Japanese Style: Asian Gardens Inspire Tranquility

A Japanese garden might be just the thing for city dwellers tight on space who may wish to create a tranquil oasis of calm. While the gardens can be designed in all shapes and sizes, traditional Japanese gardens are created for smaller spaces, reflecting the Japanese desire to create serene gardens, even in middle of the busiest of cities. Using sculpture, wooden features, pebbles, sand, bamboo, ponds, and flowing water  - the garden becomes an art form.  The Zen and Shinto traditions form the cornerstone of  Japanese gardening and, because of this,  the gardens enhance reflective state of mind.  

The basic methods of scenery in are a reduced scale, symbolization, and stylised views.  The Japanese preference for small `scenes' and the reflective  approach of Zen Buddhism combine effortlessly to produce small landscaped `gardens' that peace of mind to counter the effects of high-density living. The reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, hills, ponds, trees, and reproducing it on a smaller scale.  Symbolization also plays a big part.  An example of this would be using white sand to suggest a river. 

Japanese gardens can generally be split into two different styles.  The tsukiyami garden is a hill garden and , generally, made up of hills and ponds.  The hiraniwa, which is the complete opposite of the tsukiyami garden, is  flat without any hills or ponds. But designing a Japanese-inspired garden involves more than buying a lantern or wooden bridge. I suggest that you take the basics of the Asian style and incorporate it with your own taste and desires.

The  traditional design elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks, gravel, ponds, moss, stones, wooden features, stone ornaments and hedges. Modern touches such as decking, spot lighting, mirrors or bamboo or wooden furniture can give your particular garden a contemporary edge. Rocks, sand and large stones are used as focal points and bring a presence of tranquility to the garden but you can incorporate these with tasteful paving stones or slate for patio or courtyard areas.

 According to the Shinto tradition, rocks symbolise the spirit of nature.  Gravel defines surface and is used to mimic the flow of water. Stones help to create a structure to the space. Water;is the life force flowing through a Japanese garden and you often see still pools adorned with shimmering orange goldfish, dancing beneath the surface;  restful, trickling fountains are also popular.  The goal is to acheive balance and harmony within the environment.

There are many diverse types of plants that work beautifully in Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai.  Bonsai is the  ancient practice of training everyday, normal plants, such as Pine, Cypress, Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like big, old trees just in miniature form.  These trees range from five centimeters to one meter and trained to maintain a smaller form by pruning, re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.

A garden is a wonderful place to relax and meditate. And with a little planning, a touch of creativity and a few key elements , you can create an oasis of calm in the smallest of areas.