Landscape design in Chinese style. Traditional Chinese garden: description, types and features Small garden in Chinese style

It is impossible to create a real Chinese garden if you just try to blindly follow the external principles of gardening culture, even knowing them perfectly. Like any other art form in China, landscape design can only be truly understood by simultaneously perceiving traditional Eastern philosophy.

This philosophy, in particular Taoism, popular in China, encourages people to strive for harmony with nature. But the usual imitation “a la naturel” would be too simple. No, creating a garden in which a person is able to feel a deep unity with the trees, water, and sky is a high art. To understand what nature is for an Easterner, one can recall the medieval houses of Japan, which had no walls at all - only a roof and support pillars. And the landscape became a true continuation of the house.

An ideal Chinese garden is like a small “model of the Universe”, and it is built according to its “laws” - infinity and harmony. Accordingly, all elements of the garden symbolize some components of the world, its feminine and masculine principles - the eastern “yin” and “yang”. The entire Chinese garden is a series of images that can be read.

When we say “a garden is a model of the Universe,” this has nothing to do with its size. The kindergarten may be tiny, but it should still remain the whole world. Therefore, various methods are actively used to visually increase the space. For example, a person walking in a garden should constantly encounter new, varied details along the way. Paths can be deliberately winding to “lengthen” the path.

Like the world, the Chinese garden is heterogeneous. With the help of special elements (walls, architectural elements, etc.) it is divided into many different “gardens”. A journey from one to another is a chain of discoveries for the amazed traveler, whose eyes are constantly opening up to pictures that he did not expect to see. One step and the curtain rises, a few more steps and the traveler is already in another “country”.

The design of a site in the Chinese style differs from European ones in its content. The main role here is played by stones and ponds, and vegetation - especially flowers - is, as it were, a secondary element. Chinese and Japanese “rock gardens” are world famous. Lake limestone is traditionally used in landscape design. This is a stone with an underlined history, which can be read from the traces left on its surface by water. Granite is also used as a building material - for paving paths, building bridges, etc.

The Chinese garden is “mountains and water”, and therefore trees are still welcome here from the plant world: pine, bamboo and apricot. Flowers are not “forbidden” at all, but they are just an addition. Like all other elements, each flower has its own meaning, a hidden meaning. Magnolias, chrysanthemums, peonies, rhododendrons, gentian and primrose are traditional for the Chinese garden.

2. Chinese garden - history and philosophy

The culture of the East dates back several thousand years and is very different from the Western, European one. The gardens of China were created under the influence of two religions - Taoism and Buddhism, which left its mark. The main principles underlying the creation of Chinese gardens are the deepest respect and love for nature, free, that is, landscape, planning, an attempt to recreate in miniature natural landscapes endowed with special charm and beauty.

Chinese gardening art in ancient times was based on a unique philosophy: nature was seen as the unity and struggle of two opposite principles in balance: the male Yang and the female Yin. They fill nature in all its manifestations - during the changing seasons, day and night, in stones, water, plants. In addition, all elements of nature were endowed with energy and “breath” (the concept of “qi”) and were in constant movement and development.

At the same time, man was not opposed to nature, as was the case in Western culture, but harmoniously fit into it, was part of a single whole, had his own path, and lived in accordance with the basic laws of the Universe. Later, with the advent of Buddhism in China, which preached the superiority of Nature and its powers over man, the concept of “Enlightened Nature” appeared - the desire for human perfection through meditation, contemplation, and spiritual fusion with nature.

Chinese gardens were created for communication with nature: morning and afternoon walks, meditation, evening contemplation of the moon, for rainy and sunny weather, and served to relax the soul and body.

All this determined the basic principles of creating Chinese gardens: a free, natural style, the absence of any symmetry, respect for the surrounding landscape, the absence of deliberate decoration, the creation of harmonious micro-landscapes that imitate natural ones, the expressed symbolism of all elements of the garden, the use of a few, but carrying a large the semantic load of natural accents (stones, plants, water).

This article will examine one of the most striking and original trends in ethnic style - the Chinese garden. Setting up such a garden on a site is a fascinating activity that can show not only the design talent of the owners, but also their rich inner world.

