As English gardens become more popular in Japan, it is Japanese gardens that are turning heads in the UK.

Landscape gardener Alan Harwood and his team have just completed a Japanese-style garden at the Wyvale Garden Centre at Kingston, near Lewes.

The main purpose of the garden is to display fish and aquatic plants for Sussex Aquatic Services.

Instead of settling for racks packed with plants and fish, the company went for a specially designed garden to show off its products.

Alan, who runs AH Services, a Lewes-based landscaping firm, said: "Japanese gardens are becoming very popular these days.

"I think it's because they have a calming effect on people who have busy and stressful lives.

"They have a quiet and sophisticated look which is what many people want these days."

Alan and his twin brother, Mike, learnt the landscaping and gardening business from their father, Vic.

Alan then went on to Plumpton Agricultural College with the intention of becoming a farmer.

Although he started working in agriculture, he had to change careers at a very early stage because of the low wages.

He set up AH Services five years ago with just one person working with him. Now he employs four.

He said: "There was a time when landscaping was thought of as only for stately homes and country estates.

"But now more people are choosing to have their gardens landscaped, even quite small gardens.

"People want their gardens themed or parts of them changed. Railway sleepers are very popular.

"Many people think of the sleepers as long straight runs but we work them into all sorts of designs.

"We use them for raised patios and borders. They can be cut into all sorts of shapes to suit most gardens."

The brief for the project at Kingston was to build a garden using natural products, to include a water feature and screening.

Alan has used gravel area with slate stepping stones and a mixture of different size pebbles to give the whole thing a peaceful feel.

Earlier this year, his water garden display at the South of England Show won first prize.

Also this year he worked with Lewes-based Second Nature, helping to build their Chelsea Flower Show stand which won a gold medal.