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In Japanese culture gardening is
an art form, a tradition to be passed down through the
generations. Books by Zen monks have been published outlining
the sacred act of garden making
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Japanese gardens often
contain architecture, a central structure, usually their home
from which the garden can be looked at. Elements such as
water, rocks, bridges or stepping stones are often found in
traditional Japanese gardens too.
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There are different styles
of Japanese gardens all suited for different purposes.........
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Gardens
viewed from homes are Kanshoh-style.
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Strolling gardens known
as kaiyu-shiki allow the garden to be seen from its path. |
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Dry gardens with no water and limited planting
purposely to show off special rocks, shrubs and mosses are
called karesansui. |
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Pond gardens can be viewed from boats
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Tea gardens from paths that lead to tea ceremony
huts.
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The structure of Japanese
gardens invites the viewer to go on a journey. Certain aspects
of the garden will make you walk and look a certain way. The
'hide and reveal' principle is a fantastic way of
premeditating what your viewer should be looking at. Uneven
paths will make a person look down and when they look up they
will see something eye catching and meaningful. Japanese
gardens can be used in many ways, for relaxation and
meditation, for recreation, or as exhibits for plants and
rocks. Stones used to reflect mountain ranges are placed in
groups or used as paths and walkways.
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| Water is used effectively in
Japanese gardens but only looking natural. Traditional gardens
will not contain fountains or anything that looks man made.
Pools and streams are often found, sometimes even empty which
is just as striking as if they were filled with water. In dry
gardens gravel is often used to create a water effect.
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| The planting is often green and
low key but flowering shrubs are also used. These gardens are
miniature reproductions of nature. They explore subtleties of
moss,maples, bamboo and stone carvings. Once the flowering season is
over the garden retains its tranquility and beauty.
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| The
famous moss garden of Saihō-ji, Kyoto, Japan. |
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Plant hunters brought back a
lot of plants from Japan that we now use every day such as
lilies and irises which before then were unknown to us.
Perhaps then most of our gardens have a little piece of Japan
in them.
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Handy Hints
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- Use water or dry ponds for
the serene and simplistic look.
- Keep flowering minimal. Pick
light, subtle flowers instead of bedding.
- Pick seasonal fragrances for
added tranquility.
- Use moss around the base of
vertical trees.
- Choose plants that will
provide colour throughout the seasons. Japanese maples in
autumn and azelias in spring.
- Do not balance, mirror image
or attempt symmetry in your planting. Stay natural.
- Space will make your
existing elements much more striking.
- Use authentic Japanese
accessories such as stone lanterns and water basins for
authenticity.
- Rocks are essential in these
gardens probably more so than the plants so place
carefully considering all angles.
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The History Of
Japanese Gardens - An
Article By R Chard
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The history of Japanese gardens
doesn't actually start in Japan. The cultural home of Japanese
gardens and the bedrock of the history of Japanese gardens is
actually China.
Many hundreds of years ago the Chinese started designing
recreational gardens and as they developed news of these
structures and their ingredients spread.
Is is not difficult to imagine how impressed China's neighbours
became with their aptitude to be technological innovators and
their spectacular gardens were no different. The history of
Japanese gardens can be traced to it's starting period in the
Han Dynasty, the Japanese imported these garden ideas from China
during this period. Emperor Wu Di who lived from 140-87 BC first
created a garden containing 3 small islands. These were meant to
represent the Isles Of The Immortals who were considered to be
Toaist gods, this set a trend for all gardens to concentrate on
replicating the land of legend.
Japanese gardens today mimic nature but this was not the case
during the Han period. The only gardens built were only to
display mythical lands and landscapes. So there was a good deal
of imagination being used! The first hill and pond garden in
Japan was established in the early 600s AD when the Chinese
Emperor Yang Di enjoyed relations with Japan at his instigation.
The Japanese responded to these overtures and sent an envoy to
China who was a man called Ono no Imoko. He became immersed in
China and its culture and met with the emperor on many many
occasions. Upon his return to Japan he took with him much of
what he had learnt and the art of gardening was just one subject
he was keen to relate to the Japanese people. Another idea
imported to Japan at the same time was Buddhism. A seemingly
small and very significant step in the history of Japanese
gardens.
There are a number of era's in the history of Japanese gardens,
the most modern one in terms of influence ending in the early
14th century. The Zen influence into the history of Japanese
gardens can be traced to the period 1393 to 1558AD as a more
simplistic and spiritual type of garden was designed and built
by many people.
To write about all the twists and turns in the history of
Japanese gardens in a short article is pretty difficult to do
and would not really do the subject of the history of Japanese
gardens justice. I do hope this article has given you some
pointers on their rich tradition and heritage.
For more information about Japanese garden history visit :
www.japzengardens.org/freevideo.htm
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