Japanese landscape design, photo. Different types of Japanese garden: rules for creating a style Designing a Japanese garden

Dacha is not only a place where fruits and vegetables are grown, but also an opportunity to escape from problems, to communicate with nature. Therefore, most summer residents are trying to create all kinds of places for recreation on their plots.

A Japanese garden can become a stylish and unusual place to relax. It does not require large space, 5-7 m2 is enough. Armed with information about DIY Japanese-style gardening and a little effort, you can get a magical corner for relaxation and relaxation.

Distinctive features of Japanese landscape design

The style of the oriental garden is determined by the nature of the state of Japan, more than half of whose area is occupied by mountainous areas. The landscapes are dominated by rocks, mountain streams, lakes, and the seashore. The elements of water, stone and plants predominate here.

Therefore, Japan is characterized by a muted color scheme of gray-brown and greenish tones. Floral elements complete the picture, such is the philosophical principle of non-interference in nature. Nature itself is beautiful and harmonious. She doesn't need decoration.

The area of ​​the Japanese green corner is often small, but all the elements are carefully thought out. Photo example:

Site planning basics

Depending on the terrain, the layout of the garden is of two types:

1. flat (suitable for a small area);
2. hilly.

For the Japanese style, elements of water and stone are required. Water is a pond, a stream, a fountain, it all depends on your financial capabilities. The stones represent the mountains, there can be from one to a dozen of them, if the territory allows.

Much attention is paid to paths, bridges and gazebos. Plants in such a garden are not the main component. Therefore, they should not be too pompous. Moss and monochrome low flowers, "weeping" trees, modest green shrubs - these are its characteristic inhabitants.

Basic techniques for creating a Japanese garden look

You should follow certain rules that will achieve the best result:

• The design doesn't have to be symmetrical.
• Each component of the garden is thought out in advance and harmoniously fits into the composition.
• Elements are selected in soft shades, the correct shape, if these are stones, then they are rounded. Such components are designed to calm and relax a person.
• Unoccupied land in Japanese classical gardens is covered with gravel or rammed. It is not forbidden to plant lawn grass. Green meadows are made small.
• Garden elements are placed at a certain distance from each other. No need to plant a large number of plants and install a lot of stones.

DIY Japanese garden design step by step

1. We make a project. It will depend on the territory of the site: flat or hilly. It is easier to set up a garden on a flat plot. Hilly - more like a Japanese landscape.
2. We pay attention to the tracks, their configuration and the material from which they will be made. Tracks made of flat stones will look more organic.
3. We select stones. They should match in color, not have sharp corners and chips. Stones are set in the center of the garden, avoiding piles of one on top of the other. The distance between them is planted with grass or moss, or sprinkled with gravel.
4. We select vegetation taking into account the Russian climate. It is not necessary to clutter up the garden with large trees and shrubs, especially if its territory is small. Suitable ground covers and low bushes or small conifers. Of the large trees, you can plant one, but textured, brightly and continuously flowering.
5. We are planning auxiliary components: a stream, a fountain, a pond, a gazebo or a bridge.
6. Consider lighting. Lanterns can be both high, up to 2 m, and hiding in the bushes.
7. A crucial stage in the design of a Japanese garden is the choice of plants. They should be cold-resistant and combined with the Japanese style.

Selection of plants for Japanese design

Choose vegetation based on the fact that in the Japanese classical garden it is decorative all year round. In cold climates, evergreens are scarce. Therefore, given the frosty winters, the following trees and shrubs are planted in our Japanese gardens:

• pine, which can be shaped at the request of the gardener;
• felt cherry;
• maple;
• tree peony;
• frost-resistant rhododendron;
• different varieties of barberry and hawthorn;
• cold-resistant spireas;
• winter-hardy ground covers;
• ferns;
• perennial flowers.

The main thing is not to allow pretentiousness. The garden should look simple and concise. If you follow the basic rules, then you will have an amazing place for privacy and distraction from everyday worries.

The best way to get acquainted with classic Japanese gardens, of course, is in the Land of the Rising Sun itself. Let's first look at a couple of typical examples, made in different eras, but in traditional Japanese styles.

classic pattern

The rock garden of the Reanji Temple, located on the territory of a monastery in the city of Kyoto, is one of the most amazing and mysterious examples of Japanese gardening. It is believed that it was created in the 15th century by the famous Zen Buddhist master Soami. This is a place for meditation, designed to create a special inner mood in a person. The garden is made in the so-called dry landscape technique (karesansui) and is a rectangular area about 23 by 9 meters in size, covered with white gravel. There are 15 stones on it, forming five independent groups. In shape, each of them is most similar to a scalene triangle. The concept of the garden was based on the ideas of Zen Buddhism, mainly wabi (asceticism, no frills). An atmosphere of unobtrusive simplicity and peace reigns here, full of mysterious innuendo that lies in the depths of all things and allows everyone to find something of their own in it.