The identity of the Chinese garden

The Chinese style is quite original and stands apart among ethnic gardens. On the one hand, its structure is subject to stylistic techniques common to ethnicity, and on the other hand, it quite noticeably contradicts the basic concept of style - closeness to nature, maximum naturalness. In a Chinese garden it is very difficult to trace where the natural ends and the artificial, fictitious, man-made comes into its own.

The teaching of Feng Shui is the main guide to action

The teaching of Feng Shui is the ideological basis of the Chinese garden. The main tenets of Feng Shui, which have found their application in landscape design, are:

Harmony between all elements of the garden (as a reflection of the universe, the harmony of the five elements). This applies to everything - the proportions of water and land, free and occupied space, landscape features.
Clear identification of the center, the main dominant point.
The significance of each plant, each element of garden design.

Everything that is done, built, planted, dug in a Chinese garden must be permeated with Qi energy, and the task of the owner of the site is to direct this energy in the right direction.

Types of Chinese Gardens

Historically, there have been three types of Chinese gardens:

Imperial, stunning with its luxury and sophistication.
Monastic or natural, built as much as possible into the natural landscape.
“Gardens Behind the Wall” are private gardens. It is these gardens that are the prototypes of modern Chinese style.

According to the emotional impact, the following are distinguished:

Laughing gardens, symbolizing the fullness, brightness and joy of life. The device uses flowering plants and bright colors that can create a mood of joy and fullness of life.

Menacing gardens symbolizing the destructive power of the elements. Randomly scattered boulders and twisted, moss- and lichen-covered trees with dark foliage are used.

Idyllic gardens that restore peace and harmony.

A very interesting solution could be to install all three emotional gardens on one site. At the same time, it is important to ensure the compositional completeness of the idea.

The main stages of creating a Chinese garden and the main stylistic techniques

When arranging the Chinese style, it is very important to remember the main rule of creating ethnic gardens - all elements of landscape design and architecture must correspond to the chosen style. Everything, right down to the outbuildings and the entrance lobby, should be stylized according to Chinese style and architecture.

Choosing the center of the composition and planning

Hilly terrain is best suited for creating a Chinese garden. A completely flat area will have to be “revitalized” by adding artificial hills, hills and slides.

When designing Chinese gardens, designers very often use the “Bagua octagon” - this is a division of the site into 9 sectors, based on Feng Shui knowledge about the concentration of energy.

At the initial stage, you need to select the center of the composition. As a rule, this is an elevated place from which the most beautiful view and maximum visibility opens. What the central composition will look like is not so important, the main thing is that from it you can admire the landscapes opening up for a long time, and the center of the composition itself can be seen from anywhere in the garden.

The Chinese style (unlike most ethnic ones) is characterized by axial planning and clear, regular lines and angles of the site boundaries.

Color palette

When decorating a garden in the Chinese style, color is of great importance, since Chinese philosophy endows colors with healing properties. That is why architecture and small forms shine with brightness and variety of colors:

Purple and white - calmness.
Dark red and bright yellow - joy and vitality.
Blue and black - relaxation and healing.

The same can be said about the natural palette: brightly flowering plants and ornamental shrubs add their colors to the fabulous canvas of the Chinese garden.

Most ethnic styles are characterized by their color, the use of which in landscape design helps make it recognizable. For a Chinese garden, this is a combination of yellow, red, green and brown.

Track arrangement

The paths and paths of a Chinese garden can scatter throughout the entire area in intricate patterns, beckoning, winding, lengthening the path, giving a person the opportunity to enjoy communication with beauty for as long as possible. Behind their sharp turns there should be unexpected surprises hidden - a flowering bush, a sculpture, a group of stones.

To construct paths, you can use gravel, white and yellow sand, and natural stone slabs. An excellent styling technique is to create a winding path made of pebbles. By choosing it by color, you can lay out various patterns, for example, in the form of waves or diverging spheres.

Gates and fences

An invariable rule of style is that the garden should not have a clear visual boundary; it is necessary to create a feeling of its infinity. That is why the fence must be carefully camouflaged.

It should look either like a stone composition, behind which the garden simply continues, or like a screen entwined with plants, separating another zone. It is possible to construct a fence-screen onto which the shadow of the branches of a bizarrely curved tree is projected.

