Japanese garden

From Gardening Wiki

The Japanese garden is the fourth great national type. As far from the Italian, French or English garden as the East is from the West, its art lies so much in the concealment of art that were it not for the architectural features it would seem as if nature were being imitated instead of adapted. This through the exercise of rigid laws that are not easy for the occidental mind to grasp. It lends itself very well indeed to many American requirements. It fits in with low rambling houses, or bungalows, where roofs are long and hang well over. It is most serviceable in the development of rocky grounds, especially where a small amount of water is at hand or easily obtainable. If a pedant chooses to call the resultant garden Jap- anesque rather than Japanese, let him.

There are hill and flat Japanese gardens. In the former, if there are not natural rises of ground, they are created, often with such cunning that the eye is deceived into seeing distance that does not exist. This idea is helped along not only by the size and shape of the hills and their relative posi- tions, but by the planting of dwarf trees. For both types there are rough, intermediary and fin- ished styles.

All are too complicated to be reproduced ac- curately by any save skilled Japanese gardeners, but single features are readily appropriated. Very frequently these are worth taking because of a meaning that, though distinctly oriental, may be given an occidental turn. Thus there is a very pretty sentiment to the stones known as "guard- ian," "perfect view," "moon shadow" and "ped- estal," to quote only a few of the names, and the "principal," "perfection," "out-stretching pine," "setting sun" and other trees all placed by rules that are tradition. Whether one takes no more than the merest suggestion, any good pictures of Japanese gardens will be found profitable study