To this day, Zen Buddhists come to this temple for meditation. The garden is contemplated only from the terrace of the rector's house - you can't go down. Only a monk is allowed to walk on the gravel, who regularly renews the strips on the gravel with a rake and removes the leaves of the trees brought here. Contemplation of the stones helps to focus, find peace and delve into oneself, and their outlines give rise to everyone's own associations.

Source of inspiration

The gardens of the Buddhist temple complex Tofuku-ji in Kyoto are indecently young by Japanese standards: they were created in 1939 by the outstanding Japanese garden designer Mirei Shigemori (1896-1975).

It is interesting

Four different gardens appear before the viewer one after another as you move along the wooden gallery around the temple.

Southern - consists of four stone groups, symbolizing the islands of bliss, located in a sea of ​​gravel. Stones of different sizes - lying on their side, flat and set vertically in the form of sharp peaks - create a feeling of motion frozen for a moment. On the right side of this garden are five gently sloping hills covered with green moss, symbolizing the main Zen monasteries of Kyoto. They are like a promised land in the harsh sea of ​​\u200b\u200bworldly storms, a promise of peace in the black and white reality of everyday life. And in the spring, these hills are not green, but red. The expression of the garden is amazing, it seems to pulsate with energy.

Eastern garden - seven cylindrical gray stones of different heights, placed like stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Initially, they were used as foundation blocks in various temple buildings.

The western garden consists of azalea bushes trimmed in the form of rectangular parallelepipeds, placed on a gravel dump. Squares of living greenery and gravel alternate like squares on a chessboard.

But the Northern Garden is especially good. This is a rectangular platform, on which moss and stone tiles alternate in the same checkerboard pattern, and low shrubs of small-leaved azalea trimmed with hemispheres are planted along the edges. The borders of the stone squares gradually blur into moss, which closes more and more tightly and gradually absorbs them.

The minimalism of Tofuku-ji gardens is amazing. Each of their elements is imbued with deep symbolism and philosophy, but even for a person who is absolutely far from all this, they create a feeling of harmony and absolute peace. Nothing but rocks, gravel, moss and bushes. So simple - and so expressive!

Principles

If you are so interested in Japanese gardens that you are even thinking about creating your own Japanese corner in the garden, then you need to familiarize yourself with the basic ideas and principles that guide the masters of the Land of the Rising Sun.

The worldview of the Japanese is unique: the inhabitants of this country are characterized by the ability to enjoy the variability of nature and the immutability of the world. Japanese seasonal traditions are widely known: admiring the first snow, which is considered not only a symbol of the cold season, but also a premonition of a new life, the moon, symbolizing the eternity of the world, flowers in their endless transformation - sakura, azaleas, Japanese irises, peonies, chrysanthemums.

That is why the Japanese garden is an ambiguous, collective concept that unites various styles and philosophical directions. Perhaps the most famous are three of them - a garden for a tea ceremony, for meditation and for walking. They also differ significantly in size: they can be both tiny and spread over an area of ​​tens of hectares. And, therefore, having decided to create a Japanese corner, you can always choose the option that is ideal for your site.

As a rule, a Japanese garden contains the following main elements: stone, water and plants.

One of the classic Japanese gardens with a pond has its own name - "the garden of the hill and the pond." OIt can be both large and small, but in its center there is always a pond with an island connected to the land by a bridge.

There are usually few plants in a Japanese garden (and sometimes none at all). They should harmoniously fit into the composition, and, in addition, they can serve as a natural separator between the Japanese corner and its surroundings. For this purpose, you can plant large plants around the perimeter or behind the fence.

In large gardens for walking (kayushiki-teien), not only hiking routes, but also water ones were carefully thought out: while riding a boat, one could enjoy the beauty of landscapes illuminated by moonlight, and simple-shaped platforms were built to contemplate the water surface and changing reflections, most often square or rectangular.

A corner of Japan in your garden

Heated discussions about whether a Japanese-style garden is appropriate outside of their historical homeland periodically flare up among both professionals and amateur gardeners. Opinions on this matter are expressed very different: from the categorical denial of this idea to its equally furious promotion. As a rule, no arguments can shake the position of supporters of the creation of such gardens. Except maybe common sense.

