Japanese gardens are among the most beautiful in the world because they are modeled on nature. The Japanese-style garden is characterized by the careful selection of garden architecture and the plants used. One of the most importantElements of a Japanese gardenis the water, but not in the form of a fountain, as these splash loudly and disturb the silence. A water feature, where water flows over bamboo poles directly into a stone bowl and gently down the walls, is very common in Japanese gardens. Today we'll tell you how you can build a Japanese water feature out of bamboo yourself.
Tsukubai – Japanese water basin
In Japan, a tsukubai is a sink at the entrance to a sacred tea garden where tea guests can ritually wash their mouth and hands. This type of ritual cleansing is common for guests attending a tea ceremony or visiting the grounds of a Buddhist temple. The name comes from the verb tsukubau, which means “to squat” or “to bow,” an act of humility. Guests at a tea ceremony squat down and wash their hands in a tsukubai in the tea garden (roji) before entering the tea room.
Tsukubai are usually made of stone and are often complemented by a small ladle. The water supply comes from a bamboo tube called kakei. Small, close to nature and original – the Tsukubai also fits well into many domestic gardens today. It is ideal for small properties where there is no space for large ponds and other complicated water systems.
This Japanese bamboo water feature is relatively easy to build. The water circulates in a closed system. It is pumped from a storage container hidden in the ground (it can be a metal or plastic barrel) to a bamboo pole, the end of which is buried in the ground. A hollow was formed around the pool, lined with foil and covered with stones. This means that the water does not seep into the ground, but flows into a buried reservoir. It is covered from above with a strong metal grid that can support the weight of the stone basin and stones. The grid, on the other hand, is covered with pebbles. For this reason, it obviously shouldn't be too coarse-meshed.
When selecting a pump, its performance (measured in liters of water that the pump delivers per hour) must be adapted to the size of the water system. The height to which the water is to be pumped is also important - the so-called maximum delivery height, which is given in meters. To create a quiet rippling of water, the pump should be as weak as possible. A 10 watt pump with an output of 550 to 600 L/h would be optimal. Pay attention to the length of the power cable and install an outdoor socket nearby.
In summer you should refill the system more often because the pump must not run dry. In winter the water basin is emptied and the pump removed.
Japanese water feature – what else goes with it?
OneJapanese style garden designis popular because of its simplicity and tranquility. Decoration is kept to a minimum. Typically, various rocks and gravel are used as dominant elements. A real Japanese garden is full of symbolism: every stone and every plant, its position and shape, has a sacred meaning. It's about creating harmony and balance between plants, stones and the void.
Typical of this style of landscaping are grasses, cherry blossom trees, conifers,Japanese maples, irises and bonsai trees. Many of these plants are evergreens, so the garden looks beautiful even in winter. A particularly beautiful eye-catcher is the Japanese umbrella fir (Sciadopitys verticillata). It grows very slowly and has an interesting crown shape, but does not tolerate calcareous soils. It is one of the 5 sacred temple trees in Japan, along with the Japanese tree of life, the Sawara cypress, the Hiba tree of life and the Hinoki cypress.
Bamboo is also commonly used in Japanese gardens. Legend has it that the bamboo canes protect the house from evil spirits. He can do it in the gardenBamboo as a natural privacy screenused or planted in groups. Since it is a heat-loving plant, it is grown in containers that are dug up over the winter.
Other commonly used small trees and shrubs in the Japanese garden include:
- Azaleas
- Boxwoods
- The forsythia
- Magnolias
- Ginkgo biloba
- Rhododendrons
- Pine trees
- Seggen
- Goldkolben (Ligularia dentata)
- Chinaschilfgras (Miscanthus)
- Host Funkie
- Siberian irises
- lilac
- thimble
- Do it
- Seggen (Carex)
- and anemones
In this articleyou can get inspiration for a planting plan.
A Japanese stone lantern also looks particularly good next to a Japanese bamboo water feature. It is a miniature house made of stone or metal that can be placed in different areas of a garden to illuminate specific areas such as paths, streams or stone statues. If the size of the site allows, it is recommended to build a Japanese pavilion or a tea house. This way you will create a great place to relax.
