Japanese gardens create landscapes which resembles nature through the careful placement of trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, & water. Zen & Shinto traditions have greatly influenced Japanese gardening & as a result the gardens are contemplative & serene spaces. It’s essential that all the elements work well together within the garden & that the relationship between rocks, plants & water is well thought out.

The basic landscape elements found in most Japanese gardens include trees, shrubs, rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones & fences. Boulders are often used as centerpieces & provide the garden with a feeling of stability. Gravel is used to imitate the flow of water & other small stones are used to create boundaries & are turned into sculptural lanterns. Right. Water, whether it be in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden. It can sometimes be actual water or a symbolic representation, either way, it’s vital to the Japanese garden.

In Japanese gardening there’re three basic ways to create a landscape scene. The first of these is reduced scale. Reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, & all, & reproducing it on a smaller scale. Symbolization is abstract & could include using white sand to symbolize water & boulders to symbolize islands. Borrowed views refers to the use of distant a landscapes, such as a mountain, & incorporating it into the garden.

There are many types of Japanese gardens. Zen garden are meant to be viewed rather than entered. They are comprised of a mix of boulders, gravel or sand, moss & a limited number of trees an shrubs. Carefully placed stones symbolize islands while the gravel or sand, raked into interesting patterns, symbolizes water. Zen gardens help clear the mind & aid in contemplation.

Another type of Japanese garden is the tea garden. The tea garden is considered a ceremonial space which consists of an outer garden & an inner garden. Tea gardens are small & are ideal for all those gardens with limited space. The outer garden is informal & consists of an entry gate to & a stone path leading toward the inner garden. Another stone path flows through the inner garden, whose plants are more formally placed. The inner path leads to a small building where the actual tea ceremony is performed.

Another garden appropriate for a small space or patio is the courtyard garden. The design of the Japanese courtyard garden is kept simple & is usually built to be observed from inside the house. It could, however, be planned so it’s a useable outdoor space. Consisting of a few plants, a small water feature, a dry stream, or other simple elements, the Japanese courtyard garden allows nature & light to flow into your home through large windows & patio doors.

The above examples are just a few Japanese garden styles. Before designing & planting your own garden, look through some garden books & search for photos of Japanese gardens online. Japanese gardens are intended to create a meditative & relaxing experience. A little planning & research will often help you design a serene & beautiful landscape which will delight all who visit your garden.

Tim Birch is the publisher of http://www.gardenlistings.com . For information on all kinds of garden projects visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/Resources.htm