Free Landscape Gardening Ideas

The aesthetics of Japanese landscaping

There is something amazing about the crisp, clean design of Japanese landscaping. In Japan, landscaping is incredibly important both aesthetically and spiritually. A well landscaped area is meant to do more than please the eye, it is meant to connect the land to the people who live their and to the home in which they dwell. At the same time that Japanese landscaping necessarily involves human hands, it is also meant to be natural. This paradox requires the gardener to be aware of how things ought to look in nature, as well as what she wants nature to look like.

Japanese landscaping is somewhat similar to Feng Shui in that it seeks to work with the energies that exist in a particular space, rather than to work against them. For instance, ponds should not be forced into need squares or circles, but should always be allowed to form the asymmetrical shapes that are found in nature. Similarly, while manmade waterfalls are acceptable, anything, which sprays water into the air, such as a fountain, is seen as unnatural and unnecessary. This tension between control and freedom is what makes Japanese landscaping both appealing and difficult. Making something look natural, and wild, yet at the same time under control requires an expert eye for this Spartan, crisp aesthetic. However, this is not unattainable, nor is it something, which requires years of studying to attain.

If you have a good eye for landscaping, you should be able to pick up on some of the basics of Japanese landscaping just by watching a few Kurosawa movies. Some elements such as rocks, flowering trees and running water are iconic of Japanese landscaping, but they are not necessarily the only things that can fit in a Japanese garden. Bridges, statues and shrines also have their place. The important thing is that the land serves as a part of the grounds. The objective is to balance the land with the architecture and the people.