Japanese Gardening,

Concept

There is no simple definition of what constitutes a Japanese garden, nor is there a single style.

To western eyes, two of the most striking elements are

stone lanterns 

beds of raked gravel

The gardens of the Emperors and nobles were designed for recreation and aesthetic pleasure, while

The gardens of Buddhist temples were designed for meditation.

The History of Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens demonstrate the Buddhist influences which were brought into Japan in 612 or early 592 AD

Japanese gardens first appeared on the island of Honshu  the large central island of Japan.

In early time, landscape was influenced by the distinct characteristics of the Honshu landscape mainly contain

 Rugged volcanic peaks,

ü  Narrow valleys

ü  Mountain streams with waterfalls

ü  Cascades, lakes, and beaches of small stones’

ü  Rich variety of flowers

ü  Different species of trees, particularly evergreen trees,

Categories of Japanese gardens

The Japanese gardens are divided into three categories:

1- The Japanese Zen garden

ü  It includes rocks and gravel,

ü  like all Japanese gardens it focuses on the balance between the Yo (the bright, hard or tall) and the In (The low,dark, and damp).

ü  Tall stones have a low companion, whilst water must be

ü  balanced by rocks.

This theme is repeated in every element of a Zen garden.

2- Japanese Tea Gardens

ü  They are practical and include buildings and furniture to facilitate the elaborate tea ceremonies.

ü  The objects in any Japanese garden are grouped in odd numbers, as the Japanese consider even numbers - especially the number four - unlucky.

Pathways will always twist and turn as devils are thought to walk in straight lines.

3-The Japanese Paradise gardens

 They always contain

ü  water (or representations of water)

ü  stones.

ü Japanese gardens are traditionally minimal in color

                (so flowering plants are used scarcely).

Features of Japanese gardens

Three of the essential elements used to create a Japanese

garden are 

1-  stone, the “bones” of the landscape; 

2-  water, the life-giving force; and 

3- plants, the tapestry of the four seasons.

Japanese designers feel that good stone composition is the key elements in creating a well-designed garden.

Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges.

Japanese gardens are asymmetrical in design and reflect nature in idealized form.

Design principals of Japanese Garden

Three major design principles  of Japanese Garden.

1- Apperance of the elements:

ü  All the elements should look natural but not wild and overgrown

ü  Straight paths surrounding square beds are discourged as it not happened in nature.

2- The balance among elements:

ü  All of the elements should be in balance with one another

ü  none of them should overwhelm the others in terms of size or scale

3- Space distribution:

ü  Always leave some spaces empty; where most beautiful plants and accessories to stand alone to draw the eye to them and make them really pop.

ü  Japanese Gardens are almost always enclosed, shutting out the outside world and making them as peaceful as possible.

Layout of Japanese gardens

Main points with regard to layout:

•       Layouts should be natural, with undulating paths and placement of design elements naturally throughout the space

•       Paths surface are made of gravel, stone pavers, or brick.

•       Plant beds can be covered with wood chips or gravel, or moss can be allowed to grow on naturally uneven hills to bring attention to the shape of the land

•       Use rocks as a design element; select rocks with different shapes.