The Internet has revolutionized how the world does almost everything and this globalization has helped make the world a whole lot smaller. It allows us to easily learn about other cultures and as a result interest in Japanese garden design has increased significantly in the past two decades. There are probably many reasons for this increased interest. It could be a desire to acquaint ourselves with a garden style that is totally different in structure and appearance than our typical gardens. It could be that our hectic lifestyles lead us to want to own a relatively low maintenance garden, which is one of the hallmarks of an established Japanese garden or perhaps our busy schedules guide us to seek an atmosphere of harmony and tranquility that is associated with Japanese gardening. Whatever the motivation if you are interested in learning more about Japanese garden design there are common elements that you will need to acquaint yourself with.

A key element found in a Japanese garden is water. Water is usually represented in a Japanese garden by a pond, stream or waterfall. According to Japanese tradition the water should flow either east to west to carry away evil and bring good health and a long life or from north to south with north representing water and south representing fire. These opposites, the concept of ying-yang, are considered to be good luck. Another essential feature of a Japanese garden is the use of rocks and sand. Rocks represent the earth with rough rocks being used to symbolize mountains and smooth rocks being used as stepping stones. Sand can represent a beach or a flowing river.

When it comes to plants in a Japanese garden each one is chosen for a specific purpose. Trees are arranged to highlight their spring flowers or the color of their fall foliage and they are trimmed to be sure they don’t block views of the garden. Moss is used to imply that the garden is very old and flowers are chosen based upon their blooming season. For example, azaleas are a popular choice in Japanese garden design for their spring blooms. Other common plants that are found in Japanese garden design include camellias, cherry trees, maple trees, pine trees and shrubs and bamboo.

Along with these natural elements garden architecture also plays a significant part in a Japanese garden. Bridges symbolize the pathway to paradise and immortality while stone lanterns and water basins serve more utilitarian purposes such as lighting paths or collecting drinking water. Fences are used as barriers for privacy purposes and gates are representative of family solidarity and can be compared to a front door.

Due to their growing popularity many cities have Japanese gardens that you can visit and enjoy or if you are adventurous, maybe you’ll design your own!