If you are thinking about creating a Japanese garden, then this article will give you some ideas about what you need to know when creating your “garden of transformation’.

 

Japanese gardens are created to produce a sense of connection to nature, they encompass nature as art. Japanese gardening is a cultural form of gardening and is about producing a scene that mimics nature as much as possible by using trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water as art-forms. 
Zen and Shinto traditions play a large part in Japanese gardening and, because of this, the gardens are created to induce a contemplative and reflective state of mind. Japanese gardening is very different to the Western style of gardening and has much more to do with the eastern belief that stones, plants, water, animals and men are all inseparable elements of the natural whole. They believe that all of these elements have consciousness and that man searches for his place within nature and therefore his search for himself.

 

In Japanese gardening there are three basic methods for scenery. The first of these is reduced scale. Reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and all, and reproducing it on a smaller scale.   Symbolization involves generalization and abstraction. An example of this would be using white sand to suggest the ocean. Borrowed views refers to artists that would use something like an ocean a forest as a background, but it would end up becoming an important part of the scene.

 

There are essentially two types of Japanese gardening: tsukiyami, which is a hill garden and mainly composed of hills and ponds. The other is hiraniwa, which is basically the exact opposite of tsukiyami: a flat garden without any hills or ponds.

 

The basic elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones, fences, and hedges. Rocks are most often used as centerpieces and bring a presence of spirituality to the garden. According to the Shinto tradition rocks embody the spirits of nature. Gravel is used as a sort of defining surface and is used to imitate the flow of water when arranged properly. Stones are used to create a boundary and are sculpted into the form of lanterns. Water, whether it be in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden. It can be in the actual form of water or portrayed by gravel, but no matter what form water is in, it is crucial to the balance of a Japanese garden.

 

There are several forms and types of plants that tend to symbolise Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai. Bonsai is the art of training, very average plants, such as Pine, Cypress, Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like large, old trees just in miniature form. These trees range from five centimeters to one meter and are kept small by pruning, re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.

 

Japanese gardening is a tradition that has, over the centuries, evolved through a remarkable variety of sizes and styles, it nevertheless displays a design logic which is intimately bound with the genius loic of the Japanese landscape, in other words, with the essence of the country as it appears to the human imagination. The poet,  Muso Soseki, said, “Gardens are a root of transformation” and it is true, the pure beauty of nature as art, in a  Japanese garden will certainly  evoke a multitude of feeling and emotions, and most definitely be a transforming experience.

 

If you are now ready to create that calm and tranquil ‘Zen’ garden and maybe even  incorporate a place for meditation within it, then I can wholly recommend a book by Jayne Parr which will give you step by step guidance on how to create your Japanese garden and your sacred space within. More information on this on my website.

 The use of stones, water, and plantings

Though often thought of as tranquil sanctuaries that allow individuals to escape from the stresses of daily life, Japanese gardens are designed for a variety of purposes. Some gardens invite quiet contemplation, but may have also been intended for recreation, the display of rare plant specimens, or the exhibition of unusual rocks.

Kaiyu-shiki or Strolling Gardens require the observer to walk through the garden to fully appreciate it. A premeditated path takes observers through each unique area of a Japanese garden. Uneven surfaces are placed in specific spaces to prompt people to look down at particular points. When the observer looks up, they will see an eye-catching ornamentation which is intended to enlighten and revive the spirit of the observer. This type of design is known as the Japanese landscape principle of "hide and reveal".

Stones are used to construct the garden's paths, bridges, and walkways. Stones can also represent a geological presence where actual mountains are not viewable or present. They are sometimes placed in odd numbers and a majority of the groupings reflect triangular shapes, which often are the mountains of China.
 

A water source in a Japanese garden should appear to be part of the natural surroundings; this is why one will not find fountains in traditional gardens. Man-made streams are built with curves and irregularities to create a serene and natural appearance.  Lanterns are often placed beside some of the most prominent water basins (either a pond or a stream) in a garden. In some gardens one will find a dry pond or stream. Dry ponds and streams have as much impact as do the ones filled with water.
 

Green plants are another element of Japanese gardens. Japanese traditions prefer subtle green tones, but flowering trees and shrubs are also used. Many plants in imitated Japanese gardens of the West are indigenous to Japan, though some sacrifices must be made to account for the differentiating climates. Some plants, such as sugar maple and firebush, give the garden a broader palette of seasonal color.