I come from a long line of gardeners. My Dad always had something growing and his mother, who was from Poland, brought with her the knowledge of practical gardening and herbal remedies. My earliest recollections are of being in Father’s and both my grandmothers’ gardens. These early memories explain why I am attracted to gardens and photographing them. Also, as a City Planner, I have always been interested in how the built and natural environment affects us. The elements in a Japanese Zen Garden are extraordinary. Water symbolizes renewal, calm, wonder and continuity in the hereafter. Stones are a symbol of duration and of the force’s omnipresence in nature and they anchor the garden to the ground. Pebbles are for meditation. Lanterns originally provided light for night celebrations, with light representing knowledge and clearing away the clouds of ignorance. Bridges are where one can linger and take in the beauty of the landscape and to watch the carps swimming in their watery elements. Plants are associate with moving thoughts and the universal forms of life. Japan has a large population and little land is available for flower gardens. Colored craps represent flowers. Pathways allow a visitor to follow the path of Buddha. They are designed from philosophical doctrines to allow a visitor to see sights from all different angles. Pathways can also be intriguing and draw you into wanting to walk further than you might have otherwise. Walking through a garden has been proven to have great health benefits. It lowers stress and improves mood. The Japanese have a name for this, it’s called “forest bathing”. While you don’t need to be in a forest you do need to find a place with trees and a bit of nature and take a walk. The objective is to open your mind and senses to what is around you. The point is to tune into nature and turn off the outer world, especially technology. This practice can clear your mind and boost you spirt in ways that nothing else can. One thing that struck me on my walks through the Japanese Friendship Garden was that everyone was either smiling or contemplative. Personally, by the end of my walks and back into Balboa Park I felt better emotionally than when I had started. "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David ThoreauPatricia Grabski
For questions about purchasing art contact Patricia Grabski at [email protected]
