small gardens

==== ====Watch this amazing videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aauZmSnacw==== ====Classical Chinese gardens and fountains are more than collections of beautiful plants, trees andwater. They are representations of nature, providing insight into the philosophical and spiritualmind of past Chinese artisans and high-ranking citizens.The principles of classical Chinese gardening can be useful and insightful to garden lovers livinganywhere in the world. Chinese design objectives can inspire American home gardeners to trysomething new such as a garden fountain and encourage the expression of culture andphilosophy through gardening.In the 2,000 years since the imperial family first set aside natural areas for hunting, traditionalgardens in China have developed into an art form equal in rank to painting, calligraphy and poetry.Several of the finest gardens, built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912), havesurvived the ravages of time and politics.Suzhou, about 50 miles west of Shanghai, is known as "the city of gardens." For generations, richofficials, merchants, landowners, scholars, garden designers and garden crafters settled inSuzhou to enhance its fame. The principles of classical Chinese gardens were well represented intheir gardens. Visitors come to learn their secrets and experience their magic.These gardens provide insight into the traditional Chinese view of nature, which includes the rolehumans play in the natural order. The gardens hold clues to the ancient Chinese mind through thewinding paths, the use of symbolism and the selection of plants. In the traditional Chinese view ofnature, humans were equals with everything in the natural world. As the philosopher Lao Tsuwrote in the Tao Te Ching, "Man follows the earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Tao.Tao follows what is natural." Traditionally, Chinese people assisted in the expression of nature butdid not impose their will upon it.Chinese gardens were originally designed to symbolize a living entity: rocks formed the skeleton,water and fountains functioned as the blood, while plants provided the clothing. To portray theinfluence of human beings in nature, architectural constructions (bridges, pavilions, halls,courtyards, gateways, windows, doors and pavings) were integrated into a gardens design. Theirpurpose was to illustrate the ideal interaction of humans with nature. Together, these elementsmade up all that is natural on Earth: vegetation, mountains, and bodies of water with gently flowingChinese fountains as well as human influence. The way they were integrated into the gardenexpressed the relationships they have in nature.Gardeners in the West may be unable to mimic the grandeur with which the ancient Chinesegardeners represented nature, but they can include parts of each element. The goal is to create asense of wholeness within the limitations of the site and to consider all these elements as integral

parts of the garden.Just as a gardens main elements are symbolic of the parts of a living whole, symbols that makeup the cultures beliefs are scattered throughout Chinese gardens and integrated in their design.For example, bad spirits were believed to travel in straight lines so pathways were seldomdesigned straight or flat. It was believed that the many changes in levels and directions made itdifficult for these spirits to infect the people enjoying the garden. Dragons, symbols of strength,change and goodness, frequently adorn Chinese fountain walls and roofs of garden structures.Suitability -- The most appropriate location for every feature of a garden must be found. Seasonalchanges in weather and plants as well as the physical requirements of the garden site areconsidered. In addition to finding the most suitable site for each garden element (plants, rocks,water fountains and architectural constructions), details such as the size, shape, color andplacement of railings, windows and doors in a building, for example, are also considered to ensurecomplete harmony of the surroundings.Taking Advantage - The Chinese garden designer attempts to use the gardens surroundings,whether near or distant, to the best advantage. Sights, sounds, movement and stillness, the subtleand the obvious, are used as part of the scenes created within the garden. Many of the privategardens in China were small in size -- no larger than the typical garden sites of single familyhomes in the United States. It is the challenge, then, of the garden designer to create the illusionof spaciousness by incorporating far-off sights and sounds into the gardens ambiance.Refinement - To define what is refined in the garden design is a judgment rooted in culture. InChinese gardens, this refinement has meant incorporating a tranquility, gracefulness, elegance,neatness and distinctness that is in accordance with nature. The expression of thesecharacteristics is judged in China against culturally accepted historical standards. Outside ofChina, gardeners can define what is considered refined according to their own standards.Simplicity - To Ji Cheng, being simple means not being extravagant. Resources that are on site ornearby are considered the best materials to use in designing the garden. Rare or unusual objectsand plants are considered extravagant.Changeability - This objective is prominent in traditional Chinese gardens because it expressesthe natural law of constant change. A garden design can create a sense of change andunexpectedness with scene changes in every turn of a path, an unexpected or different view fromeach window and aesthetic changes with each season. Designs can include changes caused byclouds, sun, wind, rain, snow, insects, birds, plants and water.A gardens plants provide a link among all its elements, symbolizing harmony in nature. Plants arethe gardens dynamic, living component.In accordance with the Chinese view of gardens as representations of nature, the trees, shrubsand flowers of a garden are chosen to reflect the unique features of the gardens region. Mosttraditional Chinese gardeners select native plants, or plants with special meaning in Chineseculture. Bamboo, for example, is common in Chinese gardens because of the many lessons itteaches. Bamboo is strong and resilient. Staying green throughout the winter, it teaches that onecan flourish despite harsh conditions. Bamboo grows in clumps, modeling life in the family. Its fastgrowth illustrates self-development.

The plants are situated in ways that show off an individual plants unique features. Theirarrangements in the design demonstrate their interrelationships with other species as they occur intheir natural habitats. The purpose of plants in Chinese gardens is to reflect the inherent order ofnature. More than a collection of plants or even an expression of beauty in the purely visualsense, the classical Chinese garden is a physical representation of Chinese philosophy andculture. These gardens embody the best of traditional Chinese thought and culture, which seeshumanity functioning as part of a greater natural order.Today, home gardeners can apply their plant growing talents in the spirit of these old Chinesegardens by expressing their own culture and philosophy toward nature in their garden designs andby applying Ji Chengs design objectives. The result will be a garden that unites aesthetics, plantcultivation, philosophy and culture.Kristina L. is resource for the website Serenityhealth.com, your one stop shop for any type ofwater fountains and water fountain information. You will find many outdoor fountains for yourgarden, wall fountains, tabletop fountains and even custom fountains. Visit Serenityhealth.com orcall to talk to one of our water fountain experts.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristina_L==== ====Watch this amazing videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aauZmSnacw==== ====

small gardens

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small gardens

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