Friday, August 29, 2008

Japanese Landscape Design

The Japanese have been fond of gardens as far as more than 500 years ago, especially when it comes to Zen, a Buddhist practice. One of the main aspects of Zen is all about creating landscape into an art, and thus were the earlier Japanese landscape design.

In today's world there are about a few dozen Japanese gardens located all over the world, which some are famous, aside from Japan. Of course, the Japanese have their own gardens, whether it's big or small, but it's all about the essence of having a small world in their own backyard. For most Americans, it's mostly just bonsai and bamboo trees, but there are more things to consider when having their own Japanese garden. Japanese landscape design is an art form like brush calligraphy or painting in Japan, and to treat the garden should be a devotion unlike any other.

Most contractors in Japanese landscape design have specialized in creating Japanese gardens, and there are several varieties, which would definitely have its own cost considering the complexity of having such a garden. Some variety of gardens, called dry or rock gardens, utilize hauling over huge rocks, a pump to pour water over the rocks and some clever landscaping to create a small waterfall. Others uses sand in order to represent water, which surrounds huge rocks to represent a country. And to make sure that the Japanese landscape feel would be genuine is a total amount of tranquility, which would likely mean away from noisy neighbors.

It also applies with gates and walls, which uses bamboo that is found in most countries in Asia. Flora such as bonsai, sakura (Japanese cherry blossom tree), and pine trees are also part of Japanese gardens and landscapes. Other piece of decoration involves the usage of stone lanterns and steps, a koi (Japanese carp) pond, and even a small bridge.

Japanese landscape design is a lot more costly, considering the amount of rocks, sand and even effects like a bamboo water pendulum, that strikes the rock in a timely manner once water has been empty out by its weight. To begin with having a Japanese landscape is to have a sizeable piece of land required, usually best if starting from scratch for any homeowner. The cost may seem half as expensive as building a second house, but the ambience and the pleasing effect it brings would definitely make the investment worth it.


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