It is interesting

Contraindications

Is it worth it to arrange a Japanese garden in central Russia? Before you answer this question, you need to think carefully about whether it is right for you. After all, any garden should first of all suit your family, correspond to its lifestyle.

Warehouse character and way of life. If on weekends and holidays you usually spend time in your country house surrounded by many friends and relatives with songs and barbecues, then you should not do a Japanese garden - it is not intended for this at all. An ascetic Japanese gazebo is absolutely not suitable for feasts. And the main thing in such a garden is the landscape, which serves for passive contemplation. After all, the philosophy of the Japanese garden is based on the idea of ​​recreating the natural landscape in miniature, designed to show the power of nature and its divine incorruptibility.

attitude towards plants. You should also abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcreating a Japanese-style garden if you are an enthusiastic florist who loves bright colors: it is simply contraindicated for you. The color scheme of Japanese gardens is very restrained, it is dominated by green color, “diluted” only with spring cherry blossoms and bright autumn foliage of maples. There are very few perennials - mostly trees and shrubs. And, therefore, lovers of phloxes and roses, as they say, please do not worry. If for a European gardener or designer the main thing in a garden is still plants, it does not matter whether they are cut for a regular garden or freely growing for a landscape one, then the Japanese have different priorities. They create a world in miniature, where all the elements of nature are certainly present: stone, water and vegetation. Pay attention - she is in last place.

Ability to provide care. The Japanese garden is very demanding of its owner. It must always be in perfect condition. Here, there can be no talk of slight neglect or elegant negligence of a landscape garden. So the Japanese corner is not suitable for those who take care of the site from time to time, when there is a free minute and the right mood happens. Although Japanese gardens are minimalistic, they require maximum maintenance.

Indications

Do you want to have your own Japanese garden, do you like this style, do you understand the language of symbols and is close to the philosophy underlying it? Are you (and other members of your family too) not lazy and at the same time prefer a leisurely meditative pastime, like to observe nature and do not seek to surround yourself with lush flowers of all conceivable and unthinkable shades? Perhaps a Japanese garden is exactly what you need.

If you have firmly decided that you simply need a Japanese corner, first decide on its location on the site. Surely, your house, outbuildings and fence are made in a completely different style, so the Japanese garden should be a separate composition. You should not give him the entire territory of the garden plot - let it be a special green room that is not striking and from where, in turn, the buildings are not visible. At the same time, a fence that is not suitable in style can be decorated with lianas (grapes, girlish or Amur, petiolate hydrangea, wood pliers, aristolochia) or covered with ready-made bamboo screens.

plant assortment

Due to climatic differences, plants traditionally used in Japanese gardens do not always feel good in the conditions of central Russia.

First of all, this concerns the famous Japanese maples. The bewitching autumn landscapes of the local gardens owe their magnificence to them. They are distinguished by a spectacular openwork crown and graceful leaves of various shapes and colors. The most popular of them is palm-shaped or fan-shaped maple (Acer palmatum). Unfortunately, in our climate zone, he is uncomfortable: he freezes, grows poorly and requires careful selection of a landing site and care.

Fortunately, as an alternative, you can choose species similar in decorative qualities, but unpretentious and stable in central Russia - Manchurian maples (A. mandschuricum) and pseudosiebolds (A. pseudosieboldianum). They are small trees or large shrubs with carved small leaves that turn orange or purple in autumn.

It is impossible to imagine spring in a Japanese garden without sakura, which, unfortunately, also feels bad even in the Moscow region, not to mention the more northern regions. It can also be replaced, for example, with Sakhalin, Kuril or ordinary cherries. In the end, even ornamental or fruit apple and plum trees, as well as hawthorns, will do. Any lush bloom, albeit non-authentic, will be much more interesting than a few flowers of real sakura that are clearly suffering from us. In addition, in Japan they often plant gray spirea, which is resistant to us. Its abundant flowering in spring is a fantastic sight.

Among the classic "inhabitants" of the Japanese garden and small-leaved azaleas, sheared in the shape of hemispheres. It is easier and much cheaper for us to replace them with Bumald and Japanese spireas.

On a note

In Japanese gardens, bamboo is often found, which grows rapidly, forming continuous thickets. It is extraordinarily expressive, but it will not survive on every Russian site. As an alternative, we can plant Sakhalin buckwheat. By cutting off the lower leaves, you will achieve the desired illusion. It is only necessary to take into account that it is growing rapidly: subsequently it will have to be tightly controlled.