You can use the stylization of a fence to resemble the wall of a supposedly nearby temple, behind which the garden continues.

The entrance to the Chinese garden is quite standard: the characteristic gates, painted red or brown, will immediately create the right atmosphere.

Variety of small forms

It is small forms, garden furniture and household items that help give an area in an ethnic style recognition and the necessary flavor. Chinese style lends itself easily to such stylization.

Stones are widely used to create a Chinese garden in landscape design. The philosophy of Feng Shui gives them great philosophical meaning - they symbolize the balance of opposing elements. Stones are considered living beings. The more unusual the natural shape of the stone, the more voids it contains, the better.

Stones can be placed individually or create various groups.

The necessary color and mood will be created by bright Chinese lanterns and umbrellas placed and hung around the garden.

The main Chinese symbols are hieroglyphs, but their use should be treated with great caution. Firstly, it is worth remembering that they may contain a certain meaning, and secondly, a garden overloaded with them will look banal and vulgar.

The same can be said about Chinese-style garden sculptures. They should fit organically into the overall composition without disturbing the harmony of the space.

Recently, topiaries—sculptures made from decoratively trimmed trees and shrubs—have become very popular. They are increasingly used by designers for ethnic styles. Such a figurine in a Chinese garden will perfectly enliven the overall picture and create the appropriate mood.

A very interesting technique that will make the style recognizable are the so-called garden “moon” windows. They are arranged in such a way that through them you can admire a beautiful landscape or composition.

Recognizable and original elements of the Chinese style are bridges made of natural materials. Humpbacked bridges most often serve their intended purpose - to cross water streams, canals, and ponds. For a Chinese garden, either artificially aged stone or wooden bridges painted with bright paint are best suited.

Ponds of the Chinese garden

Without a doubt, an artificial pond will not only decorate a Chinese-style site, but can also become the center of the entire composition. Free outlines, an unclear coastline, and an abundance of coastal vegetation are the distinctive features of a Chinese pond. A grotto on the shore or on a small island in the middle looks very interesting.

The Chinese pond must be “alive”. The inhabitants of the pond can be koi carp and any other bright fish, silver crucian carp.

Setting up a lotus pond can be a fun activity.

Chinese gazebo - style icon

In no ethnic garden is the gazebo the main stylistic element; only in Chinese it is the center of the composition, putting the final point in creating the style. It is usually located next to a body of water; its light lacy outlines and characteristic roof make it recognizable.

You can make a Chinese gazebo yourself from wood and paint it in the colors characteristic of China - brown, yellow, green or red.

Chinese garden plants

The brighter and richer the color palette of Chinese garden plants, the better. However, we must not forget that everything in it has its own meaning and significance:

Coniferous plants planted on the site will symbolize longevity. These can be pines, cedars, fir, juniper.
Fruit trees will bring happiness and procreation. Apple, cherry and plum trees will fit perfectly into the garden design.
Color and mood will be created by flowering shrubs with colorful foliage - forsythia, euonymus, meadowsweet.
Climbing roses, honeysuckle and other climbing flowering plants are suitable for decorating trellises, fences, and arches.

Mandatory plants in a Chinese garden are noble peonies, chrysanthemums, and lilies. But it is better not to plant small-flowering, variegated and wild plants, so often used in ethnic gardens in Europe. They can create stylistic dissonance.

Another feature that distinguishes the Chinese garden from some European ethnic gardens is that in the absence of classic, trimmed lawns and clearly defined flower beds, all plants must be trimmed; the presence of weeds and negligence in care are unacceptable.

After completing the work on creating an ethnic landscape design in the Chinese style, all that remains is to carefully care for the plants. And also remember that the garden is a place of relaxation, restoration of peace in the soul and harmony with the outside world, so all troubles and misfortunes should be left outside its gates.

