Cooperative Living June 2018 - 38
GardenMuse | Story and photos by Paula Steers Brown, Contributing Columnist
Japanese-inspired gardens
can de-stress and refresh
H
ave you ever seen those
little desktop Zen gardens
of sand you can comb into
patterns around small stones to de-stress?
The minimalist dry-landscape style of
raked gravel patterns may be the first to
come to mind at the mention of a Japanese
garden, but its contemplative spirit does
not have to be confined to an austere style.
In fact, lush greenery is often the
backdrop of a Japanese garden. The
Japanese notion that people cooperate
with Nature and must stay in touch with it
in their daily lives is a healthy concept to
embrace. The best way to do that is to
have a garden where our role is
participatory - not merely observational
and not conquering. An interactive
" strolling garden " can be an introduction
to Japanese gardening, which brings
harmony and inspiration.
A Japanese garden never reveals all
(or even most) of itself from any one spot
- it unfolds. The idea of anticipating
beauty just beyond the curve ahead, then
discovering it, detail by detail, is central
to the strolling-garden style. This style
provides a quiet refuge from today's highpressure
world as the viewer participates
actively by moving along stepping stones,
curved paths, or bridges that indicate
symbolic crossings. Straight paths - a
feature in European gardens - make fast
crossing possible, but in a strolling
garden, meandering encourages the
traveler to linger, becoming aware
and mindful, focusing on the
journey rather than the destination.
This ritual develops powers of
observation of subtle changes in the
garden: morning dew on petals,
patterns on leaves, angles of light
filtering through trees and shadows
cast during different times of the
day. This state of awareness allows
us to look at life from a fresh
perspective and, ideally, leads to
self-discovery.
Appreciating the moment in
Traditional stone lantern statuary is softened by
evergreen camellias at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.
36 | Cooperative Living | June 2018
these phases is learning to be
mindful. Japanese people fully
appreciate the fleeting quality of
nature, a love that runs the gamut
from cherry blossoms to fireworks.
A plant in full bloom is not the
Japanese ideal. The Japanese
consider a whole shrub with only
one or two blooms extraordinary
The sounds of water falling soothe the soul.
Clipped evergreens reveal horizontal branch
lines that mimic the movement of wind.
This bamboo structure promotes the
feeling of entering a tranquil sanctuary.
Rocks convey stability and permanence, here
among the grasses and Japanese maples.
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Cooperative Living June 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living June 2018
Cooperative Living June 2018 - 1
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