Creating a Chinese Garden

The tradition of a Chinese garden dictates that it serve the purpose of being a calming refuge, a place to get away from the everyday stresses of life and get in touch with nature and spirituality. One of the most prominent characteristics of a Chinese garden is that it should offer a variety of stimulation to all the senses, and that its scope should be best viewed from a pavilion. Of course, many home garden spaces may be limited in terms of size, however, there is much of the essential Chinese garden sensibility and design elements that can be adapted to suit your outdoor space.

Basic Design Elements

Some of the more major philosophies that govern the basic design elements of Chinese gardens involve a balance of yin and yang (found in the Taoist philosophy) as well as Feng Shui, which involves the placement and location of objects. Typically, the most basic elements that exist in a Chinese garden are a mound with a tree, a pond, rocks, and a wall. Pathways are also prevalent, and are typically determined by the placement of a main pavilion viewing area, though your home can certainly act as a pavilion stand-in.

To start building your Chinese garden, keep in mind that its basic shape starts with mounds/hills and pools of water. These go hand in hand, as when you’re building your mounds, the recesses they leave should be filled in with water to create little ponds or streams. From there, you can bring in your plants (including your tree/s to sit atop your mounds), and finally, rocks to add a more sculptural element. Asymmetry is an aesthetic typical in Chinese gardens, though Feng Shui determines most of the placement of elements. Creating small sections within your garden is also a common practice as is the integration of incense within the scenery for an extra-soothing and other-worldly effect.

Plants and Trees

The plants found in Chinese gardens are largely symbolic and include the lotus flower, pine trees, bamboo, flowering plum trees, chrysanthemums, sweet olive trees, peonies, and banana trees. Bamboo is probably the most often associated with a Chinese-like aesthetic, and is meant to symbolize strength, resilience, and integrity. Pine trees, similarly, is meant to represent persistence, strength, longevity, and stoic dignity.

Like bamboo (which interestingly enough is a type of grass) and pine, the flowering plum tree blooms in the wintertime and carries yet another complimentary message of resilience. It’s one of the most important flowering trees in Chinese gardens in that it even has an association with a revolutionary struggle, a nobleness, strength of will and renewal in the midst of adversity. Lotus are important as well, given their associations with Buddhism, and chrysanthemums are associated with Confuscianistic sacrifices that involve courage and splendour in getting in touch with nature, not to mention that they also have a nice autumn bloom. Peonies represent wealth and power, while banana trees are often used just for their pleasant relaxing sound they make while being blown in the wind.

Other flowers and plants you might want to consider using that will blend well aesthetically include camellias, cherry blossom trees, willows, jasmine, climbing roses, ginkgos, maples, and flowering peach trees, comparable to flowering plum trees in that they also bloom quite late after the spring season.

Chinese Boxwood Bonsai

Rocks and Water

Water and rock are often juxtaposed in the spirit of yin and yang, balancing opposite textures and elements. Though rocks are instrumental in creating a framework for the garden’s overall architecture, they can also be used in more of an ornamental manner. One type of rock that is commonly used is the Taihu rock, which are really a sort of limestone, and have a sort of weathered and rough look about them that can change slightly in appearance, depending on the lighting. Symbolically, they are meant to represent the supernatural and can be meant as an enticement of spirits to be present in the garden so as to bestow a sense of immortality and wisdom.

The layout of water typically stems from one larger pond, adjacent to a mound, and a series of subsequent smaller streams that originate from this larger body. In general, water is supposed to add a cooling and serene element meant to also reflect the changes in the sky above as well as the surrounding rocks and plants. If you have enough space, you can even add a little bridge to cross a small stream, which is a great feature for contemplation in close proximity to your bodies of water. Adding colourful fish like goldfish, Koi (though, these are Japanese), carp, and if you really get into it, mandarin ducks, are all fauna that will blend nicely into your garden, and will especially benefit from the ponds and streams.

I bid you adieu my dear Sirs and Madams!

