboo (Sasa vetchii) and a single Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), another mainstay of the Japanese garden. I would try to create an environment that clearly shows as Asian influence. Possibly incorperating a rock garden or water feature as well. Maybe a lucky Koi Pond? I have some great information on designing gardens and building inexpensive water features on my website. Feel free to check it out for more details. Best of luck and Happy gardening!