A Chinese garden is more than just pagodas, red and bells. It is always based on a synthesis of nature and mythology, an attempt to create heaven on earth. This paradise has a very specific image. According to ancient legends, there were five Islands of Immortals in the ocean. Over time, their descriptions turned into a manual for gardeners who created miniature copies of the landscape of mythical islands. An ideal Chinese garden must have a pond with one or several islands, a pavilion and an artificial mountain - a prototype of the Kunlun mountain range. Examining the plans of famous gardens, a European may discover a violation of our usual planning laws. But in reality these gardens are harmonious. What's the secret? The Chinese initially created a garden, rather than connecting the landscape to the house. If you remove the fence and the house, the site connects with nature. Therefore, Chinese gardens have traditionally used plants native to the area. When planning a trip to Chinese gardens, take my favorite books along with you.

Elena Golosova “Gardens and parks of the Yangtze River Delta”; J. Symonds "Landscape and Architecture"; Gao Yonggang "The Essential Guide to Creating a Chinese-Style Garden: Design a Landscape for the Soul in Your Own Backyard."

Quarry garden

An abandoned quarry with an area of 4.26 hectares has been transformed into an oasis. It is located in the Botanical Garden in Shanghai. The designers, together with engineers, changed the terrain of the site, creating secret gardens and winding routes. The stone walls of the quarry were left untouched, which will allow them to “self-heal” in rain and sun. Quarry Garden, in Shanghai Botanical Garden. 997 Longwu Rd, Xuhui Qu, Shanghai Shi. www.shbg.org

Zhangyuan Garden in Nanjing

This garden is 600 years old and contains buildings from the Ming Dynasty. Pay attention to the paths made of stones. Before being placed in the garden, they were kept for many years at the bottom of Lake Taihu so that the water would drain away all excess, and then processed by hand. The ideal stone had to have five qualities: shou - narrow, zhou - wrinkled, lo - perforated, tou - penetrating, xiu - beautiful. Zhanyan garden. No. 128, Zhanyuan Road, Qinhuai District. www.njzy.net

Yuheyuan - Tranquility Park

The Beijing park of 1750 is also called the "Summer Palace". Protected by UNESCO as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design. It is impossible to cover the entire territory in a day. It's common to come back here. Yihe Yuan Summer Palace. 19 Xinjiangongmen Rd, Haidian Qu. www.summerpalace-china.com

Beihai Park

Emperors of different dynasties equipped expeditions to search for the Islands of the Immortals, which are described in Chinese legends. The islands were not found. But their description formed the basis for the creation of this park in Beijing. There is a famous imperial restaurant here, where they cook according to recipes from the Qing Dynasty. 1 Wenjin St, Xicheng Qu. www.beijingtrip.com/attractions/park.htm

Liu Yuan Garden

The Garden of Solitude in Suzhou is one of the four most famous landscape gardens in China and is protected by UNESCO. The composition of a classic landscape garden consists of a series of viewpoints and routes of movement between them. The garden was created by the owner himself in accordance with the art of traditional gardens “ben yu zizhan” (“growing from nature”), according to which the garden is first formed and only then the site plan. 338 Liuyuan Road, Gusu Qu, Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu Sheng. www.china.org.cn

Wangshiyuan

Another name is “The Garden of the Master of Weaving Networks and Intrigues.” The example of a classical Chinese garden reflects the close connection between the owner's lifestyle and the landscape. The plot of only about 50 acres in size seems many times larger thanks to the clever layout. From every room of the house you can easily access the garden. This technique of combining home and street is typical of many private gardens in Suzhou. Wangshi Yuan. No.11 Kuojiatou Alley, Daichengqiao Road, Canglang District, Suzhou 215006. www.szwsy.com

Houtan River Park in Shanghai

The park was created for the Shanghai Expo 2010 and reflects the idea of “landscape as an autonomous ecosystem.” The site is a narrow strip of 14 hectares on the Huangpu River. The land, contaminated by petroleum products, was previously home to a steel mill and shipyard. The project, carried out by Chinese architecture studio Turenscape, aims to create a new green area, showcase environmentally friendly technologies, and use it as a public promenade after the Expo. Another challenge facing planners was improving flood control. To create a new active shoreline as a living organism to treat the polluted river, a marsh 1.7 km long and 5–30 meters wide was developed. The authors of the project built beautiful wooden bridges, and planted water purifying plants to absorb pollutants. No.2200 Shibo Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai.

