Richmond Bonsai Society

Japanese Garden Notes   Thomas Sones

These are the notes I used during the presentation at our March meeting. The numbers correspond top slides.

2-  History: During the Han Dynasty, the emperor Wu Di (140-87 BC) established a garden containing three small islands, mimicking the Isles of the Immortals. These gardens represented, in stylized abstract, the fabled lands.
In 607AD, China opened relations with Japan, and received the first envoy, at his lavish park. The Envoy returned to Japan with many ideas, including Buddhism, and four years after his return, the first hill and pond garden was established in Japan.
Asuka era 552-646AD - The Shinto tradition followed a deification of nature, down to the worship of particularly beautiful rocks or trees and the area was considered a holy site where man and nature could commune.
Nara era 646-794AD - Blending of Chinese and Japanese, including simple gardens of stones and plants that complimented temple complexes or royal palace.  This introduced a Buddhist representation of the center of the universe with a large central mountain stone as the dwelling place of the Buddha, surrounded by lesser stones for his disciples.
Heian era 794-1185AD - The rise of opulence, luxury, and elegance in Japan. The gardens served as playgrounds for the rich and famous.
Kamakura era 1185-1392- The garden as a place for reflection. As the new shogun and his samurai began to embrace Zen as their religion, the garden transformed into a place contemplation.
The Muromachi era 1393-1558- while a time of great unrest and civil war, it is also noted as period of great culture with the development of landscape painting, and tea ceremony.  The increasing influence of Zen is clearly seen in the arrival of the dry landscape style.  The birth of a merchant or middle class, also led to courtyard gardens that fit inside the smaller, less ornate homes. 
The Momoyama era (1569-1603) is sometimes referred to as the ‘rococo’ era of Japanese history. Gardens became even more elaborate, with cut stone beginning to appear in pathways and bridges.

3- basic principals- Symbolization or abstraction,  reduced scale, borrowed views, enclosed space, hide and reveal (darkness), age veneration, non-artificiality (natural).
Styles of Gardens
8 strolling hill - Many pleasing views from various locations, hidden views
9 Rock and Sand Gardens- developed in the Muromachi Era represents Zen spiritualism a place for monks to meditate mostly found in Zen monasteries.
10 The sand can represent water and gives off the sense of space and emptiness.
11 FLAT GARDENS - rocks are the islands of Japan or the world; use of negative space
12. Some Gardens are combination of multiple styles.
15- Tea garden - an outer garden and an inner garden. Inner garden is used to center one’self,, symbolically cleanse and prepare to enter the tea house.
16- Court yard garden- Viewed from inside or one spot, – fit in small place, intimate and still looks natural.
Elements of Design
17 Honored Place for the gods-Ancient Japanese believed that a place surrounded by rocks was inhabited by gods and a dense cluster of trees and streams enclosed sacred grounds
18- Stones and boulders represent mountains or land masses.
22- Ponds represent the sea.
22- Waterfalls and streams- symbolizes human existence: birth, growth and death, remind of the relentless passage of time.
21 Dry river and ponds- Stone and sand  may represent a river or waterfall.
A grassy area with a sandy area, hill, or tree in the middle or may represent and pond, island, and mountain.
32-PATHS represent journey through life -intentionally slows you down to stop and see the world around you. Wider stone set across the path stop are to tell you to stop and take in the view.

36 Bridges represent transition between world and gardens.
37 MOON BRIDGE- Placed over water to create a full circle, an important Taoist and Buddhist symbol. The moon is symbolic of good harvest and prosperity.
39 – Flat Bridge – very natural, zig zagged, not imposing in scenery.
41 Earth bridge – nearly hidden, with soil and plantings on top of bridge
42- Not functional bridges that cross over sand or lead to nowhere are to show that there is no division between the visitor and his surroundings. 
43 Stone lanterns - introduced to Japan 6th century, had no windows or openings to let the light out, were originally designed to hold sacred flame, which represents Buddha, Buddhist teachings,  or the light that overcomes the darkness of ignorance . Later used for lighting the grounds of religious precincts, tea houses, and private gardens.
45 Stone water basins originated in shrines and temples for worshipers to wash their hands and mouth as a symbol of purification.  The crouching bowl was designed to humble guest and create the right state of mind before entering the tea house.
46 Deer chaser- A hollow bamboo stick which, when it fills up, hits the basin making a sound. This sound supposedly chases the deer away and keeps them from drinking the water.  The movement, sound, and flowing water created good energy.
43 Maymont’s Japanese Garden - Place of serenity and quietness, like stepping onto a different continent. It is cool, shaded and humid, reflective. It is a blend of different styles and two distinct periods of design.  In 1911, the Dooleys hired Muto, a master Japanese gardener. Several features from that garden remain, including the stonework around the base of the waterfall, several trees and the winding watercourse that leads to the large pond.
In 1978, the garden was renovated by Earth Design, Inc. The style reproduced at Maymont is called a "stroll garden". In renovation, elements from classical gardens in Kyoto, Tokyo and Nara were incorporated.

