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Caring for a Living Christmas Tree
The Christmas season brings with it many decisions to be made. Among them is, "What type of Christmas tree should I put up?" This year, consider a living Christmas tree. Not only will you enjoy it through the holidays, but a living tree can be...
Dream Yard
Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day? As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards--complete with ponds and garden sculptures--the choices...
How To Finance A New Extension?
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The extension plans are ready but the finances are not.
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Planting and Caring for Flower Bulbs
You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active
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The Secret of Rooting Cuttings
You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, ...
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Japanese Gardens - Basic Design Questions That Should Be Addressed
As westerners, we are often compelled to try to control and plan
all design aspects of what we want when constructing something.
We try to anticipate every little detail so we don't make a
mistake. Although you will still need to organize and draw out
your Japanese garden design, plus determine the shape of your
landscape and what you desire for your garden, you should also
allow yourself to "go with the flow" and let it "speak to you"
as your garden takes shape. In other words, allow for
improvisation and ideas to emerge rather than being rigid in
sticking to your original design plan.
Before any work begins within the yard itself, a basic garden
plan should be drawn up to help you formulate your ideas and the
placement of elements. There are several questions you need to
address to help with this process:
1) Do you already have an existing garden in the area where you
wish to incorporate a Japanese garden style? If so, what type of
garden is it (flower garden, English garden, rustic wildflower
garden, etc.)?
2) Will you be able to integrate your current garden into the
new Japanese garden plan? What aspects and features will remain
and what will have to be moved, replaced or removed entirely?
3) What style of Japanese garden are you most interested in -
tea garden, courtyard garden, stroll garden, pond and island
garden, Zen rock garden or a combination of two or more? For
very small areas, you will most likely stick to only one style.
For those that have a large landscape, you can have your choice
of any of the styles to suit your desires and landscape area.
4) How large is the area of the site that you are considering
using? Does it have natural hills and valleys? Are there any
elements, such a stream, already present? Take a good visual
view of your selected site and note down all the details on
paper. Take measurements as well, so you know the exact area
size you will be working with.
5) What elements and features are important to you? For example,
do you wish to add a waterfall, water basin, or a rock
arrangement? Would you like one small area to feature a Zen
garden? Is a stepping-stone pathway that leads to a gate
appealing?
6) Will you be
building this garden by yourself or will you have
help? The size, design and amount of work to create your
Japanese garden will affect this answer. Obviously, building a
very large stroll garden by yourself would take forever and be
impractical.
7) If you plan to use large boulders or plant more mature trees
(rather than saplings), how will you get them into your garden?
Is there room and access for large machinery to help with
placement? Keep in mind boulders and large trees are extremely
heavy.
8) Will your garden be formal, semi-formal, or informal (rustic)?
9) Many Japanese gardens are actually built around a theme. Do
you have a theme in mind for your garden? An example of a theme
would be a miniaturized version of "The Bridge To Heaven", which
is a marble and stone bridge that spans the famous Dragon Beard
Ditch in China. This bridge was built over 600 years ago to
allow the Ming and Qing emperors to cross over on their way to
the Temple of Heaven. Your theme could even revolve around a
smaller replica or area of an original famous garden of Japan.
Read books and view photographs of existing gardens to get some
ideas.
10) What do you want to achieve with your garden? Will it be
used primarily for meditation? Do you wish to incorporate a
strolling pathway with new visual delights beyond each curve? Do
you want the invigorating sounds of water, such as a waterfall
or fast moving stream? Will it be a place to sit quietly and
contemplate nature? Understanding the concept behind the garden
design is important.
In conclusion, these types of questions should be contemplated
carefully and answered thoroughly before you begin to put your
design down on paper, otherwise you could end up with a garden
that holds no meaning for you or your visitors. A Japanese
garden should have a "reason for being." What are your reasons?
About the author:
(c)2005, Rose Smith owns Gardens From Japan, where you can learn
more about Japanese garden styles and design.
Visit http://www.gardensfromjapan.com for more
information.
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