Japanese Landscape Design – How To Design Your Own Japanese Garden
If you are looking to spruce up a drab lawn and are searching for ideas, here is one that is a winner every time. A Japanese garden is not only beautiful but can be a relaxing place to unwind from a hectic day. A Japanese garden takes the elements found in nature and arranges them to reflect a type of reality, while the western garden designers use these same elements, they generally twist them into forms that are unnatural. If you want to create a Japanese style garden on your own here are a few tips on how you can pull it off.
Tip #1 Hills and ponds are a common theme in Japanese tranquility settings. You can use water or simulate the water with gravel. Use mounds of earth to simulate the mountains you wish to recreate then use foliage native to those mountains along the sides. These designs should include a path that meanders between and around the garden. Also add a few natural stone benches and tables for relaxing by the pond. Consider Japanese Fountains with bamboo spout for creating Japanese themed water Features in your garden.
Tip #2 The Japanese are famous for their contemplation gardens. You can design and create a Zen area in your own yard. Sand and rocks flow together in a design that is reminiscent of the seashore. Use plants that grow in these areas for a realistic and serene effect. You can also make it a river or stream with natural grasses and flowering plants that would grow along these shores as well. this is an excellent choice for a courtyard type setting.
Tip #3 The Japanese use flat gardens that are more about the functionality than the form. These are commonly referred to as tea gardens. The path leads you to a stone water basin. Lanterns that line the path may be of stone as well. The design has very few accoutrements, this is a less is more type of garden. In traditional Japanese garden design the actual garden is a prelude to entering the teahouse and is supposed to have a calming effect. The teahouse plays a significant role in the culture and there are lots of different types of ceremonies performed there that require a calm spirit. Adding well designed hand-crafted garden statues may add additional tranquility to your garden.
The use of rocks, plants and water to recreate what is found in nature is what the Japanese garden is famous for. You will never find anything in a true Japanese garden that nature could not create. These gardens are meant to take you on a journey within and to keep you in a state of ZEN while you are contemplating the answers to life’s questions.
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