Bonsai soil is the medium that transfers nutrients and oxygen to the plant’s roots.  There are many formulations for different plants, growing and drainage conditions. Some “experts” suggest using potting and/or topsoil for bonsai, and these small particle soils can be satisfactory for large plants in big containers.  However, these “natural” soils compact easily and drain poorly in small bonsai pots. Choose the wrong soil composition and the plant roots will rot due to poor drainage.  If the soil is too porous, the plants will drain quickly and the roots will dry out.  What’s a bonsai enthusiast to do?

A good bonsai soil must have three main ingredients and functions: an organic phase to supply nutrients, an inorganic phase used as porous filler for drainage, and a water-holding phase that retains residual water.  The same phase can provide multiple functions.  For example, inert ingredients act as a matrix to hold/transfer nutrients and to release water in a controlled fashion. Proper particle size is needed for aeration/oxygen transfer, and the material must have a neutral pH.  A common consensus among experts is that the soil should be composed of 75 per cent inert aggregate and 25 per cent organic materials.  However, bonsai soil is still much less “soil” and much more of a nutrient-transfer media.

For the aggregate part of the soil, many components can be used:  akadama, kanuma, turface, haydite, chicken grit, gravel, sand, lava rock, pumice, and perlite.  There may be a few more such choices, but the above list encompasses the majority of aggregates used in bonsai soils.  Akadama, kanuma, and turface are clays that have been fired to achieve a proscribed hardness, porosity, and resistance to reverting back to mud when wet.  Turface is used to soak up water on sports fields and golf courses, and is a readily available, inexpensive option to the Japanese akadama fired clay.   Haydite is a heat-altered, porous rock made from shale or slate.  As with turface and akadama, the very porous haydite absorbs water readily and releases it back to the tree roots.  Lava rock, perlite, and pumice are crushed volcanic glasses that are used as soil components, but because of their very light weight, are never used in a 100% form. Chicken grit (a crushed granite), lava rock, and gravel are stone particulates of different sizes, and are often mixed with fired clay materials. If you prepare your own soil, your soil mixture will depend on raw material availablity in your geographical region.  Since many (most?) bonsai enthusiasts purchase their soil rather than prepare it themselves, most people really don’t know the actual soil composition.  Those who make their own soil know this soil alchemy, of course, but these people may be a minority among bonsai hobbyists.

The organic part of the soil can be composed of sphagnum moss, potting soil, pine bark, decomposed leaf mulch, and/or garden “dirt”.  These materials must be pH neutral and pest-free.  Their role in the soil composition is to slowly release nutrients to the plant roots, but they must not compact the soil to reduce porosity.  Bonsai must still be fertilized on a regular basis for good plant health, and soil additives are needed on a regular basis. Both conventional chemical fertilizers and the organic variety (e.g. fish emulsion and bone meal) slowly release their nutrients to the roots.  Both types work well with standard bonsai soils.  Organic types sometimes lack the trace minerals (e.g. magnesium salts) that plants need for good health, so use of both fertilizer types is generally recommended.  These chemicals also can alter soil pH in both good and adverse ways. Although pH neutrality is specified, it may be necessary to adjust some soils for specific plant types.  Addition of aluminum sulfate to lower pH (for azaleas, pines) or dolomite limestone to raise pH can be used to alter soils, either via the watering route or by sprinkling them on the soil. Use of a soil pH meter is necessary, of course, to measure and to control acidity/alkalinity.

The last consideration for soil is plant type and age, pot size and depth, and watering schedule.  These factors will produce a much longer discussion outside this primer-sized article, but all are very influential in choosing a proper soil.  There is a lot of internet information available as well, so good luck in your hunt for the perfect soil.