Yu Yuan Garden

The garden was founded in the 16th century during the Ming Empire by order of the son of a minister as a gift to his father. This is where the name “Garden of Joy” comes from. It symbolizes the happiness that the younger ones give to the older ones. Unfortunately, the garden was badly damaged in the 19th century, but was restored in 1956. 218 Anren St, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, 200010. www.yugarden.com.cn

Chen Shan Botanical Garden in Shanghai

A large-scale landscape project by the Munich bureau Planungsgruppe Valentien was carried out in 2010. On 206 hectares of bulk land in the Yangtze River Delta at the foot of Mount Chen, a unique green landscape with an autonomous ecosystem is organized. The project was based on the aesthetics and symbolism of the traditional Chinese landscape, complemented by innovative technical solutions. Chenshan Botanical Garden. No.3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201619. www.csnbgsh.cn

He Yuan Garden in Yangzhou

The He Yuan Garden in Yangzhou is a well-preserved example of garden art from the Qing Dynasty. One of the main attractions is the peony pavilion. He Yuan Yangzhou. No.66 Xuningmen Avenue Yangzhou. www.he-garden.net

Chinese philosophy, which preaches harmony with oneself and nature, is reflected in the design of personal plots. The area around the house is like an idealistic picture, where all the elements are in harmony and unity: lush greenery, stone compositions, smooth surface of water and small architectural forms. Chinese style in landscape design is an opportunity to reconnect with nature and contemplate your own inner world. There is a sense of calm and tranquility here, which is why the destination is popular among residents of large cities.

Features of a Chinese style garden

A walk through the landscape, designed according to the rules of the Celestial Empire, will be memorable for you:

a large number of green spaces emphasizing the pristine nature of the universe. The space is filled with the colors of nature itself, conducive to rest and relaxation;
using stone in different variations: it is used to imitate mountain heights, a rocky coastline near a water canal or pond. For the Chinese, the stone symbolizes masculinity and immortality, so it plays a significant role in design;
the incredible tranquility of the reservoir, which seems frozen in time. Water continues the yin and yang philosophy and represents the feminine;
unusual architecture, which includes holes of different shapes in the walls the size of a man. This is the "lunar gate". They attract the eye and act as a frame through which magnificent views open;
smooth lines that can be seen in the design of the landscape, paths, bridges and roofs of gazebos.

The garden is conducive to leisurely walks in the daytime and evening, meditation and long pleasant conversations with loved ones.

History of appearance

The Chinese garden, harmonious and landscaped, has a rich history. The first mentions of it date back to the 3rd century BC. The formation of the style took place on huge plots adjacent to the houses of the ruling dynasty, and on small areas owned by artists.

Initially, the site followed the natural terrain and was intended for recreation and games. But the country's economy and culture developed, changing the architecture and perception of the site in front of the palace and house. They began to cultivate it, creating a semblance of a world with mountains and rivers.

Later, landscape art mixed with literature. The adjacent space began to resemble a picture illustrating poems and poems. The landscape has become more expressive and colorful. The combination of naturalness, philosophy and poetry has given humanity a real pearl - Chinese gardens, which can be admired endlessly.

Chinese garden layout

The basis of the direction is the creation of perspective and limitlessness. Divided into miniature gardens, the territory looks like a single whole. Each section smoothly flows into another, revealing new landscapes. It seems that these transitions will never end, and the paths will continue to lead into the distance.

The space is zoned with ornate paths, large plants, hedges and arches. In addition to the functional role, they also perform an aesthetic one, filling them with elements that are attractive to the eye. The central position is usually occupied by a pond, as a symbol of calm and peace.

Walking through the oriental garden, it is difficult not to notice its naturalness. Sprawling trees, stone cliffs, a stream, hills - it seems that nature itself recreated this small universe a long time ago. To replicate the natural idyll, with its carelessness and some chaos, designers spend many hours. The result is a magnificent landscape that feels like it has barely been touched by a human hand.

Water

The site attracts attention with a large pond or lake. Variations are also possible: stone is used to line the walls of a narrow canal, which meanders and runs deep into the garden. The smoothness of the line can also be seen in the frame of the reservoir. The outlines of the low banks surprise with their softness and absence of sharp corners. To create boundaries, small pebbles, stone slabs and half-logs dug vertically are used.

