In the Orient, for thousands of years, they have been enjoying stone landscaping but, at a totally different level than in the West. From Japan, we get the Suiseki and the Zen gardens.

It is believed that the art of "Suiseki" started in China and was taken to Japan along with other arts such as the theatre, between the 7th and 8th centuries before Christ.

In Japan, "Suiseki" is referred to the art of collecting, contemplating and exhibiting stones, and they are collected for their shape, size, color, texture and also for their representation. The art of Suseki is also intertwined with the elements of "wabi-sabi" (meaning, finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature), "shibui" (elegant with a touch of bitterness) and "yugen" (deep, profound sense of beauty), which are the four elements of Japanese aesthetics. Though Suiseki is done with smaller stones, the option of using larger ones is not discarded. Not only is Suseiki used for its aesthetic value but, also as religious and mystical symbols.

For the Buddhist, the stone symbolizes Mt. Shumi, the center of the earth. In Taoism, it symbolizes the Horai or Heaven. In the philosophy related to ying-yang, when the rocks are contained within water, it's believed that the Suseiki rocks symbolize the two fundamental forces of the universe and, in Shintoism, the rocks represent the abode of many spirits and gods.

In the 11th century, a guide was written depicting in explicit detail the meaning of the rocks, their locations within the garden and the characteristics that they needed to possess.

Zen gardens started around the 5th century when people would go to the mountains to commune with Nature. Around places that were considered especially beautiful, white jars were placed around trees and next to rocks.

The Zen garden is the typical Oriental example of "less is more". Here, the art of suppression, where one must take away versus adding elements to the garden, makes one use the imagination even more. The Zen garden is totally maintenance free. As a matter of fact, one is discouraged from up keeping their gardens. Once set up the Zen garden should be left intact and enjoyed.

When setting up your stones to create Denver stone patios, the stones must be grouped in odd numbers. For example, if you have 15 rocks, you place them in groups of 7, 5 and 3. The raked sand represents the ocean and the absence of thought. Should you decide to add the element of running water in your Zen stone landscape, such will represent the Fountain of Life. If you want to recreate a zen garden in your patio, look for Denver landscaping contractors with experience in oriental stone patios.

In China, stone landscaped gardens are placed in a totally different location - inside the home.

Homes, in China come with traditional indoor courtyards which are used as private gardens used for meditation and contemplation.

The basic belief behind Chinese gardens is that balance may be achieved through placing opposites side-by-side to achieve the ying-yang effect.

The four elements found in these gardens are water, stones, plants and architecture, which represent the universe and its contents. The stones used for landscaping represent longevity and the skeleton of the earth. The stones are all specifically placed within the garden. Limestone rocks from the Taihu Lake are considered extra special due to their exquisite beauty. Though these rocks appear to be very solid, they are actually very brittle due to the same erosion that causes the indentations.

To have Taihu rocks in your Denver patios, is a definite indication of affluence. Once again, different sizes are considered depending on the area where they are to be placed in.

Other rocks used in Chinese stone landscaping are Kun rocks. These rocks are heavily eroded and come in black and golden brown. Ying stones, from Yingde in the Guangdong Province come with wrinkles and shallow craters, which are considered to resemble the distant mountains of the region.

So if the average stone landscaping doesn't do it for you and you want some flair in your backyard then definitely consider the Oriental look. Your stone landscape will always be the center of attention with your guests and, you will be able to enjoy a special area where you may meditate or just to sit quietly.

To have your own oriental stone landscape contact Browne & Associates Landscaping, one of the best Denver landscaping companies in Colorado. We are leaders in Denver stone patios. Contact us today!

Flagstone is a type of sedimentary rock that is used in Denver landscaping stone patio projects. The beauty of flagstone, aside from its color and varied texture, is that you may actually cut the stone into different layers of different widths. Different types of stones which fall into the flagstone category include sandstone, limestone and bluestone. According to landscape architect Dean Hill, when choosing the flagstone for your Denver landscaping project, "make sure that such does not have big voids where water can get into it, it looks uniform across the top and there are no other layers, pockmarks or different heights."

Heaters are a great addition to your Denver stone patios, but caution must be exercised when you end up deciding where you want to place one. If you end up putting one near your hot tub you have to be careful that water doesn't splash on to it or that someone touches it when it is wet. You must be careful that the conditions of the patio do not encourage a fire to occur especially if your patio heater uses some kind of flammable fuel. If it does, you might not want to use it on a wooden patio and be sure to keep patio cushions away from the heater.

One popular and stylish heater that people use to compliment their stone or wooden patio is a chiminea. This outdoor heating device has a sort of Oriental shape to it, resembling a pagoda. They also come in round and square shapes, and are usually made of cast iron or clay. A bonus to these is that they sometimes come available with a cooking grill. Chimineas also use charcoal or wood as their fuel source, although charcoal is the main source for cooking. The amazing design lets smoke out the top while heat bathes everything around it, but be careful not to touch the outside as it can become very hot.

Installing an electric patio heater is simple because it can be positioned almost anywhere and moved very easily between indoors and outdoors. A type of patio heater is an umbrella heater, which sits on the umbrella pole. This serves a double function and is very practical for your stone or wooden patio.