I know its a miserable day in wet old England to be talking about gardens but it won't always be like this! Before you know it, it'll be spring and your garden won't look ready. So jump on the trends now before it's too late!

1. Planting for pollinators. The plight of bee populations has been high on the emotional agenda of gardeners for a number of years. There is undoubtedly more awareness amongst gardeners that we can do something about it by planting for a continuous supply of nectar and pollen in our gardens. It’s not just about banging in a buddleja that’s swarming for a few weeks in summer. It’s about planning for nectar throughout the year. We need some lovely British Bees!

2. Wild birds. Here in the UK a few lack lustre gardening seasons have been a challenge for the horticultural industry. Feeding wild birds has become a lifeline or garden retail and is now worth probably more than growing media. Feeding wild birds has increased the interest in planting more bird friendly trees, shrubs and seed producing plants in gardens and I see this as an ongoing trend in 2014.

3. Going native. Meadows and so called wildflowers have been high profile for a couple of years or more. The idea of introducing more native plants into the garden palette is an extension of this building on the wildlife theme and reawakening the cottage garden style of gardening. Native plants are more likely to encourage insect species to make their homes in your garden, as native subjects are usually required for breeding. Maybe the biggest barrier is the perception that native plants are less attractive? Look closer!

4. The Return of the Shrub. A shrubbery was a feature of 19th-century gardens in the English manner, with its origins in the gardenesque style of the early part of the century. This has been hailed as a trend now for two or three years. I’m backing 2014 as the real return. Don't worry, we aren't the Knights who say 'Ni!'

5. Green walls. We love the idea of green walls and there’s no doubt about the visual impact of a city wall dripping with ferns and evergreens. I could bang on about the environmental importance and insulation properties but in many ways green walls are new-age hanging baskets. They tick that challenge box with horticulturists. Gardeners love to make things difficult for themselves. Forget all this easy gardening nonsense; we love anything that’s high maintenance and a bit of a challenge.

6. Front gardens. If enough emphasis is put on the importance of front gardens then we could see the start of a real trend of improvement. The UK property market has been in the doldrums for the past few years, so folks haven’t been looking at the shop window appeal of their houses as much. What a difference we could make to the appearance of urban areas with a practical horticultural approach to front gardens. Please don’t frighten people away with rainwater harvesting schemes or high maintenance seasonal bedding plant solutions. Let’s be practical with a few hard-working low maintenance shrubs to start with.

7. Green and white. If I was going to back one colour scheme for this year it would be classic green and white. Cool, calming, easy to live with and always pleasing.Green and White is always a favourite at RHS Chelsea Flower Show; that doesn’t mean it is cutting edge, it means its enduring, doesn’t date and is always a relief from the chaos colours that can prevail in the less orchestrated garden.

8. Trees. I have noticed an increasing interest in trees. We’ve lost quite a few here in England this autumn and winter which reinforces the message that we should all plant trees not only for ourselves but also for future generations. Gardeners have been frightened off trees by insurance companies and misinformed media. This has to change; we need more trees and even the smallest garden has space for the right one.

9. Basic Gardening Know How. This is the trend I always hope for, and one that has been sadly neglected in recent years. I do believe that a major part of the declining interest in gardening is due to lack of basic knowledge and gardening skills. This is likely to continue if we don’t do something about it. Basic skills, like boiling an egg in the world of cookery are essential for success. So let’s not be afraid to show how to sow seeds, prick out, plant, prune and so forth. These tasks aren’t boring – let’s spread the word and make them a rising trend in 2014

10. The tradition of a Chinese garden dictates that it serve the purpose of being a calming refuge, a place to get away from the everyday stresses of life and get in touch with nature and spirituality. One of the most prominent characteristics of a Chinese garden is that it should offer a variety of stimulation to all the senses, and that its scope should be best viewed from a pavilion. Of course, many home garden spaces may be limited in terms of size, however, there is much of the essential Chinese garden sensibility and design elements that can be adapted to suit your outdoor space. Its a top trend hitting 2014, we all need those calming moments in today's upbeat 'on-the-go' age.