Do Japanese gardens need stone lanterns and pagodas? This is not necessary at all, and getting too carried away with them is completely contraindicated. But if you really want to “start” them, then do not get a cheap imitation. A vulgar fake will not add a “Japanese” look to your creation, but it will easily destroy the calmly contemplative atmosphere of the garden.

When planning your own Japanese garden, try, like real creators, not to copy ready-made samples created by recognized masters, but to consider them as a source of inspiration, using only the elements you especially like, as well as putting into practice the principles of placing stones and plants in compositions.

If, having realized all the difficulties, you have only become stronger in your desire to create simplicity and harmony, multiplied by perfection, on your few hundred square meters, do not give up your dream for anything. And may good luck accompany you!

Variations on a theme

There are Japanese-style gardens in many countries around the world.

One of the most famous in Europe is the Water Garden of the famous Impressionist painter Claude Monet in Giverny. Although the painter had never been to Japan, he read a lot about the traditions of this country, its art and philosophy, and his passion for Japanese prints lasted all his life.
The feeling of the East in his garden is created only by plants and water. There are no characteristic bridges and stone lanterns, but there is a play of light and shadow, unsteadiness of reflections, subtly changing color of water. Monet ordered rare varieties of irises and nymphs from Japan, and willows were planted along the banks of the reservoir. “These landscapes, with water and reflections, have become some kind of obsession,” the artist himself wrote.
There are many Japanese gardens in the UK, such as the Kyoto Garden. It occupies a separate part of Holland Park, located in the center of London, and was created by a team of professional Japanese landscape designers and architects. This is a real masterpiece with ponds and a waterfall, which attracts many visitors with its unique magical atmosphere.

One of the successful options for a Japanese garden can be seen in Holland: both the fence was suitably designed and the place was identified away from the rest of the garden. This is a separate green room with its own entrance, most of which is occupied by a pond with koi.

Muscovites and guests of our capital can visit the Japanese corner in the Main Botanical Garden. It was created by professionals from the Land of the Rising Sun and is in no way inferior to the best European designs.

Japanese aesthetics are very special. She is alien to luxury and intricacy, redundancy of objects. Japanese beauty lies in a calm balance, harmony of shapes, lines, shades and sounds.

The Japanese landscape is not just a picturesque picture, but a way of understanding the world, which is based on a very respectful, poetic attitude towards nature.

Garden design in Japan, of course, is also the result of the work of masters, but, above all, it is a product of intellectual labor. The Japanese gardener will not "reshape" the terrain and remake the landscape, trying to adapt the area to his own whim. He is a student of Nature and, creating a landscape, follows its laws.
Even the tiniest Japanese garden is a replica of the surrounding nature, a philosophical interpretation of the environment that is typical for a particular area. There is nothing random in it, not a single meaningless detail: each stone, lantern or stump is a symbol of a certain concept and is “responsible” for good luck, health, material well-being.

Advantages and features of the Japanese garden

What captivates the Japanese landscape of Europeans?
Mysterious thoughtfulness, clarity of lines, smooth flow of shade into shade ... But he also has other interesting qualities.

The Japanese garden contributes to the formation of a reasonable, unflappable attitude to life; it pacifies, develops a sense of taste.

The Japanese garden is a great stress reliever. And also, since it is dominated by feng shui, the doctrine of the circulation of energies, it is also a place of power, physical recovery.

Finally, such a garden is a perfect model for a plot of any size, even a very small one. It will also fit perfectly into irregularly shaped areas - too narrow, located on a slope, with stony, hummocky soil.

However, to realize the Japanese dream is not so easy.

What is required for this?
- First, to have a truly refined taste.
- Secondly, quite extensive knowledge of Japanese culture. Moreover, it is necessary to share the worldview, which will become the conceptual basis for your garden. In particular, remember that absolutely all objects must be full of meaning and be where they are prescribed by Feng Shui.

