Japanese gardens have been around for hundreds of years and combine simple, natural elements such as water, stone, sand and plants to create a tranquil, Zen sanctuary. The way these various elements are employed in relation to one another brings about a miniaturized version of nature. The designs of these gardens are based on three principles: reduced scale, symbolization, and borrowed view.
Rock Gardens
Waterless rock and sand gardens portray scenes of mountain views and rivers. The sand and gravel is raked into careful patterns to symbolize rivers while the rocks represent mountains. The grouping can be done randomly or in patterns but tradition says stones should be placed in odd numbers. Placing these gardens in existing scenery brings about the illusion of seeing mountains from a distance.
Moss Gardens
Japanese gardens often utilize moss because of its versatility and resilience. Moss is able to survive and remain green even in harsh conditions, including severe cold and drought. Moss has remained a crucial element in Japanese gardens because it is considered a peaceful plant.
Koi Fish Ponds
Koi ponds are another very common element of Japanese gardens. They represent lakes or seas, bringing color and life to the garden. As you can see in the photos below, Koi ponds can be very large in a recreational area or small enough to fit in a backyard.
Bridges
Another common element is a bridge. They are used to connect the land so one can move about the garden freely. Bridges can be made of wood or stone and can be simple or elaborate. Notice some of the bridges in the following photos are bright red while some are unadorned stone.
Shishi-odoshi:Â Japanese Bamboo Water Feature
These unique water features are placed in gardens to scare away birds and animals that may do damage to the garden. A bamboo tube is used with a water source which trickles into the lighter end causing the heavier end to lift off the ground, emptying the tube. When it comes back down on the rock, the crashing sound is the scare tactic.
Soundtrack:
#courtyardhouse
#griyacorner
#japanesegardens
#gardenideas
[Applause] A Ch H M A