Japanese Gardening

Japanese gardening is a cultural endeavor that is intended to produce a scene that emulates nature as closely as possible. The elements of a Japanese garden are trees, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water among other components of nature. The traditions of Zen and Shinto are large parts of Japanese garden style and because of this the Japanese garden induces a contemplative and reflective state of mind; setting it apart from the Western style of gardening.

Scenery Methods

The Japanese garden can include three possible methods for scenery. The first is the reduced scale scenery method. The reduced scale method takes actual natural elements and reproduces them on a smaller scale. The second technique called symbolization and it involves generalization and abstraction; this could be accomplished by using white sand to simulate the ocean. Borrowed views is a technique that refers to artistic use of elements that imply scenes other than those actually portrayed. An example of this would be a painting of a house in the city with a seaside dock in the middle of the street to imply a seascape scene.

Types of Gardens

There are two basic types of Japanese gardens, the tsukiyami, which consists mainly of hills and ponds, and the hiraniwa, which is flat ground that lacks any hills or ponds. The basic elements of the Japanese garden are sand, rocks, gravel, moss, stones, fences, and hedges. Centerpieces are often made from rock and bring spirituality to the garden. The Shinto tradition suggests that rocks embody the spirits of nature. Gravel is used to imitate flowing water and provide a defining surface. Stones sculpted into the form of lanterns provide boundaries. Water, an essential part of any Japanese garden, is provided in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall but may be in the actual form or portrayed by gravel.

Plants

There are many types of plants and shrubs that are familiar to the Japanese garden, but the Bonsai is perhaps the most signature. The art of Bonsai involves the training of everyday shrubs such as pine, cypress, holly, cedar, cherry, maple, and beech to look like old, large trees in miniature form. The trees are usually less than one meter high and kept small by pruning, re-potting, growth pinching, and wiring the branches.

Japanese gardening is sure to bring about feelings of enjoyment and transformation as you admire your beautiful handiwork. In the words of poet Muso Soseki ‚”Gardens are a root of transformation.”