by tigerlily on August 15, 2009
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When it comes to gardens, the Japanese are one of the finest designers. When one visits Japanese garden, he might scrutinize a big lotus pond with a delicate bridge that spans across it, a wide variety of plants, beautiful flowering trees and skillfully displayed rock formations. The composition momentarily gives the person a sense of tranquil. In fact, one cannot deny the reality that Japanese garden landscaping is awe aspiring.
Japanese garden landscaping is categorized into three types. The virgin and the most common is the Tsukiyama type, which means constructed mountain in English. A Tsukiyama inspired garden is somewhere a garden with contours and hills. It may and interject a pond or shaft with multifarious plants and shrubs. A typical Japanese stomping grounds or a temple may be erected on the grounds.
Major main feature of a Tsukiyama garden is that the entire place can be empitic from strategically placed vantage points.
The particular class of Japanese garden landscaping is called the Karensansui or dry prospect gardens. Gardens of this type are associated with humans who practice Zen Buddhism.
What makes this garden apart from other gardens is that it has onliest inadequate or no production at all. Instead, the main elements of a Karensansui garden are carefully arranged rocks and beige. The rocks generally express the Japanese islands. The fawn, which is raked in bill patterns, symbolizes the sea. The rock gardens of the Ryoanji and the Daitokuji temples are perfect examples of Karensansui.
Unlike a Tsukimaya garden, a Karensansui garden is to be viewed from a single, seated perspective.
Lastly, the query clique of Japanese garden landscaping is the Chaniwa. This type of garden dates back to the 14th century. This is not a garden in the undeniable sense of the consultation. Instead, this type of Japanese garden landscaping is characterized by a beautiful, carefully planned path fabricated out of stepping stones that lead to a affair room. This entertainment room is called Chaniwa, thus, the nomen of the garden. The Chaniwa besides has stone water basins where the guests can wash themselves so they could partake of a tea ceremony.
Apparently, the designer of the Chaniwa type of garden wants to invoke to his guests a feeling of peace, solitude and enlightenment with this design. Therefore, the Chaniwa garden is a perfect place for meditation. Usually, Chaniwa gardens are not open to the public.
It is worthwhile to see these types of Japanese gardens. By doing so, one will truly feel at peace with himself while having a glimpse with the unique Japanese culture.
by tigerlily on August 14, 2009
Koi fish ponds are the rage right now because of the aesthetic value and implied meaning of having pet Koi fish. A garden pond is not only good to look at, but Koi fish also mean friendship and love, and are even considered by others to be a symbol of good luck. Thus a Koi pond is not simply a decorative element in a garden, but it also stands for something greater. Regardless of the breed, these gentle fish exude a sense of calm and relaxation, another thing that makes Koi fish ponds a must in many landscapes, especially ones designed with a distinct Zen feel to them. Especially with particular breeds of Koi that have special markings, a garden pond can serve as a good water complement and element to your greens and browns. A Koi pond is not really that hard to maintain besides the usual rigors required in fish care, as Koi are very hardy and can adapt to different atmospheres and surroundings.
A Brief History
Koi are basically a breed or type of carp, purposely bred for pets and not for human consumption. The etymology of the term is simple enough – it means “carp” in Japanese. The development of Koi, however, is not limited to the Japanese, as it also has its roots in China and various parts of East Asia. And a bit of trivia – it was the breeding of carp – Prussian carp, to be specific – that led to the emergence of gold fish. Carp breeding for color patterns is not a new thing, as China practiced this more than a thousand years ago. But it was through the Japanese that Koi breeding became prevalent – sometime in 1914, during an exposition in Tokyo. Before that though, some areas in Japan were specializing in Koi breeding, some as early as the 1820’s.
Care
One important point in maintaining a Koi pond is to keep the filter clean at all times, and regularly subject it to cleaning. As with all filters a Koi fish pond’s filter will accumulate dirt after a period of time, and especially with a big garden pond, even heavy-duty filters need to be regularly cleaned and checked for any damage or malfunctions. Having ammonia build-up in a tank or garden pond will eventually harm your fish, so be sure that does not happen. Summer is usually the most active time for Koi, as this is mating season, and they will also need more food, and must be fed 3-5 times a day. When a Koi is hungry, it surfaces repeatedly, so you should look out for signs like that to know when it’s feeding time. Germ-rich food is best, as it helps the fish have better digestion.
Koi are gentle pets that are both lucky and pretty to look at. It is no surprise that many people are taken with these multicoloured and gleaming fish that are considered to stand for love and friendship. They are a positive energy in every garden and landscape, and the addition of a Koi fish pond is sure to make your garden a much homier and relaxing place to be.