Japanese Garden Lights bring tranquillity to your garden and peace to your body and mind

For centuries the Japanese have believed that lighting both in the garden and home has a direct effect on ones levels of stress. To some of us this may seem like an old wives tale, but the Japanese assure the rest of the world that they can prove a link to tranquillity and a calm body and mind through a relaxed atmosphere created with the right garden lighting.

Japanese garden lights come in many shapes and sizes but probably the most popular and therapeutic is the wooden louvered lights. They are made of wood with louvered panels on all four sides to all as much or as little light as you want to emanate from them. They have a small hole in the top to allow the smoke and heat from the wax candle to flow away. It is therefore quite nice sometime s top burn citronella candles or other candles scented which will undoubtedly add to the relaxing and peaceful effect.

Japanese garden lights have a louvered door at the front which allows you to place the candle within a glass tube on the inside. The glass tube stops the candles from being blown out. These garden candles give off adequate light and create an ambience like now other garden lights. The light flickers slightly as a breeze flows over the top, and this is what the Japanese believe give these garden lights their special and some what mystical appeal.

Japanese garden lights usually come in three different sizes and usually include a hook or handle on the top so that they can be placed in a tree or on a stake in the ground. It is also worth while remembering that they can be left outside all year round so they are not jut a summer light. They really add atmosphere and ambience to any evening garden party and are quite a popular light for lighting up pathways.

Care of timber frames Japanese garden lanterns is quite straight forward, especially if they are made of a hardwood. They can be treated annually with a stain or a wax to make them last longer. As with any natural material such as wood, they will need annual care if they are to be left outside all year round.

They can also be used in doors in any room you so choose. They are quite safe as the candle is housed behind a glass tube. They will add atmosphere to a bedroom or bathroom and always remember that the amount of light they output can be easily controlled by simply opening and closing the louvers.

There may be some truth in the Japanese saying that a Japanese garden lantern will help you live in contentment for the rest of your life.

About the Author

Angus Charlton is managing director of Arboreta Garden Furniture Store ( http://www.arboreta.co.uk ). He is a keen gardener who has developed a garden furniture business that resources from sustainable rainforests and contributes to the art of Feng Shui for gardens.

A Japanese Garden is Not Your Ordinary Garden

Japanese gardening is much different from the Western style garden. Most would say that a Japanese garden is far more soul soothing and inspires meditation. Japanese gardening is a cultural form of gardening that is meant to produce a scene that mimics nature as much as possible.

Using trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water the garden becomes an art form.

The Zen and Shinto traditions are both a large part of Japanese gardening and, because of this; the gardens have a contemplative and reflective state of mind.

The basic methods of scenery are a reduced scale, symbolization, and borrowed views. The reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and reproducing it on a smaller scale.

Symbolization involves generalization and abstraction. An example of this would be using white sand to suggest the ocean. Borrowed views refer to artists that would use something like an ocean or a forest as a background, but it would end up becoming an important part of the scene.

There are two types of Japanese gardening. The tsukiyami garden is a hill garden and mainly composed of hills and ponds. The hiraniwa, which is the exact opposite of the tsukiyami garden, is a flat without any hills or ponds.

The basic elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones, fences, and hedges.

Rocks are used as centerpieces and bring a presence of spirituality to the garden. According to the Shinto tradition, rocks embody the spirits of nature.

Gravel defines surface and is used to imitate the flow of water when arranged properly.

Stones create a boundary and are sculpted into the form of lanterns.

Water; whether it is in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden. It can be in the actual form of water or portrayed by gravel, but no matter what, it is crucial to a Japanese gardens balance.

There are several forms and types of plants that are signature of Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai.

Bonsai is the art of training everyday, average plants, such as Pine, Cypress, Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like large, old trees just in miniature form. These trees range from five centimeters to one meter and are kept small by pruning, re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.

A garden is a wonderful place to relax and meditate. Whether it is a Japanese garden or Western world garden, designing, building, and planting is a great family event.

Article by John Fagalde, an experienced Network Marketer who strongly believes in creating multiple streams of income to generate unlimited wealth. He publishes a very informative web site at: http://www.yourbusinesstips.com

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