Japanese garden trees. Garden in Japanese style. Features of Traditional Japanese Flowers

Japan is a country of mysteries, an amazing culture, closed to the West for a long time. The development of Japan proceeded completely independently and parallel to the development of European civilization. And only in the XIX century the Meiji era came, which marked the rejection of self-isolation and the openness of the Land of the Rising Sun to the outside world. It was then that there was a massive interest, even a fashion among Europeans for everything Japanese. Japanese painting gave impetus and determined a special direction in the development of Western art. The paintings of many impressionists and post-impressionists were created under the influence of the famous Japanese prints. The Art Nouveau style that spread in Europe also borrowed a lot of details from the unique Japanese culture.

For people who want to bring beauty into their existence, the Japanese view of the world must be close and interesting. For the Japanese, in principle, an aesthetic approach to the surrounding reality plays a huge role in life. They know how to admire the rising sun, falling snow, cherry blossoms. The unhurried contemplation of the fleeting beauty of the transient world is one of the favorite activities of the inhabitants of the Japanese islands, which is reflected in their amazing poetry - haiku. However, the style of Japanese interiors remained incomprehensible to Europeans for a very long time, its elements were not very widely used in design. Only since minimalist design has become widespread and recognized have many decorators adopted the techniques used in Japanese interiors.

The fact is that the main thing in home improvement for the Japanese is amazing conciseness. Those. there is practically no furniture in the room, cabinets, carpets, sofas - all this is unacceptable for the interior in Japanese style. alone standing bed- tatami, like all furniture, must be low. The materials used in the decoration are exclusively natural: wood, stone, cotton and hemp. Bright colors are also unacceptable, clean lines, natural colors - that's what the interior in this style is based on. Screens illustrated with Japanese-style engravings are widely used. The Japanese interior is characterized by symmetry, the use of calligraphy, simple, elegant forms and soothing tones of the color palette.

Speaking soberly, obviously, not every European will like empty rooms and bare walls. Of course, there are lovers of minimalism who readily reproduce the features of a Japanese home in their apartment. But for most of us, the oddities of the Japanese interior will remain incomprehensible, because we expect comfort from our home, first of all. And to find it in a huge, undecorated space, you have to be Japanese. After all, even various accessories, little things and trinkets that bring individuality and warmth to a European's home are unacceptable for a Japanese interior. However, a huge number of lovers of Japanese culture are very happy to use the design of individual elements of a Japanese house. After all, you can create an interior stylized as Japanese, which will be cozy in a European way, but with all its details will remind you of the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Such interior elements will be Japanese engravings - either reproductions of works by great masters (for example, Katsushika Hokusai and others), or simply pictures drawn in the Japanese style. A branch of cherry blossoms, like nothing else, will remind you of distant Japan in the midst of a harsh Moscow winter. You can put an image of sakura on the wall or use flowering plants reminiscent of cherry blossoms in vases. To give your interior a Japanese spirit, you can use the colors characteristic of Japanese design: dark, but not massive furniture, doors that resemble the doors of a Japanese dwelling. However, one of the most important details, with which you can bring the spirit of Japan into your apartment, of course, there will be indoor plants.

Actually, Japanese-style houseplants have not been found. wide application. But if we create a stylization for a Japanese interior, it is home flowers that will most remind you of the nature of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Naturally, the most logical way to decorate a Japanese interior would be to use plants grown using the technique of magnificent Japanese art - bonsai. They can be placed on separate Japanese-style stands on a table in the center of the room. The easiest option would be to buy finished plants grown in flower farms. But if you have time, and, most importantly, enthusiasm, it is quite possible to grow your own tree.

For interior decoration in Japanese style, it is best to use those plants that grow in Japan.

Of course, those plants that grow in the South are very appropriate in the Japanese interior. East Asia. And the most beautiful and fashionable among them, of course, can be called everyone's favorite phalaenopsis. Caring for this plant is simple, it can be placed even in the back of a bright room. No less suitable, but more difficult to care for, will be other orchids, for example, vanda, cumbria, etc.

A room reed is very suitable for a Japanese-style interior - a pogonatherium plant, which will allow you to reproduce in reality the bamboo branches often found in Japanese engravings. Even more reminiscent of bamboo is the now very common dracaena Sander, which is sometimes called that - good luck bamboo. Perhaps you will get it in the form of spirally curved stems with leaves on top or in the form of intricate pyramids. Either way, this plant is extremely hardy and will bring the most Japanese vibe to your home.

Fits remarkably into the Japanese design Fatsia, its specific name clearly speaks of Japanese origin. In addition, the carved Fatsia leaves are very reminiscent of Japanese maple leaves, often found in the engravings of Japanese masters. In this sense, indoor ficus microcarp will also be quite suitable. It can be grown in the style of a bonsai plant. But even if you bought it in a store with funny thickened roots, it will still fit perfectly into your Japanese-inspired interior.

In conclusion, I would like to add that the abundance of plants, as well as an excessive amount of furniture and accessories, is still inappropriate for a room in which we want to see a trend of Japanese style. Simplicity and conciseness are an invariable attribute of the room, the design of which is inspired by the culture of Japan.

