The Japanese style of landscaping has the goal of recreating the
serenity of a natural environment. Fundamental ingredients used
include carefully placed stone, statuary, bonsai, and fish
ponds. Bonsai is a traditional technique of training small trees
to encourage their growth into certain shapes; it is one of the
Japanese arts. Relaxing strolls through the garden are laid out
with formal paths.
A number of basic guidelines apply when planning Japanese
landscaping. The first being that plants and other elements not
be located symmetrically. Nature is asymmetrical. Flowers and
trees don't naturally grow lined up in rows or in square
formations. The impression to aim for is a space that does not
look man-made.
Another guideline of Japanese landscaping is that it must not be
crowded. Because yards can be small, sometimes people want to
fit in as many plants as possible. This can easily end up
looking chaotic and messy. Just like with the Japanese sense of
interior decorating, a minimum of plants cleverly arranged can
generate an innate harmony of visual calm.
A roughly triangular pattern appears commonly in Japanese
landscaping. For example, there are three plants you want to
plant, the largest is located first as an anchor point of the
triangle. The next largest becomes the second point on the
triangle, and the third largest plant the other point. This
arrangement helps balance the aesthetic mass of the three
elements.
Symbolic meanings are associated with plants and other elements
used in Japanese landscaping. Deciduous trees, for example, like
the colorful Japanese maple, stand for the change that is
constant all through life, since they show a different aspect of
themselves every season. On the other hand, evergreen trees
stand firm and stable. In order for something always to be in
bloom in the garden, flowers are often planted that will bloom
sequentially. The colors seen in a Japanese landscape garden
tend to be pastel and subtle. In fact, subtle is a good word to
keep in mind when planning out your Japanese landscape garden.
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