This inspirational guidebook shows how to create the sense of harmony and balance that are so much a part of Zen philosophy.

LEARN why every element that goes into the garden has meaning, along with its careful arrangement, and its use of natural and unobtrusive materials (like bamboo).

CONSTRUCT walls, fences, and paths that provide security, beauty, and boundaries to separate and frame various areas.

ARRANGE boulders, stones, and gravel to contrast with smooth-flowing ponds and rushing waterfalls.

No detail goes unexplained--from adding koi and water plants to setting up viewing stations, a teahouse, or a moon-viewing building.

Your garden will be a place of peace, restfulness, and emotional refreshment.

The Japanese garden means many things to us. For some, it is the place we go to view ponds, curved bridges, and artistically placed plants. For others, it offers an escape to Eden, a place of purity and contemplation. Still others might argue that the garden gathers up life’s symbolism and displays it back to us as we stroll along the garden’s paths.

PREFACE

1 BOUNDARIES

Fences

Walls

Gates

Construction Technique

2 ROCKS, BOULDERS & STONES

A Natural Place in the Garden

For Streams

Bridges & Walkways

Rocks as Paths

The Sentinel Stone

Gravel

3 WATER

Things to Consider

Ponds

Waterfalls

Streams

4 BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES

The Pavilion

The Tea House

Mixing Styles

Moon Viewing

5 GARDEN ORNAMENTS

The Basin Stone

Garden Sculpture

Stone Lanterns

Benches

Bridges

6 GARDEN DESIGN

Things to Consider

Five Japanese Gardens

Training Methods

7 PLANT MATERIALS

Japanese Glossary

Plants Grouped by Use

Suggested Plant List

INDEX