Different Styles of Japanese Gardens

Japanese style gardens are very popular due to the beauty and
serenity they offer. The concept of these gardens is to provide
a place where one can be relaxed and calm. When designing a
Japanese style garden, it is important that the plants and rocks
meld together in the landscape; and the design of the garden
itself must be well thought out.

Did you know that there are several different Japanese garden
styles to choose from? Even though there are different types,
you have the freedom to meld two or more different types
together to make your own unique combination. However, you
should have enough room in your yard to be able to do so. Here
are the different styles for you to choose from if you are going
to plan a Japanese style garden.

Island and pond style gardens are gardens with a centralized
pond that is large enough to either have a boat go across or one
in which you can stroll around the edge of the pond. This type
of garden is designed to where all plant life, as well as rocks
and other features, can be seen from the pond area. The elements
as well as the plants are blended into the landscape beyond the
garden itself. Small islands are also created within the pond
with a small bush or tree to serve as a focal point and small
bridges can also be built from the shore, to the island and back
again.

Primarily used by Buddhist monks within their temples, the Zen
garden is comprised of various size boulders, small and big
rocks, gravel, and/or sand. Occasionally, they can also have one
or two plants consisting of a shrub or tree. The rocks of a dry
landscape Zen garden are very carefully positioned and consists
of unique shapes and sizes; often representing islands. The sand
and the gravel represent water and raked into various patterns.
The Zen garden's goal is to help clear the mind of the viewer as
well as aid in contemplation and meditation without
distractions. The garden is to be viewed from a single focal
point and is not entered into other than to rake the gravel.

A Japanese tea garden is good choice for a garden that is
either incorporated within a larger Japanese garden style or in
average sized yards and it is a popular one to create. It
consists of two gardens; one being an outer garden and another
being an inner garden. The outer garden consists of the entry
gate and is less formal in planting with a stone path leading to
the inner garden. Visitors to the tea garden go through a second
gate where a water basin, called a tsukubai, is located and used
in the tea ceremony itself. The inner garden consists of a stone
path that flows through it and formally placed non flowering
plants. A small building where tea ceremonies take place sits at
the end of the inner path.

A stroll garden is made of various paths that lead the visitor
through interesting turns and new sights. Landscapes that are
found in nature are usually the focus of these gardens and are
often recreated in miniature form within the garden itself.
Large yards of at least an acre are required to create these
gardens with interesting views.

Do you want a Japanese garden but have a small yard? A
Courtyard garden just might be the perfect solution for you.
These gardens work especially well in yards that are very
limited in space and are enclosed by a brick or stone wall or
wooden fence. It is simple in design and can be observed from
inside your house or enjoyed outside if it. Courtyard gardens
consists of few plants, perhaps a tree, small water feature,
often times a dry stream, or other simple elements.

The most important thing to consider when planning a Japanese
style garden is to determine what you wish to achieve with it.
Be sure to do some research on the subject and decide what you
want to do with it before you start.

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