The earliest account of Japanese gardens is found in the Nihon-shoki (Chronicles of Japan) written in the eighth century C.E. There we are told about a bridge and the representation of a mountain made in the southern court of the palace of Empress Suiko in the year 612.

This seems to have been one of the first steps toward the development of landscape gardening as we know it today. Later, from 1185 until the restoration of Emperor Meiji in 1868, the country was under the rule of successive shoguns, or war lords. These men, though fighting bitter battles with one another, took great interest in landscape gardening.

In some gardens the ponds and streams were enlarged to such an extent that the guests could enjoy a boat ride and admire the scenery from various vantage points. Some of these splendid gardens remain to the present day.

One striking example is the garden of the famous Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion, in Kyoto. This was built in 1397 by Yoshimitsu, third shogun of the Ashikaga family. Though the pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1950, it has since been restored.

The pond and surrounding garden are reminders of the splendor enjoyed by the then-existing ruling class. One reason for the permanence of these old Japanese gardens is the use of rocks, sand and stone ornaments. Trees grow old, bamboo fences and thatched roofs decay, but the rocks remain in the form of stone bridges, lanterns, water basins and stepping-stones along the paths leading to the teahouse.

Yes, ponds are among the most remarkable elements in Japanese gardens and are now even influencing a large population of garden enthusiasts today.

Maintaining Your Own Koi Pond

If you are among the owners of koi pond gardens, it is important that you know how to take good care of this wonderful natural display of beauty through choosing the right koi pond supply that best fits your own garden pond. Kois particularly are the ones that are in need of primary care.

Getting the right kind of koi pond supply from responsible dealers is essential for maintaining a pond and keeping the koi fishes alive and enthusiastic for swimming. With the utilization of the Internet connections most prominent in the market today, it is essential that owners of koi ponds give consideration to choosing koi pond supply providers posted through the internet for their own conveniences.

The earliest account of Japanese gardens is found in the Nihon-shoki (Chronicles of Japan) written in the eighth century C.E. There we are told about a bridge and the representation of a mountain made in the southern court of the palace of Empress Suiko in the year 612.