The unshakable rules that should be followed when setting up a Japanese garden include:

1. multidimensionality. The garden is created, first of all, for contemplation, therefore, at each turn of the path, from each elevation, a new perspective should open. To achieve this, level differences, bridges, and hills are widely used.
2. Lack of symmetry. Nature does without a ruler and compass, and the Japanese garden, we recall, repeats nature in everything.
3. The main elements in the Japanese worldview are plants, water and stones. This is, if you like, the "holy trinity" of the Japanese garden.
4. There are traditionally a lot of stones. They are located in groups, forming local rock gardens, paths are laid out of them, dry streams are made.
5. An important nuance is the use of local materials. No need to bring picturesque stones from afar - they will be alien to your area.
6. Water is welcome in any form. It can be a pond, a stream, a fountain.
7. Compositionality is another priority of the Japanese landscape. Separate objects should be combined into picturesque groups: a stream, a bridge and a textured pine, for example, or a stone, a bush and a lantern above them.

If you want to decorate the entire backyard in the Japanese manner, then first break it into parts of an irregular, arbitrary shape. It is desirable that they coincide with the main functional areas.
Then take care of a soft, natural transition from zone to zone: use stones, trees, discreet accessories as conditional boundaries.

However, do not try to recreate Japan among Russian aspens and birches, do not mindlessly copy garden patterns from Kyoto and Okinawa. The main thing is the general principles. And choose plants, stones, flowers from the local area: only such a landscape will look believable, which ultimately corresponds to Japanese philosophy.

The main colors of the Japanese garden

In the Land of the Rising Sun, they believe that a large number of lushly flowering plants of various types can unbalance a person, deprive him of peace and thoughtfulness.
A legend has been passed down from generation to generation, according to which a certain shogun, having heard about the beauty of one of the gardens, notified the owner that he would come to visit him for an excursion. When Vladyka at the appointed hour stepped outside the gate of the garden, he did not see a single flowering plant - all the flowers were mercilessly cut. The guest got angry... But the owner invited him to the arbor, where a flower flaunted on the table - the only, inimitable. Such a dramatic reception made the shogun's heart tremble with surging feelings.

In other words, a charmingly restrained gamut of the Japanese garden, consisting of their shades and midtones, smooth transitions. The pinnacle of skill is to ensure that a certain corner of the garden is sustained in numerous shades of a single color. Let's say white, yellow or purple.
But gray, mossy green, muted brown and non-dazzling white can be called the base colors for the Japanese landscape.

Metaphysics of trees in a Japanese garden

A classic Japanese site is unthinkable without three, one might say, sacred plants - plum, pine and bamboo. The first symbolizes spring, the triumph of life and is considered the tree of the samurai.
The tradition of admiring plum blossom branches (hanami) is no less strong than in the case of sakura.
Pine represents courage, fortitude and longevity; a crooked, wind-worn pine tree is one of the most recognizable emblems of the Land of the Rising Sun.
And bamboo is associated with flexibility, strength, the ability to overcome any circumstances.

Deep symbolism, however, was formed later. And the first Japanese gardeners simply used those trees and shrubs that grew nearby. At the same time, mountain plants were planted in areas where there were a lot of stones, and estates located in the lowlands were decorated with valley plants. This means that it is not at all necessary to buy Japanese seedlings and seeds; familiar, local flora is quite suitable for the garden.

Bamboo, for example, can be replaced with willow, fargesia, saz, high Sakhalin mountaineer.
Siberian cedar from Russian boron will cope with the role of white and black Japanese pine, and native cherries will bloom and smell no worse than Japanese ume plums.

When choosing plants, remember: your task is not to make the garden shimmer with colors from the first days of spring until late autumn. And that bright flashes of flowering alternate with long phases of rest.

Cherries, smooth elms, oaks and especially maples also look very Japanese - the pattern of their leaves, the rich autumn palette fully meets the Japanese ideals of beauty and harmony.

Bushes, herbs and flowers

When choosing shrubs, you should consider the architecture of each plant, the texture and shades of its leaves. Most often, landscape designers recommend barberry, cotoneaster and hawthorn. Thanks to the berries and the shade of the foliage, these crops are quite effective, and also keep their shape for a long time after shearing.

It will not be possible to do without a periodic haircut: tradition requires that there be spherical plants in the garden. It is given not only to cotoneaster, barberry, boxwood, but even to low elms, thujas, dwarf yews, rhododendrons. These and other trimmed plants often form hedges.

To create green walls and carpets, different types of spirea, action, as well as herbs - lightning, feather grass, miscanthus are used. Mosses, ornamental sedges and grasses are widely used.

Arrange several miniature monogardens. They can be formed from hostas, ferns, that is, plants of the same type, supplemented with stones. This artistic method is fully consistent with the spirit of the Japanese garden.

Flowers in the Eastern worldview are as ambiguous as trees. Everyone knows, for example, that the chrysanthemum is the same symbol of Japan as a sakura branch or a silhouette of a pine tree. In high esteem and daylilies, irises, bulbous.

