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Gardening Tips & Advice
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Japanese Gardening
Japanese gardens are a unique integration of elements
to create beauty.
Characteristics
of Japanese Gardens
In addition to
trees and shrubs, Japanese gardening makes artistic use of rocks,
sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water. In contrast to the
geometrically arranged trees and rocks of a Western-style garden, the
Japanese garden traditionally creates a scenic composition that, as
artlessly as possible, mimics nature.
Japanese gardens
have 3 basic principles
Japanese
gardening designers follow 3 basic principles when composing scenes.
They are reduced scale, symbolization, and "borrowed views."
 | The first
refers to the miniaturization of the natural views of mountains and
rivers so as to reunite them in the confined area of the Japanese
garden. This could mean the creation of idealized scenes of a
mountain village, even within a city, using rocks, shrubs and
constructed “mini” hills.
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| Secondly
Japanese gardening use symbolization. This symbolism involves the
use of one object to represent another, an example being the use of
white sand to suggest the sea.
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| Japanese
gardening designers "borrow views" when they use background views
that are outside and beyond the garden, such as a mountain or the
ocean, and use plants and accessories to recreate them as an
integral part of the scenic composition. |
There are 2
general types of Japanese Gardens
Japanese gardens
can be classified into 2 general types: the tsukiyama (hill
garden), which is composed of hills and ponds, and the hiraniwa
(flat garden), a flat area without hills and ponds.
The traditional
Japanese garden has long been appreciated in the West for its unique
and delicate expression. With a little creativity and planning you
can create your very own Japanese inspired garden in your own
backyard! For more ideas to accessorize your Japanese garden, check
some of these retailers specializing in
garden
accessories.
Source: Japanese Embassy of Denmark
http://www.embjapan.dk/spotlight/gardens.html
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