In a classic Japanese garden, as we have already noted, the main emphasis is on recreating the natural landscape, usually using water and stone. Plants, on the other hand, play the role of an elegant "wrapper" that adorns the relief of the garden. That is why plants should be selected very carefully and economically, and in no case should you strive to create a collection garden densely filled with exotic Japanese species. There may be very few plants used - in Japan you can find gardens from rhododendrons alone!

There is no need to plant only the species loved by the Japanese. Very often they are sensitive to our frosts. Usually it is easy for them to pick up a replacement from plants more adapted to our conditions. For example, the main conifers in the Japanese garden are thunberg pine(Pinus thunbergii) and densely flowered pine(Pinus densiflora). It is better to replace them with species more familiar to Russia, especially since densely flowered pine is a close relative of our good friend - Scotch pine(P. silvestris). The main thing is to find a good balance of several ornamental trees and shrubs interspersed with flowering perennials, grasses, bamboos and ferns.

Below we have selected as an example 12 plants from which it is easy to create compositions in the Japanese style. From trees, the Japanese value weeping forms with spherical contours, and from decorative and Beautiful flowering shrub ov preference is given to plants that are easy to shear, in order, again, to give them the appearance of hemispheres. As accents that break the monotony of spherical forms, tall cereals, ferns and bamboo are included in the composition.

In addition to these "best of the best", the section contains descriptions of several dozen more plants recommended for Japanese garden(see navigation column on the right). The vast majority of them feel great in central Russia.

DECORATIVE TREES

Common cherry. Many Russians certainly want to have sakura in their dacha in order to perform the spring ceremony of admiring Japanese cherries. Of course, sakura grow not only in the subtropics, but also in the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, in the south of Primorsky Territory. And the residents middle lane and the northern regions, it is better to remember your native cherries - snow-white, poetic, sung in Russian literature in both poetry and prose. Especially close to the southern sakura Cherry ordinary f. Raksa, which grows magnificently in the suburbs.

Palm maple. Almost all types of maple are of interest as very ornamental plants. A beautiful pattern of leaves of various shapes, bright autumn color, original inflorescences and fruits, bark pattern and color of shoots have long attracted people's attention to them. Almost all species are good honey plants. For landscaping purposes, they began to be used from the first steps in the development of horticulture. Used in single and group plantings, low forms are planted in tubs. It goes well with dark conifers.

Scotch pine. The priority in the Japanese garden, without a doubt, belongs to the pine. She is - a symbol of longevity, courage, willpower. The choice of pine trees for planting in a Japanese garden depends on its size. Garden areas in Japan are very small, so it has long been customary to shape trees, weakening their growth and giving the crown an expressive shape. In modern Japanese gardens, mountain pine is sometimes used without shaping, while maintaining its natural lodging appearance. Pine trees form the structural basis of the garden, serve as its skeletal plants.

DECORATIVE SHRUBS

Barberry Thunberg- the most beautiful of deciduous barberries, with yellowish, bright red or purple-red, later purple-brown shoots. Barberries are used in solitary and group plantings, in rock gardens, as a ground cover plant. A variety of varieties gives simply unlimited scope for the gardener's imagination. For the conditions of central Russia, it is also the most suitable culture for creating clipped and free hedges and borders.

Hawthornirreplaceable in ornamental gardening. In spring, it is beautiful during flowering with its corymbose inflorescences, consisting of numerous flowers, in summer when fruits ripen, having a variety of colors - orange, yellow, red, burgundy, black, and in autumn, when its foliage turns yellow, bright red, orange or retains green color. Hawthorn is usually planted as separate trees or groups. Many species are spectacular in standard form.

Cotoneaster. The main attraction of cotoneasters is a combination of strong branching, original foliage and various growth forms. small flowers white or Pink colour little decorative, but a dense crown of dark green shiny leaves, reddening in autumn, is appreciated. These shrubs are easily formed, retain their shape for a long time. In addition, at the end of summer, their decorative effect is enhanced by the abundance of bright red or black fruits hanging on the branches for a long time.

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERING PERENNIUMS

tree peony- a shrub of outstanding beauty, reaching a height of 1.5-2 m, with large bright green leaves. One bush can have from 30 to 70 flowers. The diameter of each is from 20 to 25 cm. The color of the petals is white, pink, crimson, lilac with a dark crimson spot at the base. Large numerous stamens with bright yellow anthers are clearly visible. There are forms with double and semi-double flowers. The plant is decorative even after flowering due to the unusual shape of the leaves and fruits.

Rhododendron - an ornamental woody plant, a bright and early flowering shrub that can compete with roses in grace, richness of colors of flowers and splendor of flowering.Rhododendrons look very impressive during flowering. In one lush inflorescence there can be up to1 5-25 flowers. During flowering, the branch of the plant looks like a bouquet. The beauty of the flowers is set off by glossy leathery leaves. Many types of rhododendrons can grow successfully in central Russia.

