Cowra Japanese Garden.Tea rooms above lake.
Japanese Garden Design.
Below are a few of the guiding principles of Japanese garden Design. Read these before we visit the Japanese Garden at Cowra.
1.Nature is all important. You must recreate nature, even if symbolically. You cannot have items not found in nature i.e. a fountain (but you can have a waterfall) or a square pond (but you can have an irregular, natural shaped pond) etc. A pond or even the sea is often represented by raked gravel.
2.Balance or sumi is important. You cannot have a large rock in a small space. Rocks can be used to symbolise mountains. But the scale must be correct for the size of the area. Pools can represent lakes etc.
3.Emptiness or ma is important. Japanese gardens often have empty spaces as space or emptiness defines the other elements around it.
4.Wabi or sabi is another basic principle. Sabi is about capturing the ideal image of an item and wabi is about capturing the spiritual essence of an item. So a perfectly plain round boulder in a garden has no wabi or sabi, but an irregular, lichen or moss covered boulder typifies a rock in nature.
5.Time is an important feature of Japanese gardens. The garden must have attractions for all four seasons of the year.
6.Enclosure as a feature of Japanese gardening. To be a retreat to nature, the garden must be fenced and gated to keep out interference. The garden is a separate world, and gates have spiritual meaning. Fences, hedges and screens are meant to also hide items which then suddenly become revealed. This is called miegakure.
7.Flatness is important. Flat areas are used for meditation, often in front of temples or shrines. These areas are Zen in style.
8.Formality is another principle. Although tea gardens are always informal and often have rustic huts and chalets in them. A focal point is always the tea pavilion.
9.Rocks are the backbone of a Japanese garden. Stones are usually, but not always set in groups of three. They can be vertical or horizontal in form. Stones set in the ground are used for stepping stones. A wide stone across a path tells us to stop there and admire the view. The pathway represents the pathway of life.
10.Water is an important feature of a Japanese garden. Waterfalls, ponds, and the bamboo deer scarer which fills the water basis for ritual washing are all important features. Water flows through Japanese gardens and bridges are important. The movement of water symbolises the passage through life from childhood to adulthood and maturity. Crossing a bridge takes you from one world to another world. Some bridges are purely ornamental, but most cross flowing water. Carp are obligatory in ponds as they are part of nature.
11.Plants play a secondary role to stone in Japanese gardens. Common plants for a Japanese garden include pines, bamboo, cherries, maples, camellias, azaleas, water plants, grasses etc. Some Japanese gardens are almost monochrome and entirely green. Evergreen trees like pines symbolise eternity.
12.Stone lanterns, stupas and basins are important elements for the garden.
13.Above all the garden must have atmosphere, simplicity and elegance and this is often obtained through the use of extensive pruning and the shaping of plants.
Cowra Japanese Garden.Tea rooms above lake.
Japanese Garden Design.
Below are a few of the guiding principles of Japanese garden Design. Read these before we visit the Japanese Garden at Cowra.
1.Nature is all important. You must recreate nature, even if symbolically. You cannot have items not found in nature i.e. a fountain (but you can have a waterfall) or a square pond (but you can have an irregular, natural shaped pond) etc. A pond or even the sea is often represented by raked gravel.
2.Balance or sumi is important. You cannot have a large rock in a small space. Rocks can be used to symbolise mountains. But the scale must be correct for the size of the area. Pools can represent lakes etc.
3.Emptiness or ma is important. Japanese gardens often have empty spaces as space or emptiness defines the other elements around it.
4.Wabi or sabi is another basic principle. Sabi is about capturing the ideal image of an item and wabi is about capturing the spiritual essence of an item. So a perfectly plain round boulder in a garden has no wabi or sabi, but an irregular, lichen or moss covered boulder typifies a rock in nature.
5.Time is an important feature of Japanese gardens. The garden must have attractions for all four seasons of the year.
6.Enclosure as a feature of Japanese gardening. To be a retreat to nature, the garden must be fenced and gated to keep out interference. The garden is a separate world, and gates have spiritual meaning. Fences, hedges and screens are meant to also hide items which then suddenly become revealed. This is called miegakure.
7.Flatness is important. Flat areas are used for meditation, often in front of temples or shrines. These areas are Zen in style.
8.Formality is another principle. Although tea gardens are always informal and often have rustic huts and chalets in them. A focal point is always the tea pavilion.
9.Rocks are the backbone of a Japanese garden. Stones are usually, but not always set in groups of three. They can be vertical or horizontal in form. Stones set in the ground are used for stepping stones. A wide stone across a path tells us to stop there and admire the view. The pathway represents the pathway of life.
10.Water is an important feature of a Japanese garden. Waterfalls, ponds, and the bamboo deer scarer which fills the water basis for ritual washing are all important features. Water flows through Japanese gardens and bridges are important. The movement of water symbolises the passage through life from childhood to adulthood and maturity. Crossing a bridge takes you from one world to another world. Some bridges are purely ornamental, but most cross flowing water. Carp are obligatory in ponds as they are part of nature.
11.Plants play a secondary role to stone in Japanese gardens. Common plants for a Japanese garden include pines, bamboo, cherries, maples, camellias, azaleas, water plants, grasses etc. Some Japanese gardens are almost monochrome and entirely green. Evergreen trees like pines symbolise eternity.
12.Stone lanterns, stupas and basins are important elements for the garden.
13.Above all the garden must have atmosphere, simplicity and elegance and this is often obtained through the use of extensive pruning and the shaping of plants.