Understanding The Elements Of A Zen Garden Design. Zen Garden TO HAVE ARTICLE READ TO YOU PLEASE PRESS PLAY
Zen Garden
Understanding The Elements Of A Zen Garden Design A Zen garden design was originally a Japanese style of garden. The design incorporates both natural and architectural elements. A garden designed for one to sit and contemplate. You can have your own Zen garden, you only need to understand a few design principles.
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Japanese Zen Garden
From around the 13th century, the Japanese Buddhist monks used the Zen garden design as a spiritual place to contemplate and meditate. The Zen garden design creates a three dimensional image which is planned with a foreground, and a background leading into a perspective. All elements of a Zen garden are designed with a purpose for being in the garden. Water provides life. As a natural element water can be displayed as a stream, pond or water feature. You can also use sand to represent water, an ideal solution in dry climates. The planting element in a Zen garden design brings emotion to the garden with various colors, heights and textures. One of the most important elements of a Zen garden are the rocks. With rocks you can create dimensions. When you select your rocks and stones, select various sizes and position them with the larger ones to the front and the smaller ones to the background. Well-worn rocks will add character and depth to the design.
Japanese Zen Garden
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If you want an alternative element to the water element, then sand or pebble formations can be used. If you swirl the sand to create the rippling or rushing effect of the water this will help provide an energy aspect to the garden. What is used is not sand from the beach but rather crushed granite and you can get it in varying colors. A dark area of the garden can be lifted with the lighter pebbles or sand. An architectural element for your Zen garden design can be a bridge. Bridges can be used to connect different areas of your garden, leading you on through to areas that would be otherwise unreachable. Other architectural elements of a Zen garden design can be ornaments and these can be used as focal points. Stone lanterns and stone basins are often used. A stone lantern can be placed on a stone pedestal, depending on the height required for balance. A custom for the stone basins is, for the basin to be kept filled with clean water and by splashing the surroundings will keep the area refreshed.
Japanese Zen Garden
For another architectural element place a gate at the entrance of your garden and this will further enhance the illusion. You can create an illusion of depth and space with a Zen garden by understanding the placement of the elements required. One of the greatest attractions of this type of garden is, it only needs the smallest of spaces. It is easier than you think, three simple tips. 1. Use water features, ornaments, gates and bridges. 2. Choose the plants for your climate 3. Use rocks, stones and pebble and be water conscious. By: CTBaird Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
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©2007 CTBaird. Carmel Baird contributes to Online Gardening Information where you will find information, tips and hints with new articles about many aspects of gardening added every week. Find out more about Zen garden design here
Zen Garden: Go Green With A Dry Landscape Zen Gardens: What Really is a Zen Style Japanese Garden?
Japanese Zen Garden
I was reading an article about Japanese gardens where the author got all bent out of shape about how western culture mistakenly refers to “dry landscape” style gardens in Japan as “Zen Gardens”. Their point was that the term “Zen Garden” has become loosely defined only because historically, some Zen Buddhist Monasteries built Karesansui style gardens and therefore, all dry landscape gardens are “Zen style”. So I did some research and found the following. Unlike other traditional gardens, there is no water present in Karesansui (literally meaning ‘dry landscape’) gardens. Water is symbolized both by the arrangements of rock forms to create a dry waterfall and by patterns raked into sand to create a dry stream or to symbolize the ocean. The raked sand patterns mimic waves on the water’s surface. The rocks and gravel used are chosen for their aesthetic shapes, and mosses as well as small shrubs are sometimes used to provide contrasting elements to the austere rock and sand. The vertical forms using stone boulders suggest mountains on islands in the ocean.
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Japanese Zen Garden
The word karesansui is found in the 11th century garden manual *SAKUTEIKI and garden historians have designated Heian-period rock arrangements as Zenkishiki Karesansui. Karesansui gardens were created similar to ink monochrome landscape painting and like paintings, the gardens are meant to be viewed from a single, seated perspective. In addition to the aesthetic similarities to Chinese painting, the rocks in karesansui are often associated with Chinese mountains. I have also read that the Ryoanji garden, is comprised of 15 stones, laid out in five groups and that from any single vantage point, one cannot see all 15 stones at the same time. One must change viewing locations in order to see the hidden stone(s). But again, some other stone will be hidden upon changing your position of view. This design feature is something that a two dimensional landscape painting cannot achieve. I therefore question whether these gardens were designed to be viewed from a static position as suggested above. Given the multiple Chinese associations of karesansui gardens, they are the preferred type of garden for Zen temples (Buddhism having arrived from China in the 7c) and the best examples are found in the front or rear gardens of Zen abbots’ residences. While Muromachi karesansui tend to use plants sparingly, early Edo period gardens of this type often contrast an area of raked gravel with a section of moss and larger plants along the rear wall.