Chrysanthemum. The culture of decorative garden chrysanthemums has a thousand-year history. In Japan, they are considered the national flower. The chrysanthemum is traditionally depicted on coins and the state emblem of Japan, and one of the country's highest awards is the Order of the Chrysanthemum. The holiday of chrysanthemums in the country of the Sun is a special ritual: when performing it, one must admire every shade of inflorescences, while it is necessary to think deeply about the path traveled and the meaning of life.

GRAINS, BAMBOO AND FERN

Adiantum stopiform- one of the most beautiful ferns, growing well in conditions Central Russia. This is an unusually elegant openwork plant from the broad-leaved forests of North America and East Asia, up to 60 cm tall with flat, fan-shaped leaves on thin, shiny, black petioles. In beauty it is not inferior to tropical representatives of the genus. Looks good both singly and in group planting. Adiantum is so beautiful that it needs to be planted in plain sight.

Miscanthus - one of the most popular ornamental cereals in horticulture. No species can compete with it in the beauty of plants, the variety of varieties and forms and methods of application in garden design. Almost all miscanthus have a long decorative period - from spring to late winter. In autumn, their foliage turns various shades of yellow, brown, burgundy colors. Unusually beautiful miscanthus inflorescences are used to create dry floral arrangements.

Saza- one of the most cold-resistant bamboos, the only genus of bamboos that grows wild in Russia. Naturally, it is preferable to plant bamboos in gardens created in oriental style, against the backdrop of decorative pools and streams. Tall bamboos can be used as a characteristic feature of Japanese gardens. Rotting, durable and beautiful bamboo sticks are a wonderful ornamental material for decorating a Japanese garden. Mandatory plant for compositions imitating in Russian conditions Japanese gardens.

Japanese gardens look attractive throughout the year - unlike the English mixborders, which bloom brightly in the summer months, but disappear from the garden in late autumn.

Many evergreens are used in Japanese gardens; such gardens are created in order to soothe and pacify, and not to disturb our perception. They do well in small spaces and can be very easy to care for. At the core philosophy of Japanese gardening lies recreation of natural landscape of Japan in miniature (usually in the form of a mountain landscape with waterfalls and streams). “A look at nature from the outside” is precisely what makes this style of garden art the way it appears before us today. Usually speaking of a Japanese garden, we immediately imagine stones and water. People seem to really enjoy using these elements in garden design.

There is a great many plants, inherent not only in the nature of Asia, but also in the temperate climate zone, which can be used in Japanese gardens. You can try to create such a garden on your site, guided by the basic internal principles that anyone who wants to feel the spirit of a Japanese garden should understand.

For example, you will never find wild nature square pond, so don't create one in your garden. You can create a waterfall, but not a fountain. Another important condition is balance, or " sumi". We always want to have more in a small space. But if the rock looks harmoniously on the shore of the endless sea, imagine how it will look on 6 acres of land? So choose your design elements with great care.

A stone can represent a whole mountain, a pond will appear as a mountain lake. A tiny space covered with sand will become a boundless ocean. Without a doubt, the phrase Less is better” was first heard from the lips of a master of garden art. Give up variety. Repetition of individual elements in various parts garden creates a sense of integrity, which is especially important for small spaces.

Work with a limited color palette

Let shades of green dominate throughout the year. This style greater value gives form rather than abundance and luxury. Flashes of bright flowers and berries in the garden can only be used to emphasize the passage of time, the change of seasons.

Use contrast

Again, this is a game of shapes and textures: wide carved maple leaves side by side with sharp pine needles.

Plan your garden to look attractive in all seasons. evergreen bushes form the basis of Japanese gardens; many of them, in addition, give us an incomparable seasonal bloom. Some types of perennial flowers such as irises or hellebore, are attractive throughout the season by the shape of their foliage. If you choose to use these herbaceous plants, how host or fern, place them in rock crevices to hide the empty, untidy spots left in place by dying autumn foliage.

Learn Basic Growing Techniques bonsai. They can be used in the cultivation of pine or other trees, not only to limit their size for small garden, but also to achieve the aged, twisted forms characteristic of this style.

Time and space

The first thing that catches the eye of a European when looking at a Japanese garden is some “emptiness”. This causes a feeling of anxiety among gardeners who are used to filling all the free space in the garden to give it pomp and pomp, but this " emptiness” is a key element of Japanese garden art.

Empty space, or " ma”, defines and emphasizes the elements around it, and, conversely, the objects surrounding it define the space itself. These are precisely those polar and intertwining forces that are known to us as two principles, defined by the Chinese words " yin" and " yang". Without nothing, it is impossible to get something. It's hard to comprehend, but main principle philosophy of the Japanese garden.

Another key point requiring serious thought and understanding are the concepts of " wabi" and " sabi". Like many Japanese words, these words do not have an exact translation into Russian. "Wabi" can be defined as something " one of a kind', or the spirit of something. "Sabi" defines the time or ideal image of something; most closely in Russian it sounds like " flying time". The concrete lantern may be the only one of its kind, but it doesn't match the ideal image of this element of the Japanese garden. The stone may be old and covered in moss, but if it is only a round cobblestone, it does not have a "wabi". You should try to feel this balance.

