Japanese Landscape Design

Japanese landscape design sacrifices all to peace and tranquility. They encourage and assist interior reflection and contemplation. Scale and perspective have an important place in Japanese landscaping, particularly as they are designed to mimic a natural space on a small space such as a patio or balcony. With meticulous placement and sizing, these gardens give the illusion of a larger landscape and greater depth. Bolder colors and textures and larger plants are kept up front while softer, smaller planting line background to create a sense of distance.

The landscape illusion is furthered with architectural elements such as bridges, pagodas and pathways that are perfectly proportioned. Water and stone are chief elements--ponds mirror the inner reflective goal of the Japanese landscape while stones offer an anchoring effect to the dynamic spirit of waterfalls. Stones and gravel often form a dry garden that represents hills, streams and ponds of a natural landscape of Japan. Dry gardens are not to be walked on but rather viewed in appreciation from above.

The traditional art of Bonsai, or pruning small trees, is a rich part of the Japanese culture that can translate over to different parts of the world in any sort of trimming down of trees practice. Miniaturized plants in North America celebrate if not duplicate this Japanese art form.