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The water is also an essential component in the Asian gardens. Precisely those lines and waves of granite and gravel are amongst the most common and characteristic visual elements of Zen garden design. Most commonly used are the crushed white or beige granite which is carefully shaped with specially designed rakes. A multitude of carefully formed shallow furrows and patterns symbolize the waves and the movement of water which introduces the dynamics of it into the composition. In the stylized landscape composition of the Zen gardens the water premises – like seas and rivers – are represented through spaces of waved gravel. With their rough amorphous structure, they’re often used as a counterpoint to the soft vision of the sand and water elements – a contradiction that incites a deep reflection. They exude power and stability combined with tranquility and timeless sensation. The rocks and stones compositions are maybe the most important elements used in the Asian art of gardening. Let’s explore the primary key groups of such elements… Many specific elements exist and used together, in combinations or singularly create the emanation of the so-called Asian Style Gardens оr Zen Gardens. Through the years under the influence of different interactions between the Asian cultures the Zen gardens – originated in Japan – are supplemented with items from China and Korea, which leads to the emerge of a specific Asian style in the art of gardening. There are not two similar gardens in the world – each carries different emotion, meaning and charge. Although the Japanese Zen Gardens use the same basic components, each garden is unique in its compositional layout. There are no plants or lush vegetation, no objects created by humans. The presence of living elements is minimal. Such a garden is created to be felt not observed.
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The essential elements in one Japanese Zen Garden are gravel, stones and in some cases moss. With the time the gardens were extended, the place of meditation was introduced inside the borders of the garden, and even specially arranged stone paths were composed so that the Zen garden can be explored form the inside.Īlthough those gardens are thematically based on the natural landscapes the purpose of them is not so much to create an exacts replica of Nature more like they are aiming to compose a meditational space in which one can contemplate the meaning of existence. Often that was the veranda on which the eldest monk of the monastery was meditating. Initially, the Zen garden was created only for the purpose of observation, and that was from a special place outside the garden itself. Today a Zen Garden is a collective term for all interpretations on the subjects that explore the inspiration of the Asian aesthetics, philosophy, and admiration for Nature.īecause such gardens originally come from the Buddhist temples in Kyoto, the Zen gardens were with relatively small dimensions and surrounded by buildings and belt walls. This concept was developed and upgraded through the years and new elements – lakes, bridges, lighting and art installations were introduced. Because of the lacking of water elements in this type of gardens they were also popular as Japanese Rock Gardens or Dry Asian Landscapes. The water impression was achieved through wave-like patterns in the gravel, and the rocks and stones were representatives of mountains and hills. Their origin of the gardens can be traced back to the late 14’ht century, and in the beginning, they were small secluded spaces into the monasteries borders composed mainly of gravel, rocks, and stones arranged in such a manner which closely represents a natural landscape scenery.
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An inspired demonstration of the link between aesthetics and philosophy.
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Historically the original Zen Gardens are created by the Buddhist monks as spaces for solitude and meditation that simultaneously represent the human’s admiration for the beauty of nature. Traditional Zen Gardens ( Japanese Rock Gardens or Dry Landscapes ) And we will finish this article with Mini Zen Gardens’ ideas that can be introduced into the interior decor of any home. Some impressive public spaces inspired by the Zen philosophy will also be explored. We will also introduce to your attention some contemporary Asian Garden Ideas which can be applied in the backyards of modern houses. We will commence with the brightest and most mesmerizing examples of traditional Zen Gardens, and we will explore the key elements which compose such gardens. We handpicked for you an impressive collection of ideas and visions all inspired from the Eastern philosophy that explores the connection between nature and human beings.