All these concepts - "ma", "wabi" and "sabi" - are interconnected with time and space. While the space of the garden belongs to us, time appears before us as the change of seasons. Unlike Western landscape designers(who leave the garden in autumn to return to it in spring) Japanese craftsmen are devoted to their garden and admire it in all seasons.

In spring, they enjoy the bright green of buds and rhododendrons in bloom. In summer, they are attracted by the contrast of multi-colored ornamental foliage and cold shadows on the ground. Autumn is stunning with the bright colors of falling leaves, which are replaced by winter silence and the severity of a snow-wrapped garden. Winter for the Japanese is the same "garden" period as spring. The Japanese speak of snow caps on the branches as if they were trees in spring bloom.

So even this “dead” period for European gardeners in the garden for the Japanese is full of life. Perhaps it is the Eastern understanding of death as an inevitable stage of life (or the Western fear of death?), which share Western and Eastern philosophy.

Intimacy of Japanese gardens

Another feature common to all Japanese gardens is their intimacy, secrecy from the outside world. As we have already said, the garden is a model of the world in miniature. In order for the garden to become a truly secluded place, we must protect it from the outside world. And since it is separated from the outside world, we must create a method (including in our thoughts) to enter and leave our microcosm. The Japanese garden is unimaginable without hedges and gates just like without maples and lanterns.

Like most elements associated with a Japanese garden, hedges and gates have deep symbolism. We try to look at the garden as a separate world in which there is no place for sorrows and worries. The fences separate us from the outside world, and the gates become the boundary beyond which we leave our daily problems, and when we leave, we prepare ourselves to face the outside world.

fences is also a tool for reinforcing another principle " miegakure”, or “hide and play”. Existing species the fences serve as little more than visual screens, often entwined with vines, through which one can only partially see the garden. Sometimes designers carve a small window into a solid wall of the fence to catch a glimpse of the attractive beauty of the garden located on the other side of the fence. You can be sure that you will see only a narrow strip of what is behind the fence.

And even if you enter the gate of the house, then most likely not the whole garden will open before you, but only one more arch gate, sometimes attached directly to the house, which hide the garden. To see the garden in its entirety, you need to enter this arch and only then will you be left alone with the garden. Last step in the true perception of the garden, this is when a person "dissolves" in it, when time and the person himself no longer matter.

Japanese garden components

Stones in a Japanese garden

The Japanese believed that those places where there are a lot of stones are chosen by the gods (kami) for their stay. The stones of these places were objects of special worship, as they were, according to the Japanese, sacred, and, therefore, the purest and most reliable precisely because of the presence of deities there.

This attitude towards stones led to the fact that the aesthetic basis of Japanese gardens, which appeared many years later as an art form, began to be shaped to a greater extent by stones.

The stones make up the "skeleton" of the Japanese garden. If you place the stones in your garden correctly, everything else will line up by itself. Below we will give you a description of several types of main stones in the Japanese garden, as well as basic principles their placement.

The main stones in the Japanese garden are high vertical stone, low vertical, curved, inclined and horizontal stones. Usually these stones are placed in triads, but this is not a prerequisite. Two similar stones (for example, two vertical ones), one of which is slightly smaller than the other, can be placed in the neighborhood, like a man and a woman, but usually three, five or seven stones are used in the composition.

Should be avoided use the following three types of stones: “sick” stones (deformed top), “dead” stones (stones vertically oriented in nature, laid horizontally, and vice versa, like the body of a dead person), as well as stones that are discordant with all other stones in the garden. In the composition, use only one stone from each group of main stones (the composition can be supplemented with medium-sized stones that do not carry a large semantic load). Sculpture can be laid out of stones, they can be used as a path or a bridge.

The use of stones in the Japanese garden is very extensive.:

building interesting compositions from them;

design of reservoirs; creation of paths, bridges and footbridges, retaining walls;

creation of symbolic water landscapes from gravel;

the use of stone lanterns and pagodas.

In order for the composition of stones to be balanced, in Japan the method of constructing it in the form of a proportionate triangle is used. Moreover, this applies not only to stone compositions.

In each composition of the garden (whether it is shrubby, woody, or a composition with architectural forms), balance is achieved, among other things, by inscribing the elements of the garden into a scale triangle, where there will definitely be a main element and one or more subordinates.

This canonical technique brings beauty and harmony at the same time.
But in each specific case, of course, there may be deviations from the canonical norms.

Adhering to other fundamental techniques and principles of creating Japanese-style gardens will make these retreats invisible.

Some basic rules for working with stones:

If you are creating compositions from groups of stones, then they are composed mainly of an odd number of stones (three, five, seven).

Setting the stone on permanent place, it must be deepened, so that it must grow into the earth and connect with it, but not lie on the surface.

The depth to which a stone is dug into the ground depends on the nature of the relief: on a flat place, it is necessary to deepen the stone much less than on a slope.

