Traditional Japanese garden styles
There are two traditional styles that a modern Japanese garden can be based upon:
Shakkei or borrowed scenery style gardens are a Japanese gardening technique that integrates the garden with the surrounding mountains, buildings and other scenery not located within the garden itself. The desired scenery is framed within a box-like structure or by the use of clever plantings to block out any unwanted scenery.
Karesansui or dry landscape gardens are a style of garden that can be traced back to the Zen temples of ancient Japan. Being a dry landscape garden they have no water and not much in the way of plants. Famous for the daily ritual of the raking the pebbles, gravel or sand Karesansui gardens are thoughtfully planned out with rocks and other features chosen for their unique shape, moss covering or textures. The Ryoan-Ji garden located in the famous city of Kyoto is perhaps the most famous example of this particular style.
The Buddhist influence over the Japanese garden lend it into becoming a place of peace quiet and tranquillity. In ancient time gardens where sanctuaries were soldiers an warriors could come to rest.
