If you’re seriously considering having a Japanese garden put in, remember that it’s not just a matter of throwing some greenery, rocks, and a random assortment of Japanese-looking accessories together. Japanese gardens are known all over the world for their beauty and relaxing atmosphere and to build your own Japanese garden you don’t need to have a massive garden or terrace. All you need to do is use your creativity and keep in mind the following tips. For you to get the authentic look and feel, here are some things you might want to consider:
• Design Principles – If anything, the entire concept of Japanese gardens is to commune with nature, so don’t attempt to inject something into it that doesn’t occur naturally in nature. Like a square wading pool, for example.
• Ma, Wabi, and Sabi – Simply put, Ma, Wabi, and Sabi all refer to the elements of time and space. Loosely translated, Ma refers to space, Wabi the element of being one-of-a-kind, and Sabi refers to the element of time, and the ideal image of a thing. Together, these three concepts deal with how in-sync all the elements of your garden are. How it complies with the principle of Yin and Yang.
• Basic Designs – Generally, there are three basic designs to choose from when you’re considering a Japanese garden.
- Hiraniwa or Flat Garden – This particular style employs the use of flat, open spaces in the karesansui manner. This kind of garden is usually found in places of ceremony and prayer, and is best if you want a good place for meditation and contemplation.
- Rojiniwa or Tea Garden – In this kind of garden, it is the Roji or the dewy path, along with the gates and the water basin that are the stars of the show. Very rustic in its design, foliage is kept to a minimum, almost to the point of being sparse.
- Chisen-Kaiyu-Skiki or Hill and Pond Garden – This is a basic style and design that was imported from China. If you want a garden you can stroll through at your leisure, then the Hill and Pond garden is your best bet.
