A Backyard Fit for an Emperor

Lawyer David Kimelberg expresses his creative side in the pruning and perfecting of a decidedly different kind of garden.

David Kimelberg and his wife, Shelley, have transformed their backyard into a soothing, tranquil space. A koi pond represents the sea. (Photograph by Dave Henderson)

As a child in upstate New York, David Kimelberg helped his dad tend a Japanese garden in the backyard. That is, when he was allowed. "My dad is a scientist, so he's a pretty particular guy," he says. "I wasn't allowed to shape the bonsai trees. I got to mow the lawns around the rock gardens."

Kimelberg amassed his own collection of bonsais as a college student in Boston. Later, he took them along to law school at Cornell in Ithaca, New York, where he often left them outside on the porch on warm days - until someone stole them. "The bonsai caper," Kimelberg calls it. "The police conducted an investigation and everything, but they never caught the thieves. I was crushed."

It's easy to see why Kimelberg, vice president president and general counsel for SoftBank Capital, now keeps careful watch over his Japanese garden located behind the Charlestown town house he shares with his wife, Northeastern professor Shelley Kimelberg, and their mutt, Ben. David Kimelberg, 37, whose arms are heavily tattooed with Japanese imagery (koi, samurai, cherry blossoms, dragons), has transformed what was once a "run-down city backyard" into a symbolic space fit for an emperor.

When he first moved into the home five years ago, he knew he wanted to design a Japanese-inspired courtyard garden, but the dream came with challenges. He had to figure out the area's fengshui. "Everything needs to fit together, or else the whole space is thrown off ," he says. There are several styles of Japanese gardens with rigidly prescribed formulas. For Marni Elexample, tsukiyama gardens, or hill gardens, feature ponds, hills, and bridges that replicate the landscapes of Japan, while karesansui gardens, or dry gardens, rely on rocks and sand, and are often used for meditation. Chaniwa gardens, or tea gardens, contain a teahouse.

Kimelberg's Charlestown garden is an amalgam. "I try to incorporate all elements into my garden, making it a more Japanese-influenced design, rather than a strict translation," he says. In his garden, the koi pond represents the sea, large rough stones symbolize mountains, and each lantern is an ode to the Japanese temple. A granite bench is a quiet spot for contemplation, while a slate-roofed model teahouse hides the A/C unit for Kimelberg's house: "It's an entire world in my backyard."

Kimelberg's garden is a well-loved stop on the Charlestown Garden Tour, as is his Japanese-style plot in a community garden near his house. He was recently elected to the Gardens for Charlestown board and was asked to design Japanese gardens in the neighborhood. "People appreciate the tranquillity that Japanese gardens exude. They are a restful place where people can recharge," he says. They're also relatively low-maintenance. "You don't need a lot of space to create a Japanese garden. You don't even need sun. You can just concentrate on stone elements. This makes them especially conducive to city living," he says.

The garden, accessed from a Japanese-style room out-fitted with shoji screens and bamboo flooring, is a peaceful retreat in which the couple host a Japanese garden party every summer, complete with sushi and sake. They dress the dog like a dragon and encourage guests to wear kimonos. With a baby on the way, things are likely to change. But for now, he says, "the bonsais are my babies."

Design Your Own Japanese Garden

Here are resources to help you get started:

Bonsai West, a nursery with an impressive collection of bonsai, features plants and trees styled by American, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese bonsai artists. 100 Great Road, Littleton, 978-486-3556, bonsaiwest.com

Mahoney's Garden Center has a large selection of plants, trees, and stones for all types of gardens. 449 Western Avenue, Brighton, 617-787-8885, and other locations; mahoneysgarden.com

Noble House and Garden is a comprehensive online resource for Japanese garden accessories, including hand-carved granite lanterns, fountains, benches, and steppingstones. Call 888-430-4455 for a catalog or visit granitesculpture.com.

Marni Elyse Katz studied Asian art in college but has yet to master gardening. Send comments to designing@globe.com