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Taoism sees rocks and water as opposing forces, or “yin and yang.” Eroded rocks in gardens were seen as proof that although rock may seem solid, water could wear away its edges over time.
Trees are an integral component of Chinese gardens, representing longevity and immortality, with peach trees symbolizing these qualities. Additionally, their symbolism tells a tale from Xi Wangmu’s legendary orchard.
Water
Chinese gardens often include ponds or lakes as focal points, often decorated with rocks, plants, and fish to create a tranquil scene. Reflections in the water are believed to bring prosperity and good health, with small pavilions (ting) available for viewing scenes or poems or taking advantage of breezes.
Chinese classical gardens were designed with multiple functions in mind, from banquets, celebrations, and reunions to learning painting, poetry, calligraphy, and studying classic texts. Pavilions serve as great spots to relax while sipping tea or enjoying meals – reflecting both the cultivation and aesthetic taste of their owners – to quiet solitude spots for drinking tea or eating lunch alone. Chinese gardens offer multiple benefits suited to different individuals’ cultivation preferences – reflecting both the aesthetic and cultivation sensibilities of their owners – such as places for relaxing tea breaks or enjoying meals alone – while pavilions provide spaces explicitly designed to support multiple functions that reflect on individual users’ cultivation tastes while reflecting the aesthetic and cultivation tastes of their owners – including banquets celebrations reunions where people found peace and happiness while learning painting poetry calligraphy or studying classic texts from Chinese traditional gardens!
Bill Bensley-designed garden, this restaurant serves contemporary Zhejiang fare by the esteemed Chef Wang Yong. Drawing upon over three decades of experience and drawing inspiration from across China’s cuisines to interpret traditional dishes with his innovative cuisine. Completing the menu is the Four Seasons service and an outstanding wine selection from around the globe; ordering can be done quickly via mobile app, and delivery or pick up is available.
Rocks
Japanese-style gardens often include rock gardens as a critical feature, combining water, stone, and gravel into an abstract, soothing, and tranquil landscape. Each rock used is selected carefully according to shape, color, and texture before being carved to depict animals or plants arranged to evoke natural scenes such as forests or mountain streams.
Chinese gardens prize Taihu stones for their form and beauty. By the Tang dynasty, three principal aesthetic criteria had been identified for judging both garden rocks and smaller ornamental “scholars’ rocks” displayed in literati studios: leanness (shou), perforations or holes (you), and surface texture (zhou). Stones that looked like ancient and weathered cliffs were particularly prized. Likewise, those appearing to defy gravity or hang like clouds were highly desired.
Rock gardens should be composed and raked carefully to produce an inviting water-like surface that pleases the eye. Lighter-colored gravels such as Dove Grey Limestone Gravel and Graphite Grey Slate can help achieve this look, while darker brown-hued Lava or Welsh Quartz Granite Boulders add a more rugged aesthetic.
This garden features California native plants from the Arboretum All-Stars program and is ideal for studying geological processes. This garden is an educational destination for local students and visitors and offers hands-on learning opportunities for undergraduate geology majors.
Water is a crucial element in Japanese gardens, so if space allows, it should be included as part of their design. Japanese culture regards water as healing, cleansing, and spiritual influence – bringing peace and harmony into a garden space, leading to positive life changes and benefits.
Architecture
Chinese gardens are filled with halls, pavilions, temples, galleries, bridges, and kiosks that occupy much of the landscape. These structures are often designed to complement rather than dominate their natural surroundings – for instance, a bridge (jiashan) in the garden of Humble Administrator of Suzhou was carefully planned out to be in balance with the water features it spans.
Chinese classical gardens were used for banquets, celebrations, family gatherings, and romance and as places for solitude and contemplation. Furthermore, it fostered artistic sentiments such as calligraphy and poetry composition and the study of classic texts.
Garden spaces were places where nature could be enjoyed with its tranquil rippling waters and fragrant blooms, often designed around a picturesque pond or lake with natural cliffs and hills, featuring artificial mountains (jiashan) to reflect Confucian ideals such as virtue, stability, and endurance embodied by I Ching wisdom – this symbolic element also doubled up as a metaphor for heaven – something which was often referenced in Chinese legends.
Jin’s Garden is not an actual botanical garden; rather it consists of a chef’s garden and greenhouse, which allows them to cultivate some harder-to-source ingredients such as heirloom tomatoes, fresh horseradish, and dragon’s tongue mustard for use in their dishes. They also gain insight into the seasonality of components, which allows for better future planning and inspires new recipes while giving ownership over food production – essential parts of Jin’s vision for his garden and important in connecting with customers while adding value back into their community.
Flowers
Flowers are a vital feature of Jin’s garden, and he draws his inspiration from various sources – Terry Evans’ photos of prairie landscapes, Edo-period Japanese screen paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago, botanical drawings, and Zen poems, among others. “Seeing the structure and beauty of flowers can be deeply relaxing,” notes Jin.
Jin began gardening on half an acre in 2009, later expanding it to include a greenhouse. Jin considers his garden an integral component of his restaurant, providing difficult-to-source items and increasing flavor with ingredients like heirloom tomatoes, horseradish, and dragon’s tongue mustard.
Nelumbo ‘Jin Dieyu’ plants produce green buds that gradually open into bowl-shaped flowers with over 250 fully compactly arranged, fully vesiculated petals (RHS 145C, RHS 144D, and RHS 1B). Outer petals are broadly and flat while inner ones have narrow lanceolate edges; outer petals have broad and balanced outer sides while inner ones have narrow and lanceolate inner edges; these blooms boast beautiful yellow-green colors with clearly visible dorsal arteries veins that while long erect stamens featuring light pink-tinted bases with golden yellow edges (RHS 1B).
Trees
Chinese classical gardens were traditionally spaces to gather, celebrate, find romance, or meditate; they also served as a platform to display the owner’s cultivation and aesthetic taste. Trees played an especially pivotal role in Chinese gardens; representing longevity and immortality, they often represented longevity itself – recall the classic tale of Xi Wangmu’s Orchard, where peach trees lived for three millennia before never producing fruit again, making those who ate from its fruits immortal.
Bonsai artists must carefully consider the front of a tree when designing bonsai pieces. Nebari (visible root base) plays an essential part in this determination, although other elements like trunk movement, sharing, and jin may be considered too. Their goal should be to portray an image of an aged tree.
Jin and Shari are critical components in any Bonsai artist’s toolbox because they allow the artist to depict how time affects a tree’s structure. For instance, Bonsais can appear like autumn trees by creating branches with dry, brown foliage; similarly, jin and shari can help an artist make the impression of age by showing different parts of a Bonsai at various points throughout the year.
Jin sees his garden as an invaluable asset to his restaurant and community, providing access to rare ingredients like heirloom tomatoes and dragon’s tongue mustard and being an inspirational source.
On BTS member Jin’s 29th birthday, Indonesian fans planted an entire forest – known as “Epiphany Forest” at Jurung Tiga Nature Park – to honor him. Through this initiative, these young activists hope to promote ecological awareness.