The water surface itself is a separate story. It impresses with its evenness and the silence that reigns around, the embodiment of peace. But then the smooth surface gives way to ripples that cover the entire pond: these carp and crucian carp with their play remind us of the fluidity and constant movement of time. The tranquil atmosphere is diluted by babbling fountains and man-made waterfalls. An evening accompanied by musical accompaniment of falling water, emphasized by serenity - this is what owners of gardens in this style enjoy.

Landscaping and plants

The Chinese-style garden is surrounded by greenery. No, this is not a static picture painted in one single color. These are smooth transitions of shades of green, of which there are more than 40,000. To create a rich and vibrant color scheme, designers select a variety of plants. Conifers stand out among them: pine, fir and juniper, creating fragrant aromas. They are shaded by deciduous trees: plums, peaches, magnolias, willows, cherries, apple trees. Their blooming appearance in the spring dilutes the colors, and the fruits filled with life awaken the appetite.

The crowns of bushes and trees are trimmed. Ball-shaped green spaces and bonsai enhance the Chinese theme and emphasize the philosophy of the garden.

Favorites among flowers are peonies. Already in medieval China there were more than 30 varieties of them, so it is not uncommon to find their double buds in the modern landscape. Yellow, white, cream peonies are planted along paths or in flower beds in large groups, diluted with tulips, irises or phlox. Roses are also used in decoration. Their bushes decorate the space near the house or gazebo. On the surface of the reservoir you will definitely see leaves and delicate lotus flowers - a symbol of purity.

One of the wonders that the Chinese style in landscape architecture will reveal to you is the gradual change of shades. Spring enchants with the flowering of fruit trees, summer with a riot of colors of peonies, roses, irises, azaleas, autumn with the yellow-purple crowns of willows and maples, winter with the dark tones of conifers.

A separate trend in Chinese landscape art is “laughing gardens”. Such an interesting name hides a large number of bright plants. They give the space a “laughing” look.

Paving and paths

The Chinese suggest walking around the site along paths paved primarily with pebbles. Selecting material of different shades and sizes, designers lay out patterns from it, turning a familiar path into a work of art. The wavy and centric pattern accompanies everyone, bringing harmony to thoughts and feelings.

Large slabs of stone are also used to create paths. The space between them is filled with grass and sand.

Lawn

Chinese philosophy is alien to empty spaces, so the design of the site is limited to extensive lawns. The territory resembles small irregularly shaped lawns on which trees, bushes grow and architectural buildings rise. The surface is sown with herbaceous plants: hosta and sorrel, turning the ground into a green carpet.

Garden decoration

In oriental landscape gardening art, one cannot help but notice bridges. They amaze the imagination with a variety of species. The humpback bridges are particularly striking. Repeating the shape of the arc, they rise above the surface of the water at the highest point at a fairly decent distance. If you decide to enjoy a boat ride on your own pond, then this arched design will not interfere with you.

What other bridges is the Chinese style ready to offer for contemplation in a suburban area? Zigzag, wavy and the usual straight ones. They are constructed from stone slabs and wood, woven into the overall architecture.

The oriental ensemble is remembered for its love of stone. This material is used everywhere for the construction of miniature mountain hills, in the form of separate compositions from several blocks. Frame the grandeur of the plant material.

Philosophy of the Chinese garden

Basic elements of a Chinese style garden

The attributes of the Chinese style, which are used to create gardens, were used by Europeans back in the 19th century, but often without understanding their hidden symbolism. Let's look at the main ones.

"Windows in the Garden"- small openings at eye level in garden walls that serve the same role as moon gates. They come in two types: the first - in the form of a frame in which a “garden picture” is captured,

the latter are works of art in themselves; they have a forged or stone lattice with a beautiful ornament or an image of a tree; “garden paintings” are also visible through them.

Holes of various shapes (round, square, rectangular, petal-shaped) human-sized in the internal walls that divide the garden into zones.

Their main purpose is to open up new views for us as we move through the garden. At the same time, the “moon gate” serves as an unusual frame for living pictures and invites you to look at them.

Entrance gate- usually rectangular in shape, always have a roof, often painted in bright colors (red, brown). They can be quite simply and modestly arranged in a small garden, but gates to parks are usually large in size, have a beautiful Chinese-style curved roof and are richly decorated.

