Water Garden Styles

Water Garden Styles

Water is one the most basic elements of nature, and it is only natural that a gardener would add water to the landscape for pure enjoyment. Many water gardeners do not have the same needs that gardeners through history have had. Water gardens in the past were created out of necessity as a method of having additional water sources for their vegetable and flower gardens. Today, many water gardens are created and built for pure pleasure of raising fish, watching the water and for listening to the water ripple in the landscape.

In some formal water gardens, the use of ancient is used to create a fabulous atmosphere that is an area that you can relax and meditate at. The earliest of water features and water gardens combined the pictures of the Egyptian deserts, and the flowing rivers of the rivers Nile, Tigris and various others. The use of ancient colors, symbols and pictures when creating a formal water garden creates the water garden style that is truly different and unique than other modern water gardens. These were often pools of water, decorated intricately with stones that were painted or carved.

Water gardens of the orient can be traced back to include a great variety of changes over the years. The Chinese used the water for meditation, for exploring their souls and their minds and for a place to reflect on life. The simplicity of a body of water, with the formal intricate artistic details of this type of garden is one that truly motivates many types of gardeners to want to build a water garden in the landscape.

Japanese water gardens often include water features of the fountains, with the simplicity of a straight line in the design of the water garden. Many Japanese water gardens will use a straight edge where one would sit and reflect at the water garden, while also introducing water flowing, rounded rocks, and statues in the area.

Another style of water garden is the European water garden that follows the Japanese style but is more a pure style. One that follows the lay of the land, without the straight ‘edge’ or ‘ledge’ that one can sit at while at the water garden. This style of water garden is on of the largest types to influence modern water gardens still created and enjoyed today.