When installing stones, the main principle balance- arranging them in the form of a proportional triangle, where the main stone (“shuseki”) must be correctly correlated with the first secondary (“fukuseki”) and the second secondary (“kyakuseki”). In other words, there should not be stones of the same size in a group. Otherwise, the composition of the stones will be uninteresting and boring.

For yin-yang energy balance, horizontally located stones should be more than vertical ones. Because there are quite a lot of surrounding vertical lines in each garden (vertical fences, trees, buildings). Their preponderance will break the harmony, causing a feeling of anxiety. But in each case there may be exceptions. The main thing is to correlate the verticals and horizontals of the garden in a reasonable balance.

With a stone, you can change the outlines of the reservoir, if for some reason it has ceased to suit you. To do this, you can beautifully "implant" a stone of the desired size into the coastline. The new coastline will depend on the size and shape of the stone.

When creating stone paths, keep in mind that several functions are assigned to them in the garden at the same time.

Walkways made of stone

The paths in the Japanese garden symbolize the paths of life, the journey through life. They connect the various Pictures of the Garden and its points into a single whole. The paths indicate the path we can take to each Garden Picture. But at the same time, often the main function of the tracks is the basis of the path. And the foundation should be strong, comfortable, beautiful.

Therefore, the arrangement of paths must be approached seriously, starting with a carefully thought-out sketch of the lines of the paths to the location of the stones in the path. Indeed, by changing only the turn of the stone, we can change the feeling of the movement of energy along the path.

Paths in a Japanese-style garden should not be straight or geometrically shaped..

Smooth, softly winding lines of the path will lead us to one or another viewpoint of the garden.

Tracks should not "scream" about their beauty or the originality of the material from which they are made, but should become an integral, harmonious part of the overall composition.

The degree of ease of movement along it will also depend on how correctly you arrange the path in the garden.

Bridges can also be made of stone in the garden, which, like paths, play several roles at the same time. Bridges are a continuation of the path, connect the two banks, can be the basis of some kind of garden composition.

Bridge in the Japanese garden is a symbolic element. Depending on the general concept of the garden, it can mean a transition from one period of life to another, from one environment to another, from the present to the unknown.

In Japan, bridges made of solid natural blocks are highly valued. Japanese-style garden will give a special charm arched bridges, with beautiful natural vertical stones on different banks at the beginning of the bridge.

But again, there must be a measure in everything - imagine a big bridge on the square of a small garden ...

But a small original bridge made of natural stones can be entered into almost any area of ​​​​the garden, decorating it with appropriate plants, stone, gravel, a lantern.

In Japanese gardens, the use of stone is common in the form of lanterns, pagodas.

Highly important point creating a Japanese-style garden is the right arrangement of stones and plants. We must connect them in such a way that no one doubts that this stone lies here all its stone life, symbolizing the constancy of the Universe.

But the plants are periodically replaced, as they symbolize the natural inconstancy, the variability of life.

This combination will turn out great if you “peep” similar patterns in wildlife: in the forest, on the lake, in the mountains.

In Japan, stones are valued not only for their natural beauty, but also for their pure sound.

A properly designed Japanese garden evokes a sense of antiquity and eternity. Nothing can “age” a stone like that grown on it moss. In humid climates, moss will settle on the rocks over time. But if you're impatient, you can speed up the process by gently moving the moss out of the forest. It is necessary to constantly moisten the newly transplanted moss until it is fully established on your stones.

Water in a Japanese garden

Japan - Island state, therefore, it is not at all surprising that water is an indispensable element of any garden. Water in Japanese gardens is used only in the form of natural reservoirs. It may pond, running stream or waterfall but not a fountain. Water will bring a new dimension to your garden by gently absorbing unwanted sounds and attracting wildlife.

If the creation of reservoirs is impractical for any reason, a dry stream can symbolize water. dry streams created from gravel and smooth stones. From the point of view of design, such a stream carries the same semantic load as water - not only to create a contrast in the neighborhood with plants growing along the banks, but to subordinate the landscape to a single leitmotif, allowing the use of plants that naturally grow near water. A skillfully crafted, dry stream can feel as though its water has just dried up, and the occasional rain will bring it back to life.

More worries than a dry stream will be delivered to you by a sea made of gravel. The drawing, made on gravel, imitates small whirlpools and swirls of water around the stones.

The use of water has a very deep meaning in Japanese gardens. The contemplation and sound of its continuous flow remind us of the transience of time. Waterways often cross bridges. Like paths, bridges signify a journey. AT Japanese the word meaning "bridge" also means "edge". Bridges symbolize the transition from one world to another - an integral theme of all Japanese art.

Japanese garden plants

Although plants play a secondary role in the Japanese garden after stones, they are still an integral part of it. If the stones symbolize immutability and constancy, then trees, shrubs and flowers help to see seasonal changes.

In the classical Japanese garden, as we have already noted, the main importance is given to the re-creation natural landscape, usually using water and stone. Plants, on the other hand, play the role of an elegant “wrapper” that adorns the relief of the garden. That is why plants should be selected very carefully and economically, and in no case should you strive to create a collection garden densely filled with exotic Japanese species. There may be very few plants used - in Japan you can find gardens from rhododendrons alone!