Plant chrysanthemum shungiku. This is a special, edible type of flower, very popular in the East. From the leaves of such a chrysanthemum, the Japanese prepare many dishes, assuring that they have healing properties.

Appropriate in the Japanese garden are peonies that signify love, a symbol of modesty amarylis, as well as white roses - a sign of nobility. However, flowers should be in moderation and it is better to arrange them not in common flower beds, but in separate lawns.

Stones and more stones...

Their significance for the Japanese garden is enormous.

Stones, firstly, lay out a recreation area - a patio. As well as the main path that goes deep into the garden. For it, large slabs with uneven edges are chosen, and smaller samples cover secondary paths and boundaries between zones.
Secondly, stones are needed for a dry landscape, in other words, for. The fact is that in the old days the Japanese believed: the gods live among the scattered blocks and boulders. Since then, rocky landscapes have been a place where monks meditate.

At the heart of the rock garden is a heptagon of lines, at the intersection of which large fragments of limestone, granite, and quartz are installed. The space between them is covered with pebbles, on the surface of which waves are drawn.

Stones are selected, taking into account both the shape and color. Gray, bluish are identified with the element of water, greenish with vegetation, and stones of outlandish forms symbolize animals in the garden.

The stone garden should be located in such a way that the sun does not blind the eyes of those who will admire it.

The more varied the shape of the fragments, the better. In this case, there must be a lying, horizontally elongated stone; curved; flat; low-vertical and stone statue. Without the latter, the Japanese say, a garden is not a garden.

Diversity of reservoirs

There must also be a tsukubai bowl made of stone, a low tub that was once used as a washstand. Tsukubai today is part of the decor, as well as a reminder that water is the eternal, philosophical companion of stone.

If the area and opportunities allow, you can dig a pond, a characteristic detail for the estates of Japanese aristocrats. Often in the middle of such a reservoir, an island is poured (a symbol of the habitat of souls, that is, immortality), connecting it to the shore using wooden flooring or stones (stone slabs).

Almost always in the Japanese landscape there is a waterfall. The jets rush down from a rock fragment into a narrow channel formed by smaller stones. Splashing and murmuring is considered one of the best music in Japan, and flying water adds dynamics to the landscape.

It is possible to organize traditional Japanese reservoirs without extra costs, resorting to modern means. Tsukubai bowls, for example, today are made of polyvinyl chloride, painted to look like an old, mossy stone.

Small architectural forms and lighting

If you intend to follow the canons of Japanese landscape art in everything, then you cannot do without a tea house. Moreover, the first Japanese gardens arose around such houses as an addition to the traditional tea ceremony.

Actually, today a tea pavilion can be an ordinary wooden gazebo in the shape of a pagoda or a cube, painted in red, brown, white.

Another important attribute is the zigzag yatsuhashi bridge. Its elongated, serpentine silhouette symbolizes the sinuous path of life, the road that a person passes in search of truth.

Bridges can be arched, reminiscent of a rainbow shape, imitate ships, be made of wood and stone, extend not only over water bodies, but also over dry streams.

At the pond, waterfall, in the rock garden, do not forget to install benches - straight, ascetic in shape, consisting of stone supports and flat wooden seats.

Stone lanterns are a tribute to tradition, which should not be abandoned. Such lamps come in a variety of shapes, as well as heights - from squat, resembling rounded stones, to tall pillars.

There are also hanging lanterns, lamps made of bronze, in the form of pagodas, carved squares, cylinders, polygons… Some of them shine upwards, others are designed to illuminate the earth…
If you arrange these devices correctly - along the paths, along the perimeter of the patio, at the edge of the pond, near the gazebo - the site will receive the optimal dose of natural light: dim, but a little mysterious, like the whole garden.

Reading time ≈ 4 minutes

An exotic Japanese-style garden will differ from those familiar to our eyes with a higher degree of thoughtfulness. Due to the limited territories in Japan, traditionally each meter carries a certain style load. Therefore, compactness and diversity are the main features of Japanese gardens. There are no flower beds, flower beds and straight paths. In the first place, stones and gravel, winding streams and waterfalls, dwarf trees are sure to catch your eye.

Japanese gardens are mysterious, they affect the beholder with the perfection of forms and beauty, green tints and laconism of artistic techniques. The essence of the landscape of the Land of the Rising Sun is in the harmony of 3 elements - water, stone and plants. The structure of the landscape is given by stones, it is very important to comprehend the art of their placement. Small placers of pebbles, stones and boulders should lie asymmetrically, and if they become overgrown with moss over time, this will make the composition even more natural.

