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Japanese Garden Styles - Which
one is Right For You
Japanese gardens have become popular
choices when choosing to landscape a
yard. The entire garden concept is
designed to create an experience, invoke
feelings and provide a haven where one
can be relaxed, calm and peruse
inner-thoughts. Therefore, it is
important that the rocks and plants meld
together within the landscape, and that
the relationship and placement between
rocks, plants and water is well thought
out within the design.
There are several different types of
Japanese garden styles that you can
choose from to initiate ideas and begin
the process of planning out your own
unique garden. Keep in mind that you are
not limited to just one style. Many
Japanese gardens are combinations of two
or more of the following types melded
together, should you have enough room on
your site to do so. Here is a brief
description of each so that you can
better plan your own garden layout.
Pond and Island Style
With this type of design your goal is to
create a central pond which is either
large enough to go boating upon and/or
one in which you can stroll around the
edge of the pond. The 'Pond and Island'
Japanese garden is designed so that all
plants, rocks and other features on the
shore are seen from the pond area. The
background plantings and elements are
placed so that they blend into the
natural landscape beyond the garden.
Small islands are created within the
pond, where a bush or tree is planted
surrounded by rocks on the 'island
shore', as visual focal points. Small
bridges can also be built to span the
water from a point on the shoreline to
one or more of the ‘islands’
and then back to shore again on a
different side of the pond. This allows
the stroller to view the surrounding area
from the pond itself (a good tactic if
you don't have enough room to install a
boating pond).
Dry Landscape Zen Garden
The Zen garden was primarily used by
Buddhist monks within their temples. The
landscaping is comprised of a combination
of boulders, large and small rocks,
gravel or sand, and on occasion, moss or
very sparsely planted trees or shrubs
(usually only one or two plants are
seen). The rocks symbolize islands and
consist of unique shapes and sizes, which
are very carefully positioned. The gravel
or sand symbolizes water and is raked
into various patterns. The idea behind
this garden is to help the viewer clear
their mind and aid in contemplation and
meditation without distractions. The Zen
garden is not entered (other than to rake
the gravel), but is viewed from a single
focal point, such as from a raised deck,
balcony or through the windows of a
building.
Japanese Tea Garden
The tea garden is actually more of a
ceremonial type garden in order to
perform a Tea Ceremony. Consisting of two
gardens in one (an outer garden and an
inner garden), it is a good choice for
average size yards or incorporated within
a larger Japanese garden style. It is
also one of the more popular gardens to
create. The outer garden is more informal
in plantings and consists of an entry
gate to the garden and a stone path
leading toward the inner garden. Visitors
pass through a second gate where a water
basin is located and is used as part of
the ceremony. Another stone path flows
through the inner garden, whose plants
are more formally placed and not
flowered, so as not to provide any
distractions along the journey. The inner
path leads to a small building where the
actual tea ceremony is performed. This
entire garden concept requires much more
information that can be relayed in a
short paragraph. If you wish to learn
more about building your own Japanese Tea
Garden, please see the link at the end of
this article.
Stroll Gardens
Japanese stroll gardens are designed to
be viewed as a walk-around garden. Paths
lead the visitor through the area with
each twist and turn revealing a new
sight. Most of these gardens focus on a
theme of some landscape found in nature
and then are recreated in miniature
within the garden itself. To properly
build such a garden design you would need
at least an acre or more of land to work
with so you can incorporate hidden vistas
and scenes to delight the stroller when
they make a new turn in the path, as well
as hide the previous scene from view.
Often times, a tea garden and or a pond
are also integrated within the stroll
garden.
Courtyard Garden
This is a perfect solution for a small
yard, especially one that is enclosed
with a stone or brick wall or wooden
fence and is very limited in space. The
design of the Japanese courtyard garden
is kept simple and is usually built to be
observed from inside the house, although
you could build it so it is useable
outside as well if it is carefully
planned out. Consisting of a few plants,
perhaps a tree, small water feature,
often times a dry stream, or other simple
elements, this Japanese garden style
allows nature and light to flow into your
home via large windows and patio doors.
Research the Best Design for Your
Garden
The above is a sampling of the basic
Japanese garden styles to give you some
ideas on what you may wish to create for
your own yard. As noted, you can choose
one or a combination of styles to suit
your purpose. What is most important
though, is to determine what you wish to
achieve with your garden. Japanese
gardens are intended to create an
experience for the visitor. It is
suggested that you read garden books,
view pictures of the gardens found in
Japan, and research the concepts behind
the intent of these gardens before you
begin your own design. Then you will have
the tools to construct a beautiful,
serene and amazing landscape that will be
enjoyed for years to come.
© 2005, Rose Smith
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