There is no need to plant only the species loved by the Japanese. Very often they are sensitive to our frosts. Usually it is easy for them to pick up a replacement from plants more adapted to our conditions. For example, the main conifers in the Japanese garden are thunberg pine(Pinus thunbergii) and densely flowered pine(Pinus densiflora). It is better to replace them with species that are more familiar to our region, especially since densely flowered pine is a close relative of our good friend, Scots pine (P. silvestris). The main thing is to find a good balance of several ornamental trees and shrubs interspersed with flowering perennials, grasses, bamboos and ferns.

Of the trees, the Japanese are valued weeping forms, having spherical contours, and from decorative and flowering shrubs, preference is given to plants that are easy to cut, in order, again, to give them the appearance of hemispheres. As accents that break the monotony of spherical shapes, the composition includes tall grasses, ferns and bamboo.

Plants that can be used to create a Japanese garden in conditions temperate climate, a great many, here are some of the most popular ones:

decorative trees:

Common cherry

Many certainly want to have sakura in the garden in order to perform the spring ceremony of admiring Japanese cherries. Of course, sakura grow not only in the subtropics, but in our area and still it is not comfortable. So, it is better for the inhabitants of our region to remember their native cherries. Particularly close to southern sakura Common cherry f. Raksa.

Palm maple

Almost all types of maple are of interest as very ornamental plants. A beautiful pattern of leaves of various shapes, bright autumn color, original inflorescences and fruits, bark pattern and color of shoots have long attracted people's attention to them. Almost all species are good honey plants. For landscaping purposes, they began to be used from the first steps in the development of horticulture. Used in single and group plantings, low forms are planted in tubs. It goes well with dark conifers.

Scotch pine

The priority in the Japanese garden, without a doubt, belongs to the pine. She is a symbol of longevity, courage, willpower. The choice of pine trees for planting in a Japanese garden depends on its size. Garden areas in Japan are very small, so it has long been customary to shape trees, weakening their growth and giving the crown an expressive shape. In modern Japanese gardens, mountain pine is sometimes used without shaping, while maintaining its natural lodging appearance. Pine trees form the structural basis of the garden, serve as its skeletal plants.

Decorative formable shrubs

Barberry Thunberg

The most beautiful of the deciduous barberries, with yellowish, bright red or purple-red, later purple-brown shoots. Barberries are used in solitary and group plantings, in rock gardens, as a ground cover plant. A variety of varieties gives simply unlimited scope for the gardener's imagination.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is indispensable in ornamental gardening. In spring, it is beautiful during flowering with its corymbose inflorescences, consisting of numerous flowers, in summer when fruits ripen, having a variety of colors - orange, yellow, red, burgundy, black, and in autumn, when its foliage turns yellow, bright red, orange or retains green color. Hawthorn is usually planted as separate trees or groups. Many species are spectacular in standard form.

Cotoneaster

The main attraction of cotoneasters is a combination of strong branching, original foliage and various growth forms. Small flowers of white or pink color are not very decorative, but a dense crown of dark green shiny leaves, reddening in autumn, is appreciated. These shrubs are easily formed, retain their shape for a long time. In addition, at the end of summer, their decorative effect is enhanced by the abundance of bright red or black fruits hanging on the branches for a long time.

Beautiful flowering perennials

tree peony

A shrub of outstanding beauty, reaching a height of 1.5-2 m, with large bright green leaves. One bush can have from 30 to 70 flowers. The diameter of each is from 20 to 25 cm. The color of the petals is white, pink, crimson, lilac with a dark crimson spot at the base. Large numerous stamens with bright yellow anthers are clearly visible. There are forms with double and semi-double flowers. The plant is decorative and after flowering due to unusual shape leaves and fruits.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron is an ornamental woody plant, a bright and early flowering shrub, which can compete with roses in grace, richness of colors of flowers and splendor of flowering. Rhododendrons look very impressive during flowering. In one lush inflorescence there can be up to 15-25 flowers. During flowering, the branch of the plant looks like a bouquet. The beauty of the flowers is set off by glossy leathery leaves.

Chrysanthemum

The culture of decorative garden chrysanthemums has a thousand-year history. In Japan, they are considered the national flower. The chrysanthemum is traditionally depicted on coins and the state emblem of Japan, and one of the country's highest awards is the Order of the Chrysanthemum. The holiday of chrysanthemums in the country of the Sun is a special ritual: when performing it, one must admire every shade of inflorescences, while it is necessary to think deeply about the path traveled and the meaning of life.

Grasses, bamboos, ferns

Adiantum stopiform

One of the most beautiful ferns growing well in Central Russia. This is an unusually elegant openwork plant from the broad-leaved forests of North America and East Asia, up to 60 cm tall with flat, fan-shaped leaves on thin, shiny, black petioles. In beauty it is not inferior to tropical representatives of the genus. Looks good both singly and in group planting. Adiantum is so beautiful that it needs to be planted in plain sight.

