World-renowned Japanese landscape architect Shinichiro ("Shin") Abe turns a traditional American back yard (figure A) into a garden with an oriental influence. His first act was to remove a railing and shrubs from around the deck to open the area and give the illusion of more space. Next, he designed a pond and a waterfall to fill the foreground. The pond was dug and then sprayed with Gunite cement. Once the area was opened up, new focal points appeared, such as an apple tree and other mature trees that frame the garden. The apple tree performs a "male" role--if the garden is seen according to the dualistic philosophy of yin and yang--because it stands out and away from the softer background foliage. The naturalistic pond is large to complement the scale of the plantings (figure B). To give the illusion of a moving stream, Shin mounded the soil at one end of the pond so the water would cascade down a gentle slope and create a joyful sound. An oriental garden requires four basic elements: water, light, earth and air. Water can be incorporated in various ways--from creating a pond to adding a wooden bucket filled with water to reflect light and provide a feeling of tranquility. Add light with electric lamps or candles, or reflect light from shiny surfaces. Earth is represented by rocks and plants. Air can be represented with open branch patterns that allow you to view the sky. One of Shin's signature design features is incorporating a natural shape into a geometric feature so the transition between building and garden is defined. This feature (figure C) draws the eye toward the garden pool. A stepping-stone path (figure D) transports one across the pond, and a pea-gravel path leads to a tranquil bench under the apple tree (figure E).
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