| The modern Japanese garden will only contain | | | | There are many different Japanese garden |
| things that occur in nature. Japanese | | | | styles. These include a Zen garden or dry |
| gardens offer a tranquil setting for | | | | garden, Japanese tea garden, a stroll garden, |
| relaxation and meditation. Elements of | | | | courtyard garden, and pond and island style. |
| Japanese gardens include stones, water, | | | | |
| plants, ornaments, borrowed scenery, and | | | | In Japanese gardens, stone lanterns are often |
| architecture. Elements for the garden will | | | | placed near a pond or a stream to represent |
| be in the proper scale; there will be no huge | | | | the female and male elements of water and |
| boulders placed in a tiny garden area. | | | | fire. This is known as yin and yang in |
| | | | Japanese tradition. |
| The first element placed in the garden will | | | | |
| usually be the stones. The stones are the | | | | Japanese gardens will have empty spaces, and |
| main element of the garden. They are usually | | | | there will be no crowded spaces. The gardens |
| positioned in odd numbers and are grouped | | | | will usually be enclosed with natural fencing |
| together in triangular shapes or randomly. | | | | and a gate or gates. The Japanese garden is |
| They can be used for stepping stones or for | | | | always a work in progress and will never be |
| viewing. Stones can be arranged to emphasize | | | | completed. Asymmetry is another element of |
| a faraway mountain or a nearby tree. The | | | | these gardens. There will be no straight |
| pathways that the stepping stones form | | | | lines or rows. |
| represent a person's journey through life. | | | | |
| The stones can be placed so that the person | | | | Flowers and colorful foliage are sparingly |
| will slow down as they travel through the | | | | used to signify changing seasons in the |
| garden. Stones can be used to represent | | | | Japanese garden. The flowering plants used |
| mountains or islands and to express the human | | | | are usually cherry or plum trees, azaleas, |
| emotions of strength and endurance. | | | | peonies, and chrysanthemums. Other plants |
| | | | commonly used include bamboo, moss, Japanese |
| Water features are an important element of a | | | | maples, and evergreens, such as Japanese |
| Japanese garden. Water symbolizes purity. | | | | black pine. Some plants may be chosen not |
| The water features in the garden will appear | | | | only for their flowers but perhaps because of |
| to flow naturally as in streams or waterfalls | | | | the attractive way they look with snow on the |
| or will be in ponds but not in fountains. | | | | branches, raindrops on the stems, or sun |
| Raked gravel is sometimes used to represent | | | | shining through the leaves. Nothing |
| water. | | | | unsightly should be used in the garden. |
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