Miscanthus

One of the most popular ornamental cereals in horticulture. No species can compete with it in the beauty of plants, the variety of varieties and forms and methods of application in garden design. Almost all miscanthus have a long decorative period - from spring to late winter. In autumn, their foliage is painted in various shades of yellow, brown, burgundy. Unusually beautiful miscanthus inflorescences are used to create dry floral arrangements.

Saza

One of the most cold-resistant bamboos, the only bamboo genus that grows wild in Russia. Naturally, it is preferable to plant bamboos in gardens created in oriental style, against the backdrop of decorative pools and streams. Tall bamboos can be used as a characteristic feature of Japanese gardens. Rotting, durable and beautiful bamboo sticks are a wonderful ornamental material for decorating a Japanese garden. An obligatory plant for compositions imitating Japanese gardens in Russian conditions.

main garden

The main garden is a garden for the pleasant pastime of all family members. It is desirable to place it closer to the living rooms, but it can also be arranged in connection with tea room, living room or form the main part of a large garden as a relaxation area. This is a garden that is home life center, so it requires the widest space and good sunlight. A terrace or veranda often leads into the main garden, but it must be borne in mind that if the main garden itself is not too large, then due to the terrace it will seem even smaller. With a cramped area on the site, only the main garden is broken. Sometimes it becomes universal, including elements of other gardens.

The garden area in front of the living room, used for receiving guests, can be separated into a separate functional unit, but more often it is part of the main garden, giving it a more businesslike character. There you can take out the table and chairs and receive guests outside the home.

The type of the main garden is an important point in the formation of the residential area as a whole. The garden has an impact on the house as such. Depending on its type, the garden may look better or worse.
The stages of planning a Japanese garden differ little from those of a European one.

front garden

It's called the front garden the area from the gate to the entrance to the house, which includes a path and plants on both sides of it. This is the busiest place, since everyone who comes into and out of the house passes through it, and special attention should be paid to its design. It is by the style, character, mood of the front garden that the new guest forms an idea about the site, the house and the owners. In a sense, it is like roji on the way to tea pavilion, therefore it is better if the passage from the gate to the hallway is not too short. Sometimes, for this purpose, it is made somewhat curved, decorating with plants, which also helps to create the illusion of more space.

The main requirement for the path is the convenience of walking along it. This should be especially carefully monitored when using natural stones, the surface of which is rarely completely even. If the track is laid out tobiishi, preferably, the gaps between the stones should not be too large. It is important to coordinate with the step width not only these gaps, but also distances between stone centers. When using hewn stones or concrete slabs it is preferable to make them two steps long. If there is a paved area in front of the entrance to the house, then it is usually made of the same material as the path, but it is perhaps better to avoid dark stones and material on which dirt is easily visible.

garden behind the door- that's about the same as European countries called winter garden or interior landscaping. It is located indoors, usually rooms common use such as the living room, dining room, hallway, and is increasingly entering the life of the Japanese, because due to the growing urbanization there is simply no other opportunity to bring nature into the city house. Often, when creating a garden outside the doors, they are limited to a beautiful arrangement of plants in containers.

Japanese garden care

When choosing the type of garden, one should not forget about its subsequent service. lovers big trees it should be remembered that over time they can become too large, creating thickening and disrupting the original composition. If these trees are evergreen, they will give too much shade and the garden can become gloomy and gloomy. If the trees are deciduous, then in autumn a lot of foliage accumulates under them, which creates difficulties in cleaning, especially if there are surfaces covered with gravel or reservoirs nearby.

Place the stones correctly first, then the trees, then the bushes.

Follow the basic principles of creating a Japanese garden. This will help you recreate its atmosphere and convey the mood.

If a garden is created in Japan, it is a Japanese garden. All we can do for us is to create japanese style garden.

Traditional japanese art flower arrangement, appeared in the XV century. For thousands of years, it has developed and improved, during which time new directions and schools of flower arrangement have arisen.

But the main principle of the Japanese style of composing flower arrangements - naturalness and closeness to nature - remains unchanged.

Japanese florists pay great attention to the lines that give flower arrangements expressiveness and grace. As a rule, the branches of trees and shrubs, the most common species, are chosen as the basis for the composition. In order to choose one of the most beautifully curved branches from a thousand branches, one must have excellent artistic taste and a special flair. For compiling flower arrangements Japanese florists use branches without leaves, sometimes with slightly blossomed buds.

Branches can be used in Japanese bouquets coniferous trees if they have clear graphic lines.

Flowers for making Japanese bouquets are selected in the bud stage. Flowers are usually used with leaves.

Any Japanese bouquet and flower arrangement always reflects the seasons and always shows flowers and plants in their development. Japanese bouquets of flowers seem to speak to a person. The buds and buds of flowers symbolize a new, resurgent life, they speak of the future. Dry leaves and half-blown flowers in a Japanese bouquet are a symbol of the past.

Each season has its own style of flower arrangements.

spring Japanese florists make bouquets full of expression, stems and flowers are actively developing, vigorously rising up.