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Japanese Zen Garden
The aesthetic continuance with abstract art for the most part accounts for the resurgence of karesansui gardens both in Japan and other countries in the 20 century. This last point is well taken. As an experienced landscape designer, I have consulted with hundreds of clients, many of whom have expressed interest in “Zen type” gardens. Whether or not they even know the symbolic meaning of a Karesansui type garden is beside the point. Their motivation is usually that it fits into the category of being a Xeriscape type garden, that having “low maintenance, low water use and no lawn”. Further, they find the abstract simplicity appealing. The boulders are therefore seen more as sculptural elements rather than as mountains or islands in an ocean. Clients such as the hypothetical scenario above has taught me to first find out how much the client knows about garden symbolism, sacredness and spirituality before I jump in and recommend the ”best spot for a meditation garden”. Heck, they also may have no idea what I mean by creating a “Zen Garden”! Sort of like, “Depends what your definition of the word “is”, is. Sources: Partial content for this article excerpted from Japanese Architecture And Art Net Users System (JAANUS) By: John Stuart Leslie Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com John Stuart Leslie, MLA is creator and founder of My Sacred Garden. A website that gives people useful tips, ideas, designs about how the sacred-spiritual aspects of gardens and gardening activities can have a trans-formative effect on the mind, body and spirit/soul. He holds a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and has been a landscape designer and licensed contractor since 1982. Visit www.mysacredgarden.com Sign up for the newsletter to receive a free gift Feng Shui Basics.
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Build A Zen Garden
Japanese Zen Garden
What exactly is a Zen Garden? The term “Zen Garden� is typically used to describe a specific type of Japanese garden comprised mainly of sand and rocks and focuses on design simplicity. The style comes from the Zen Buddhist Temples where many of these gardens can be found. These gardens can be small framed boxes or may take up half of your yard. You can create them in any size or form that you wish. The idea is that the sand or gravel that forms the base of the garden represents the water of a pond or ocean. The surface of the sand is often raked to represent the ripples of water. The Zen garden is a pit of sand or gravel. Then stones are placed carefully in the sand to represent islands or rock formations generally found in water. This is a common design and interpretation of proper rock gardens but you can design it in any manner you like. These gardens can be built in flowerbed type enclosures, directly on the ground, or in framed wooden boxes similar to flat flower boxes. You can research and look at some inspiring pictures to get a good idea for your Zen garden. Decide which type would make a good addition to your garden or patio area.
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Japanese Zen Garden
First, plan the area where you will create your Zen Garden. If it requires a framed box, you will need to create or purchase the box first. If you intend to create the rock garden on the ground, decide if you will need to excavate in order to remove soil or ground cover foliage. Map out the perimeter of the garden and create a border. Your local home and garden supply stores have several border materials that will do this job quite nicely. If building on the ground, you may need to line the ground with weed blocking material to keep plants from growing up through your sand or gravel area. Add the sand or gravel bed. Whether you are adding sand or gravel, you will want to fill the area and completely cover the ground or bottom of the box. You need the sand or gravel to be deep enough to allow for raking the surface to create the ripple effect. Now you are ready to place the focal features of your choice into the sand or gravel bed. For best results, these items should be partially submerged in the sand to create the appearance that they are protruding from the surface of water. Natural objects like large and small stones will keep you close to the traditional roots of this design but feel free to use anything that you like. Any natural items like rocks, plants, logs work best to achieve that natural look. Also, remember that simplicity is a major part of this theme. Now you are ready to rake the surface to create ripples and designs. Feel free to be artistic. It is your garden after all and you can move objects around and resurface it as often as you like. By: Chris Yarbrough Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
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Garden clocks are an excellent addition to any garden or patio. Browse the best selection of outdoor clocks on the web here: Garden Clocks.info Zen Garden Images
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How To Create Japanese Zen Gardens
Japanese rock garden – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_rock_garden The Japanese rock garden (???, karesansui ?) or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully … Japanese Zen Gardens eBook – Russ Chard – Kindle Store – Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Zen-Gardens-ebook/dp/B008XFHWGY With a little knowledge and following our step by step instructions with pictures you will discover how straight forward it is to build a Zen garden in your yard or garden. The Cheapest, Easiest Raised Garden Bed EVER. The Amish Garden( An Amish Romance Book Sample with Recipes Amish Books). Japanese rock garden – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_rock_garden The gardens of the early zen temples in Japan resembled Chinese gardens of the time, … Zen Thesis
http://www.garden.org/ Understanding The Elements Of A Zen Garden Design.
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