The Beauty of Japanese Gardens.
Japanese gardens provide an oasis of peace and tranquility wherever they are situated.
Their designs are based on providing "walking gardens," with footpaths and seating areas or "viewing gardens," which are on a much smaller scale. The goal of a Japanese Garden designer is to create an illusion of spaciousness and they do this by using perspective.
This is done by surrounding the perimeter of a walking garden with dwarf or small trees which gives the impression of greater distance. And a pond or a hill feature at the front of a viewing garden will be larger than one at the back of the garden. So, from the observers point of view, the smaller natural feature will appear to be further away than it really is.
When one begins on their relaxing journey around a Japanese garden, every point should offer new perspectives which harmonises with the overall area. One of the main benefits of viewing these gardens is to appreciate the beauty of harmony.
They are purposefully designed to instil peace and inspire meditation. The best designed Japanese gardens combine as many favourable elements of nature as possible, within a compact space.
A lot of effort goes into the planning of Japanese gardens and this requires a completely different approach than traditional Western gardens.
They have become so popular that many garden designers who truly appreciate this ancient art, now specialize in creating the perfect Japanese gardens.
Natural stones are an important feature and they will range from small round stones which may cover the pathways, to large rocks which can be very prominent.
Zen rocks are valuable additions to Japanese gardens and these carefully selected large rocks become natural sculptural works of art.
Small pebbles symbolise water and these are chosen for their colour, shape and texture. To manufacture distant rocky peaks, large jagged stones are placed in strategic places. If the illusion of a far away hill is required, a softly rounded moss-covered stone is used.
Designers even take into consideration the ‘feel’ of a stone because this relates to their ‘energy.’ Apparently, some stones have a strong domineering feel whereas others are softer and more feminine.
When man made elements are incorporated, they should always be sourced from natural materials and should serve a natural function.
For example, a timber bridge should span a body of water or a bed of stones, sand or anything that represents water.
Seats placed in the gardens need to be low and unobtrusive and it is vital for the colour, shape and texture of man-made elements to blend in harmoniously with its surroundings.
Western gardens focus more on plants and their various species whereas the focus for Japanese gardens is rocks first, then trees and shrubs secondly.
The spiritual connection that the Japanese people have with their land, with nature and the spirits has prompted them to incorporate natural materials in their gardens. Japanese stone lanterns (or platform lamps) date back to the Nara period and the Heian period.
They were originally located in the Buddhist temples, and according to tradition, they were introduced during the Momoyama period when tea gardens were created by the first great tea masters, and in later gardens they are used purely for decoration.
The very first Japanese gardens appeared on the island of Honshu, the large central island of Japan. Their appearance was greatly influenced by the local characteristics of the Honshu landscape which included rugged volcanic peaks, narrow valleys, mountain streams with waterfalls and cascades, lakes and beaches of small stones.
The wide variety of flowers and trees, especially evergreen trees also featured in these gardens as did the four distinct seasons in Japan, including hot, wet summers and snowy winters.
The origins of Japanese gardens stem from the Japanese religion of Shinto which incorporates the creation of eight perfect islands, and of the shinchi, the lakes of the gods.
They are also strongly influenced by the Chinese philosophy of Daoism and Amida Buddhism, imported from China in or around 552 AD.
Prehistoric Shinto shrines to the kami, the gods and spirits, are found on beaches and in forests all over the island.
These ancient shrines often took the form of unusual rocks or trees marked with cords of rice fiber (shimenawa) and surrounded with white stones or pebbles, a symbol of purity.
The white gravel courtyard became a distinctive feature of Shinto shrines, Imperial Palaces, Buddhist temples, and zen gardens.
The original photos of these Japanese Gardens were captured at three different locations in Australia. The Toowoomba Japanese Gardens, The Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and The Coffs Harbour Botanic Gardens.
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.
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beautiful place...thanks for your post!
Thanks so much @sardrt Have a wonderful weekend.
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I love Japanese gardens; we have one here in the neighborhood. It is small compare those on your photos, but lovely nevertheless. We went there this year and last year in May around my birthday when the beautiful Sakura is blossoming. I took lots of photos and I shared them on Steemit too.
However, I enjoyed reading all the details about Japanese gardens. I new very little about it and I learned something new again. And your photography is outstanding! Beautiful post Trudee 🌸💖🌸
It's always rewarding to know that by sharing a post someone learns something new and finds it interesting at the same time Lena. I'd love to see your Japanese Garden post if you can find the link.
Thanks s lot for your support & appreciation.
You are very welcome Trudee. It feels good to have something to share that others appreciate. Whether on Steemit or in life in general 😊
I have all my links saved on FB. I am happy you would like to see it. When I find it, I will tag you😉
Thank you Lena. Sorry for the late response. I know what you are saying and having others appreciate what we share is a big part of our reward for putting the effort in isn't it? I have looked out for the tag re, your Japanese garden and hope I havent missed it. If it is not available, no worries.......and if I don't get the opportunity before Christmas, I hope you and your loved ones have a very enjoyable Christmas and that your 2019 will be simply amazing.
I copied and past the link for you in your next post I comented on. Anyway, thank you so much Trudee and I wish your and your family very Merry Christmas too 🎄🌟🎄
Howdy trudeehunter! Amazing. So these gardens are actually works of art themselves aren't they? And ya'll have three of them there in Australia! I wonder if I could build one on our Texas property?
They are @janton A lot of thought and planning go into their construction and I cannot see why you couldn't build one in Texas. You could serve tea and scones (although that is not very Japanese-like is it?) and charge a fee to pay for full time gardeners. (lol)
howdy again trudeehunter! well we have two ponds already, they could just be landscaped and rocks brought in and little bridges built. I can see it, it would cost a fortune but it could be done. Mexican crews around here work cheap too!
Well........you're off to a great start with creating your very own Japanese Garden @janton I didn't really think you were serious but I'd be very interested if you go ahead with it.
What a wonderful environment with which to meditate and commune with our creator?
Absolutely trudeehunter! That's what I was thinking when I saw your photos and it all looked so wonderfully peaceful. I would definitely consider it if the budget was there and I could get Mrs. J onboard! (she's kind of a tightwad) lol.
If it's meant to be it will happen @janton The traquliity of Japanese Gardens is one of their best features.
Howdy this fine Sunday trudeehunter! Yes Ma'am I agree!
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Very nice shots. It looks so warm and inviting!
There's supposedly a new-ish Japanese garden up in my state's capital, but it would be frozen over this time of year.
I agree @fotosdenada These gardens are very inviting and so peraceful. Have you visited the Japanese Gardens near you?