Creating A Japanese Garden

Japanese Zen Gardens Flower In St Petersburg

Landscape masters are creating a Japanese corner on these 413 square feet in the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden. 

The entire project will be completed for the 300th anniversary of the garden. 

Today the pond and tea pavilion are being presented. 

The roof is made by Japanese masters from tile, and was brought directly from Japan; but the poles were installed by Russian craftsmen. 

And the cultural differences in construction were clearly visible:

[Alexei Skibin, Project Participant]: 

"We could not do the standard Japanese connection, the elements are similar to a puzzle, very different from what we are used to."

The garden harmonizes with the natural landscape. 

Here's a pond with a small island made specifically for Japanese koi. 

These fish are essential inhabitants of such ponds in the homes of wealthy Japanese. 

[Gleb Uspensky, Project Participant]: 

"The ponds are very beautiful, fine, but they are not designed for winter, they are just set up  to be admired. Carp are swimming in the upper layers of water, about half-a-meter down, it's very pleasant to watch them."

All elements of the garden have been created by St. Petersburg designers under the strict guidance of Japanese experts. 

And although only half the work has been completed, it is already bringing satisfaction to the project's chief designer.

[Midori Yamada, Project Designer]: 

"This is almost a Japanese garden Nigoten, Karesansui, a stone garden is not ready yet, well, little by little it should be done."

In addition to the Zen garden or rock garden, tea and other landscape areas will also be created. 

300 azalea bushes have been planted already. 

And here are 3 cherry blossoms of the rare cultivar or cultivated variety “Beni Yutaka.” 

The cuttings were brought from Japan in 2004.

[Yuri Kalugin, Botanical Gardens Deputy Director]: 

"We planted them in our nurseries, and last year transplanted them to this site. They wintered very well and now one plant is blooming today.

Creating Japanese Gardens GARDENING CONCEPTS

Japanese gardens create landscapes which resembles nature through the careful placement of trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and water. Zen and Shinto traditions have greatly influenced Japanese gardening and as a result the gardens are contemplative and serene spaces. It is essential that all the elements work well together within the garden and that the relationship between rocks, plants and water is well thought out.

The basic landscape elements found in most Japanese gardens include trees, shrubs, rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones and fences. Boulders are often used as centerpieces and provide the garden with a feeling of stability. Gravel is used to imitate the flow of water and other small stones are used to create boundaries and are turned into sculptural lanterns. Water, whether it be in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden. It can be actual water or a symbolic representation, either way, it is vital to the Japanese garden.

In Japanese gardening there are three basic ways to create a landscape scene. The first of these is reduced scale. Reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and all, and reproducing it on a smaller scale. Symbolization is abstract and could include using white sand to symbolize water and boulders to symbolize islands. Borrowed views refers to the use of distant a landscapes, such as a mountain, and incorporating it into the garden.

There are several types of Japanese gardens. Zen garden are meant to be viewed rather than entered. They are comprised of a mix of boulders, gravel or sand, moss and a limited number of trees an shrubs. Carefully placed stones symbolize islands while the gravel or sand, raked into interesting patterns, symbolizes water. Zen gardens help clear the mind and aid in contemplation.

Another type of Japanese garden is the tea garden. The tea garden is considered a ceremonial space which consists of an outer garden and an inner garden. Tea gardens are small and are ideal for those gardens with limited space. The outer garden is informal and consists of an entry gate to and a stone path leading toward the inner garden. Another stone path flows through the inner garden, whose plants are more formally placed. The inner path leads to a small building where the actual tea ceremony is performed.

Another garden appropriate for a small space or patio is the courtyard garden. The design of the Japanese courtyard garden is kept simple and is usually built to be observed from inside the house. It could, however, be planned so it is a useable outdoor space. Consisting of a few plants, a small water feature, a dry stream, or other simple elements, the Japanese courtyard garden allows nature and light to flow into your home through large windows and patio doors.

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