Compositional construction of a garden in the Japanese style

If you decide to build a Japanese-style garden with your own hands, then you need to start with the composition. The garden can be flat or hilly. The hilly area allows you to create more textured compositions. If you have a relatively flat area, you can make artificial hills. There are 2 types of composition that you can look at in the photo in the article - these are:

• a lonely composition, where a rock, a lantern, a statue, a miniature pagoda or a waterfall can act as the main element;
• group, where there are many equivalent elements.

The composition should be such that the garden reveals itself in its beauty from any vantage point. It should not have blind ugly zones. Another feature of the layout is that it should not fully open. With each step, some miniature new composition should open up: around the corner - a stream, behind a tree - a lantern.

Embodiment

So, you have decided to make a Japanese-style garden design. It is quite feasible to lay a Japanese-style garden on a small plot - for example, only on the notorious 6 acres. Mandatory elements present on the site should be stones and water. Think about how you implement it. Reservoirs can be implemented in different ways. It can be a peaceful river, a bay with islands or a waterfall. You can make a dry stream, in which water is depicted with pebbles and sand. Then wavy lines are drawn along the pebble stream with a rake.

Paths should not lead directly to the house or somewhere else. The garden should have walking paths, winding, passing along the periphery of the garden. The paths are laid out from stone slabs of different textures or from a wooden covering. The middle of the garden should be free from paths.

The decoration of the Japanese-style garden, as in the photo, suggests the presence of wooden benches and bridges, traditional stone lanterns. Traditionally, a tsukubai stands in a Japanese garden - a barrel-shaped stone bowl filled with water, 20 to 60 cm high. In this bowl, the Japanese traditionally wash their hands before participating in the tea ceremony.

Plants in a Japanese garden

It's time to choose plants for a Japanese-style garden. Green dominates here. In our climate, the main plantings are evergreens: conifers and shrubs. The main plant is pine, symbolizing eternity, plum is the most common choice for flowering plants, among shrubs, rhododendron confidently holds the palm. Japanese plants are unlikely to take root in our climate, so it would be appropriate to replace sakura, for example, with irga, which has no less beautiful spring flowering.

Flowering perennials and annuals are almost absent here. Bright spots should be seasonal, short-term and few - peonies and irises, rhododendrons in bloom, spring flowering shrubs, autumn maples. Periods of flowering and fruit formation will bring rhythm to the quiet life of the garden.

If you decide to create a Japanese-style garden in the country, then it must be covered from prying eyes. Intimacy is one of the features of this place, because it was originally created for meditation. Gates, hedges, a hedge of sharp and shiny cotoneaster spirea are indispensable elements.

Of course, creating a Japanese garden will take a lot of time and effort, but the result will be worth it. After all, this is an ideal place for a quiet peaceful pastime.

The Land of the Rising Sun is famous for its distinctive culture and traditions. Here, each item has its own philosophical meaning and centuries-old history.

The main word that characterizes the culture of Japan is harmony. She reigns in everything. The unity of man with nature creates an atmosphere of calm, tunes in to thoughts about the eternal. Therefore, the Japanese style has become quite popular with us.

How to create on your site the original atmosphere of the country of philosophers and samurai?

Planning principle

The main accents in the formation of the Japanese garden: asymmetry in the arrangement of elements, smoothness of lines, the predominance of green, red, yellow, orange, purple hues, simplicity of design techniques.

Visually, this garden is divided into two zones. In one zone, the main one, decorative elements, stones are installed, plants are planted. The second zone, in contrast to the first, remains deserted.

In addition, in the main zone, the "visual distance" method is used to effectively reveal the landscape:

• large plants are planted in the foreground or volumetric stones are installed
• in the background - medium-sized
• on the third - the smallest

Then, while walking through the territory of the garden, with each step you will discover new elements of the landscape. Everything resembles the untouched bewitching naturalness of nature.

Philosophy and symbols of the garden

"There can be a garden without flowers, but there cannot be a garden without stones." So said the Japanese sages.

The Japanese garden is different from our usual garden plantings and combines three main components - water, stone and vegetation, which are in harmony with each other. The harmony of the elements is especially important here.

There are few or no plants. And the main elements, the basis of the garden, are stones skillfully installed on the territory.

