Ocharming countryside, owners often turn to the theme of the oriental garden. We are fascinated by the images of the gardens of the Far East, which significantly differ from European ones in their philosophy, organization and external attributes. Creating a Chinese or Japanese corner on the site, you will inevitably encounter a number of difficulties, one of which is the selection of plants for your oriental garden.
Local features
Interest in landscape art in Japan and China outside these countries is very stable. Gardens, solved in this style, can be found all over the world, this topic is constantly addressed at landscape contests and exhibitions. However, a single image of a Japanese or Chinese garden simply does not exist, and under both names hides several completely different types of gardens. Therefore, discussing, for example, the Japanese garden, someone imagines a beautiful walking park with landscape groups of sakura and fan maples, someone a corner with a pavilion for a tea ceremony, and someone a traditional rock garden. The landscape designer North Augusta SC is the best option there.
- When creating any garden, you must take into account the natural environment of the site. On the open spaces of our country, mainly occupied by forests, the appearance of natural, park variants of oriental gardens, which are characteristic of both China and Japan, everything seems more logical. But in small household plots, Japanese garden options for a residential building or even tea gardens are more appropriate than Chinese gardens with an abundance of stone and water.
- There is no single image of a Japanese or Chinese garden, and under both names are several completely different types of gardens.
Simplicity, naturalness and moderation
In the eastern landscape gardens, much attention is paid to the plant composition, and especially to trees and shrubs, which are selected not only for their aesthetic features and structure-forming functions, but also for symbolic meaning based on the religious beliefs of the local population.
In the landscape gardens of the Far East, bright colors prevail in spring and autumn . True, in recent years, many gardens in China have been decorated with potted flower crops throughout the growing season, which makes them sometimes too colorful. But traditionally, gardens become colorful during the flowering period of Forsythia, magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons and, of course, sakura.
Conclusion
When arranging an oriental-style garden on your site, you should be aware that, as a rule, this is still a game of stylization, an artistic variation on the theme of the “oriental garden” using exotic plants, extraordinary garden elements and materials. In this case, in the development of design and in the selection of plants, it is necessary to follow the principles of simplicity, naturalness and moderation. What plants can be chosen to create an “almost real” oriental garden on a site?
Last Words
Unfortunately, a large number of local plants characteristic of the Japanese and Chinese gardens are not winter hardy enough in the conditions of central Russia. Some will freeze in the first winter, and if they tolerate the low temperatures of the 3-5th winter hardiness zones, they may suffer from spring matinees, as is the case with many Far Eastern species unfamiliar with frosts.
