Designing with Japanese shakkei
You can transform small gardens into bigger, beautiful spaces using this Japanese design technique.
Want to try something new? Design your garden using shakkei (sha-kay) or “borrowed landscape,” the technique of incorporating elements of the surrounding landscape into the garden. A centuries-old concept in Japan, it makes small gardens seem larger and, on a more abstract level, symbolizes the harmony between nature (the larger landscape) and the nurtured garden.
Want to try something new? Design your garden using shakkei (sha-kay) or “borrowed landscape,” the technique of incorporating elements of the surrounding landscape into the garden. A centuries-old concept in Japan, it makes small gardens seem larger and, on a more abstract level, symbolizes the harmony between nature (the larger landscape) and the nurtured garden.
There are different types of shakkei: the borrowed views may be distant landscape features such as a mountain, valley or lake, or neighbouring features such as a pretty apple tree or gazebo in the garden next door. Done with care, shakkei adds depth and perspective to gardens of all sizes. As with so many principles of the Japanese-style garden, the key is balance: you want to borrow enough of the outside view to enhance the garden but not so much that it is overpowering.
**How to implement shakkei in the garden:**
1. Choose the feature or aspect of the surrounding landscape you want to focus on.
2. Determine where the best view of it will be so you can create a vantage point within the garden—perhaps a sitting area or a widening in the pathway.
3. Frame the feature (and mask out any undesirable parts of the view), using trees, shrubs, fences, screens or walls (as shown above).
4. Complement and enhance the borrowed feature by using elements that echo it in either material, form or colour. For example, if a cliff is in the distance, use some craggy rocks in the foreground; if rolling hills are the focus, trim a hedge to echo their shape; if the neighbour’s pink-flowering apple tree is framed, plant some smaller shrubs with pink flowers that bloom at the same time. These echoes will draw the eye and make the connection to the borrowed view.
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