Decorative pond- the most important decoration and attribute of a Chinese garden. Water in the form of lakes, ponds, streams symbolizes the feminine principle. It is represented by huge lakes in park ensembles and small ponds in the center of private gardens. Around such ponds, often inhabited by brightly colored koi carps, a garden composition was built.

Stones They personify the strong masculine principle of Yang, they are endowed with a soul. The landscape of a Chinese garden is determined by two main components - stones and water. The “mountains” of stones symbolize immortality, an important aspect of Chinese philosophy.

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More than a hundred varieties of stones are used for the Chinese garden; old, complex-shaped stones raised from the bottom of the sea are especially valued.

Bonseki- these are miniature compositions made of stones or stones and plants, reproducing the natural landscape in miniature. They are a real work of art. Bonseki are placed in the garden on tables or on the ground against a wall.

Gazebos and pavilions- they play an important role in the Chinese garden. They are made in a traditional manner with curved bamboo roofs and are often richly decorated. Gazebos and pavilions are placed on the shore or in the center of the pond.

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They also carry hidden symbolism and are closely connected with the surrounding landscape.

Garden pavilions serve for relaxation, contemplation and meditation.

Bridges usually used to cross water spaces. The shape of bridges is very diverse - humpbacked bridges for narrow canals, zigzag single-level bridges for crossing ponds, stepping bridges made of flat small stones. Materials for bridges - stone, wood, bamboo.

Chinese lanterns, made of wood, glass, metal, paper (red), serve both to decorate the garden and carry a functional load. Most often they are placed on the walls or inside the gazebo under the ceiling.

Bamboo- one of the favorite plants of the Chinese and a cheap building material, which is widely used for the manufacture of all kinds of fences, gates, gazebos, mats, and trellises. Due to its fragility, bamboo structures have to be updated frequently.

The Chinese have achieved particular skill in creating a variety of hard surfaces. The material for them is usually multi-colored pebbles, from which complex patterns are created in the form of waves, ornaments, paintings depicting plants, which emphasizes the connection of the paths with the surrounding landscape.

Stone lions They act as a garden sculpture; they are always placed at the entrance to a house or garden in pairs. The main purpose of stone lions is to protect owners from troubles.

Plants are an important component of compositions

One of the main principles of a Chinese garden: it must maintain its beauty and attractiveness throughout the year. Any tree, shrub or flower in a Chinese garden has its own meaning and is associated with seasonal phenomena or events in the life of the owners. The arrival of spring is always symbolized by the blossoming of cherries, plums (representing strength of character), magnolias, pomegranates, as well as flowering ornamental shrubs - forsythia, rhododendrons, chaenomeles (Japanese quince). A little later, blooming scarlet azaleas become the main accent in the garden. And autumn is marked by the piercing scarlet foliage of various maples.

The main plant present in almost every Chinese garden is the pine tree. Long-living evergreen pines reminded the Chinese of the infinity of time. Using certain techniques, trees are shaped by lowering their height and giving the branches a certain arrangement. Pine trees are carefully cared for from generation to generation.

In addition to pines, junipers and cypresses are planted from conifers.

Lianas (wisteria), some evergreen shrubs (pittosporum, mahonia holly, etc.), as well as tree peonies and chrysanthemums are grown in gardens. Bamboo represents endurance and resilience, as its branches bend in the wind but never break. These plants are often used in gardens. Twisted old or artificially aged trees are an important element of the Chinese garden.

With the advent of Buddhism, the lotus became an important plant in the Chinese garden. Its beautiful and delicate petals are a symbol of the purity of the Buddha’s soul, rising above the material earthly world.

In traditional Chinese gardens there are no lawns, and some herbaceous perennials (hosta, oxalis), as well as ornamental grasses, are used as ground cover plants.

Bonsai - trees and shrubs formed in a certain way - an element also characteristic of the Chinese garden. Small tree bonsai (about 0.5-1 m), planted in containers and always placed on a stand, look especially impressive. Most often these are pine, cherry or plum, maples, chaenomeles and others.

Text and photo: Natalya Yurtaeva, landscape designer