Japanese Garden Design Is Quite Simple If You Do This

Japanese garden design is about as hard toare scarce or nonexistent in Japanese garden design.
understand to Westerners as the Japanese languageRather, dry gravel streambed or sand swept into
is. The relationship to the rich and ancient easternpatterns and large rocks and boulders are used to tell
culture adds to this difficulty. The practice is not justthe tales. Remember that the heart of all Japanese
a style of landscaping. Rather, it a statement thatgarden design is symbolism and storytelling, the
delivers a specific meaning. Adding further to itstradition is that this is done with plants and other
complexity is the influence of fengshui and itselements of nature and not so much the use of
borrowings from Buddhism and Chinese culture.colorful flowers.
The intention of Japanese garden design is to useEqually important to Japanese garden design are the
nature to make a statement. The main element isuse of water, and more specifically the use of
symbology, most of which is influenced by Shintoismrunning water, which symbolizes passing time or life.
and Buddhism, which is where the gods inhabit nature.What shouldn't get lost in Japanese garden design,
This adds even more its cultural complexity makingbut often is by Westerners because they think it's
hard for us to understand.'complicated', is its simplicity. Once you know the
Since the garden is making a statement or telling astory you are trying tell, it's as simple as composing
story, the first step is to determine what story youthe elements of nature to tell that story.
want to tell. What is it you want to communicate toWhat one should refrain from doing is blindly copying
the world with your garden? It might be a good ideasomeone else's garden. Why would you do that?
to decide in broad terms what you want to say, andPerhaps because you think it "looks" good. But if the
then through some research find out how Japanese"good looks" are just the result of the telling of a
would go about communicating that truth, concept orstory, then the copier certainly is missing the point. It
story with a garden.would be like framing a poem you don't understand
Another outstanding feature of Japanese gardenand hanging it on the wall. First think of what you
design is that the main point is not to be beautiful orwant to say, and then through the principles of
showy. The appearance of the garden is not itsJapanese garden design learn how to say and then
purpose, but rather the message is the purpose.say it. Don't start from the beauty, but rather from
Beauty is the after thought, so to speak.the story.
The careful observer will notice that flowering plants