We talk much of what green means in terms of the kind of cars we should drive, the materials we should use in our homes, how we should make use of alternative energies and conserve current energy sources. We talk of government active in resolving energy issues or promoting green initiatives. There is another area to green. That has to do with our immediate lifestyle. Our own garden in our yard.
I think we can learn a lot from the ancient Japanese and Chinese traditions. I grew up with a dad who was most fond of Japanese gardents. I have researched this topic extensively, and have even had my own Japanese garden and currently am planning on another garden in the new home I reside in. The intent of the Japanese Garden was to bring relaxation, appreciation and reverence for nature, the love of the earth, and a desire to connect with it and its's features. Each Japanese Garden (if it is authentic) tells a story using a mix of green plants, rock (big, small, gravel, vertical, horizontal, or flat rock) and water, or the illusion of water. These are the necessary ingredients of a garden of this type. The spread of these materials reflect the layout of the earth. Rock represents mountains, hills, or island. Pebbles, or gravel can represent rivers, ponds. The evergreens represent the natural greenness of much of the earth. Water is present since water is a big part of the planet. These elements come together in an enclosed, or semi enclosed space, free from the world, yet often connected wtih the natural space beyond. Think of a story, use these materials in your story, and you have a consoling, green piece of the earth in your yard. It is doing our part to appreciate nature, and it not an expensive project.
To get you going with your Japanese Garden, your private enclosure, here are some suggestions:
1. Write a little story with the characters being the elements of the earth.
2. Draw out where you want to put the rocks, plants, water, and additional featues that you may want, such as waterfall, which is sometimes found in Hill and pond gardens, water basin, found in Tea Gardens, a functional, or decorative bridge of stone or wood, a stream, rocks for sitting, a stone path, and mounds. These are common features, but not all have to be used in the garden. Again, the main elements are evergreen plants, rock, and water or the appearance of water.
3. Throw the materials in one place, and spread them out from that spot. (This may or may not be useful in your plan, but it is very natural).
4. Don't just sit your bigger rocks on the earth, but put several inches of the rocks into the earth for stability. It is not necessary for all the rock to appear to the viewer. Think of the form of the rock that you want, and just don't buy any rock because your garden needs rock. Each rock form should be part of your story. You may need a vertical, horizontal, arched, flat, broken, small, or big rock.
5. Decide on how much space you want or have to work with.
6. Decide on what local materias you can use, since Japanese Gardens adapt to local land forms and fauna.
7. Focus on curves, and circles, and not straight lines. Even pathways are not straight.
8. Decide on the type of garden you would prefer: hill and pond, tea garden, dry landscape garden (with no use of real water, just imaginary water), courtyard garden (for viewing from inside the home) or a stroll garden (if you want pathways roaming around the garden offering different views of similar features.
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