Shinzen Japanese Garden
The California State University of Polytechnic is located in San Luis Obispo, in southern California. One of the campus activities is a group class that studies Shinzen Japanese Garden, located in downtown Fresno, California. Students in this class learn about building sustainable gardens and incorporating natural and organic elements into their gardens. Building sustainable gardens are significant nowadays, with many environmental issues that need to be taken seriously. Learning about building a garden using sustainable means and principles is essential to make sure that our future generations have a healthy environment to enjoy.
The group that conducts classes about Shinzen Japanese Garden holds monthly courses, and the topics are varied depending on what is most important to each student. Some types are devoted to learning about the actual gardening design, while others are more general, dealing with all aspects of sustainable garden design. Most of these classes are taught by certified landscape designers from the San Luis Obispo area. A large portion of the students in this program is undergraduate students studying towards a degree in landscape architecture.
The first class in this program focused on learning about the history of sustainable garden design. This is important, as understanding the history of how things were created will allow us to learn from past mistakes. The second class looked at the practical side of sustainable garden design, teaching students about watering systems for the Japanese garden. Watering systems are critical to a thriving Japanese garden, as they will determine the success of the garden’s ecosystem. Watering the garden is important because it will help keep the soil and the plants healthy, preventing them from becoming susceptible to disease.
The third class looked at the cultural aspects of Japanese garden design. Cultural elements of the garden are essential, as they allow the garden to truly reflect the homeowner’s culture. By using sustainable practices, the park is helping to conserve resources and also to show the Japanese care for nature. The fourth class looked at plants and soil types. It was found that each type of plant used in Japanese gardens has its symbol in the culture.
The last course of this training provided students with a hands-on design project. The project was to make a living, breathing Japanese garden. Students were asked to look at existing Japanese gardens and create a similar design using only native plants. After this class was complete, students were presented with their projects. This provided students with a great deal of experience and knowledge about the principles of sustainable garden design.
This program is an excellent complement to anyone interested in learning about Japanese garden design. It provides an exciting and informative overview of the Japanese garden and the principles of sustainable garden design. These principles, as well as the actual structure of the gardens, are discussed in detail. Any gardener will gain valuable insight into the practical application of the principles of sustainable garden design.