Equally important in the design of the landscape is water - the "blood" of the garden. A waterfall, stream, spring or pond are must-haves for your Japanese corner.

rock garden

The stone symbolizes stamina and strength, and assembled into a composition, they symbolize the infinite and unknowable Universe. That is why the stones are laid out so that no matter where you are in the territory, you would not see all the stones at the same time.

We start laying out the composition of stones (necessarily an odd number) from the left corner of the site diagonally. Try to use stones in a single color scheme or in groups of different colors, without any processing, as they are in nature. Overgrown with moss, boulders will look even more natural. Compositions of large and small stones are also possible. Nearby we plant plants with foliage of an attractive color or unusual shape.

Smooth winding paths paved with stone are exactly what makes a Japanese garden calm, balanced and fills the atmosphere with harmony. A path of smooth flat stones symbolizes a journey through life without barriers and problems. What will the path in your garden look like?

Using river pebbles, sand, or pea gravel (all of which traditionally represent water), you can create a "dry stream" or a small waterfall.

Sandstone and natural shales are also used to decorate the garden.

Plants for the Japanese garden

Each of the plants carries a philosophical meaning:

• pine - a symbol of long life, courage, strong character, longevity
• weeping willow - modesty and obedience
• the plum tree represents the beauty of the soul
• maple - a symbol of wisdom, knowledge
• bamboo - assertiveness, fortitude, striving forward
• bindweed - poetry of life
• moss, lichen - personify maternal kindness and love, protection and reliability

Therefore, when choosing plants for your garden, consider this aspect.

An extraordinary decoration of your garden can be nivaki, plants grown in a special way with a beautiful extravagant crown. They are also called "garden bonsai" for their strong resemblance to these plants. The main principle in the landscaping of the territory is the "wave principle": the plants are selected in such a way that at any time of the year one can admire something.

Shrubs and undersized trees, such as rhododendron, juniper, Karelian birch, dwarf spruce, are combined with tall ones - oak, pine, elm. Fruit trees (cherry, apricot) may well replace Japanese sakura and will also delight you during flowering.

From herbaceous plants, you should choose large-leaved species, such as hosta, ferns, chrysanthemums, rogersia.

Bamboo and baobab are thermophilic and may not take root in our area. Black alder "Imperialis" or Sakhalin buckwheat can serve as an alternative to bamboo.

If the territory of your garden is in the shade, plants such as rhododendrons, Japanese primrose, three-parted multi-row, light spinach are suitable. On the sunny side are good: Japanese spirea, dwarf Weymouth pine, Ginnala riverine maple. A bright periwinkle or Siebold's hoof will also be appropriate in your flower bed.

Water

Water is a symbol of vital energy, purification, prosperity, positive energy. A Japanese-style garden is inconceivable without a water feature. This is a waterfall (symbolizes the beginning of human life), a stream (streams of water - the river of our life), a fountain, a small pond. Moisture-loving plants can be planted along the banks of your pond.

An alternative would be a "dry stream" or "dry pond", as well as wavy lines drawn on sand or fine gravel.

An indispensable interesting element in your garden will be tsukubai - a stone bowl for washing your face and washing your hands (symbolizes purity and purity). Water from the tsukubai is collected with a bamboo ladle. Usually tsukubai are located near the house or at the entrance to the garden.

The space around the tsukubai is filled with a "sea" - black pebbles. Tsukubai can be combined with the Oribs lantern (no other lanterns are suitable for this role). Such a duet will perfectly emphasize the style of your garden and fill it with the melody of babbling water.

One can talk endlessly about Japanese culture, it is so interesting and bewitching. And you can't go wrong if you decide to decorate your garden in Japanese style. After all, it is here that you will feel on the same wavelength with nature, which is so important in our modern dynamic pace of life.

Relief

Depending on the characteristics of the site, you can create a garden in flat and mountainous terrain.

Reanlsey Garden- an example of a planar composition. For this design, you will need sand, small stones and moss. On the sand, draw transverse stripes-waves with a rake - they will symbolize the water area, a "dry pond". Arrange randomly moss and stones.

For hilly terrain, sand, pebbles and large structural stones are useful. Place a large elongated stone vertically - this is your mountain peak. Make the slopes of your hill out of flat cobblestones.

Bridge in Japan - a symbol of the life path, so it is made from valuable tree species. For a harmonious combination, lay out a stone path to your bridge. You can also lay out stones on both sides of the bridge or plant a flower bed. Sitting on the bridge with a cup of tea, you can think about the main values ​​​​of life.