Summer It is customary to make wide and lush bouquets. Summer is the heyday of the year.

touching autumn brings its own notes to Japanese flower arrangements. In autumn they make up more refined bouquets of flowers, thin and rare.

in winter When all nature sleeps until next spring, in Japan it is customary to make calm, frozen, even a little gloomy bouquets.

In the 20th century in Japan, in the art of arranging bouquets of flowers, there were significant changes. Flower arrangements have become simpler and more accessible to people of all classes. The Japanese style of creating bouquets and flower arrangements was greatly influenced by Western, in particular European culture.
In the modern Japanese bouquet, leaves and flowers are used much more often than before. Low flat vessels began to be widely used to decorate flower arrangements.

Plants for the Japanese garden don't have to be of Japanese origin, especially since the vast majority of these island sissies simply won't survive in our climate.

But many of our plants are great for the Japanese garden, and the style of the latter will not raise any doubts.

Its skeleton, as, indeed, of many other gardens, is made up of trees and shrubs. Among them, maples, small-leaved rhododendrons and numerous forms of conifers are undoubtedly in the forefront.

The main mass will be herbaceous perennials, many of which are so strongly associated with the Japanese garden that it is unthinkable to imagine that in the newly created Japanese garden there will be no place for at least some of them.

Iris

First of all, it is, of course, irises.

All types of irises are suitable for a Japanese garden, but first of all, we are usually talking about large-flowered species irises, for example, iris xiphoid, its other name is Kaempfer's iris (Iris ensata, Iris kaempferi).

They prefer moist, slightly sour soil, they do well along the banks of natural and artificial reservoirs, and you can safely plant them so that the rhizome is located below the water level.

astilba

astilba- a favorite color accent in the Japanese garden.

For Japanese garden Thunberg's astilba (Astilbe thunbergii), Arends' astilba (Astilbe X arendsii), Japanese astilba (Astilbe X japonica), hybrid astilba (Astilbe X hybrida) and others are suitable.

It develops well and blooms in partial shade, does not require special care.

Currently, there are countless varieties that differ in flower color (from white to dark purple), in height of leaves and inflorescences, in relation to illumination, timing and duration of flowering. Choose to your taste.

snyt

Everyone knows gout vulgaris- a plant from the umbrella family, the most common phenomenon under the canopy of our broad-leaved forests. Those whose gardens are located on rich neutral loamy soils know well what it is. noxious weed.

Snyt is perfectly reconciled with a rather dense shadow. But we mentioned it in connection with its cultural form with white-bordered leaves - Aegopodium podagraria "Variegata".

It occupies the same ecological niche: it prefers light penumbra, does not like acidic soils, spreads just as quickly, but fortunately not as aggressively as its wild relative.

In its appearance, it is very suitable for a Japanese corner and, indeed, is quite often used in real Japanese gardens.

Hellebore

Hellebore(for example, black hellebore - Helleborus niger) - an amazing early-flowering plant, unfairly rare in our gardens.

Its white, greenish or reddish "petals" sometimes last for several months. In some species, the leaves go green under the snow and remain until spring; they are equally beautiful in spring dew and in autumn hoarfrost.

Day-lily

Everyone knows (at least externally) daylilies, or dayflowers, (Hemerocallis) can quickly fill in problematic corners with their long, joyfully green, lanceolate leaves.

Thanks to their delicate openwork structure, these East Asian aliens look harmonious in Japanese gardens even in small numbers, but are especially good in bulk.

Among the numerous hybrids (Hemerocallis X hybrida), the variety of shades of their ephemeral flowers is huge, from pale yellow to wine red, but we recommend using specific daylilies, first of all, a rather large brown-yellow daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) and an elegant small daylily ( Hemerocallis minor) c fragrant flowers.

It is impossible not to mention host, or a function (Hosta). With skillful use, hostas can add an oriental flavor to your garden like no other plant. No wonder many types of hosta come from Japan and China.

They are unpretentious, surprisingly diverse in size and color of the leaves and retain their decorative effect for a long time. Perhaps their only drawback is the long time of “decorative set” in spring: the leaves unfold as if reluctantly, and the plant takes on a finished look only by mid-June. It is felt that they come from a milder climate.

Peony

herbaceous peonies, which we are used to (with huge double flowers), look too "flashy" in the Japanese garden. It is better to select wild-growing types of peonies, such as thin-leaved peony (Paeonia tenuifolia), Delaway peony (Paeonia delavayi), Veitch peony (Paeonia veitchii), and other peonies with simple flowers belonging to the group of so-called imperial, or Japanese, peonies with exquisite flowers in their simplicity.

(Paeonia suffruticosa) deserve special attention, especially since they come from Japan.

We have mentioned only a few colorful plants with which you can easily and quickly achieve the desired effect. But it is not at all necessary to follow exactly our recommendations.

Having imbued with the idea of ​​a Japanese garden, you will certainly feel which plants will be most suitable for your “miniature Japan”.

Of course, only your own taste and artistic flair (and some perseverance) will lead to a result that you can be proud of.

In the end, we should never forget our common goal - to make life more beautiful - and the pleasure we get from playing with our gardens.