If you love traditional Japanese gardens and you want to know more about how to decorate a Japanese garden you have arrived at the right place, because this article will be useful by its information and images. Designed for contemplation and inner peace, a Japanese garden is always a spiritual component based on Buddhist, Shinto and Taoist philosophies. The Japanese garden should be seen as a spiritual refuge, as a representation of the universe and its elements: fire, water, earth and air. These essential elements are represented by the design of the rock garden , water, plants and ornaments. Their selection and arrangement is subject to certain principles that include asymmetry, simplicity, austerity, absence of false, subtlety and symbolism, transcendence and peace. These principles will work together to create balance and expression in the Japanese garden.
The alley of the garden, named “Roji” in Japanese, is not only a functional item but a philosophical path which, as you progress , you will find peace and you will delimit the hectic world outside. The places where the alley turns, in a direction or another, there are attraction points that prompt you to stop and at a symbolic level they represent, the decisive periods of life. The chosen materials for the pavement are natural and simple, inclusively the natural stone and pebbles. In general, the stones form the support structure of the garden and should be regarded as they represent the eternity, as though they have always occupied the place where they are. The alleys and terraces present in a Japanese garden have the edges “soaked” by the usage of the curved lines which highlight the free and organic shape.
In general, the selected plants for the garden are from evergreen varieties in different shapes, sizes and textures. The traditional bonsai enchant you in these gardens, through their variety, shapes and colors. The aim of such gardens is to exhibit a wide range of flowers, Japanese like gardens rather in austere conditions, with more bare trees, sometimes cutting the shrubbery so as to make fewer flowers. The functional and decorative items of bamboo and stone, such as fences, gates, stone lanterns and pagodas (temples decorative) are highlighted by a gorgeous palette of shades of green. The water may be present in pools of stone, flow through bamboo tubes in waterfalls or koi ponds. Bridges shaped as bow or zigzag cross the gold fish ponds. The Japanese tradition says that the zigzag bridge is useful to ward off evil spirits. Tradition says that these spirits move in a straight line so a bridge or a zigzag platform will put them in difficulty.
Items that give a special note to the landscape are full of symbols. For example, an island in the middle of a koi pond or a river represents “the island of eternal life,” or Nirvana – full peace. A turtle-shaped stone is the symbol of longevity and a tree symbolizes flourishing life. The Japanese Garden is mysterious and intimate,a suitable space for meditation after an exhausting day, that can do wonders for your spirit. Each garden preserves the individuality of the one who created it. To realize a garden you do not necessarily need professional help; if you have enough time and imagination, you can do something like this. What matters at a Japanese garden is the simplicity, that’s why the arrangement does not require a big budget.
