Japanese Garden

Among the most beautiful landscaping styles in the world, the Japanese garden is a place of reflection, beauty and connection to nature.Veronica Hill of CaliforniaTravelExpert.com tours the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon.Japanese gardens date back before the 8th century, when they were used by ancient rulers for prayer and contemplation. A garden in Japanese, called niwa, represents a pure and spiritual place.The Japanese Gardens in Portland are one of the best examples of Eastern landscaping in North America, and well worth a visit.Walk the serene bridges past streams and waterfalls, then follow quiet paths lined with flowers and trees, always changing with the seasons.The Japanese rock garden, with its raked white sand and towering stones, suggests ocean waves crashing near sacred islands. This type of Japanese sand garden is often found in Zen monasteries.Japanese Garden tea houses and pavilions are designed for complete views of the natural surroundings with sliding doors, large transparent windows and plenty of decking.These offer great views of Japanese garden plants such as wisteria, iris, and vibrant red maple trees.Stone and bronze lanterns light the pathways, which are often marked by water basins with bamboo drippers, used for ritual cleansing of the hands and mouth.The Japanese water garden, marked by a meandering wooden plank bridge, is often lined with iris, and may include a waterfall, ever changing, yet always there.Nearby, the Japanese garden bridge is a great lookout spot. In Japanese garden design, the bridges are usually arched and made from stone or wood in keeping with the natural elements of the garden. Sometimes, bridges are also used in dry landscapes.To create a Japanese garden and learn more about Japanese garden designs, it helps to visit one in person. To view a Japanese Garden in California, head to The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, or the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden in Long Beach. For a listing of Japanese Gardens, go to CaliforniaTravelExpert.com

Channel: Travel & Events
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: CaliforniaTravelTips

Length: 02:06
Rating: 4.0789475
Views: 13148

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