The Journey of Chinese Plants Garden

At the end of January, a rare snowstorm hit Hangzhou. The West Lake was dyed silver-white overnight. Blood was squeezed on the plants by the West Lake. Thousands of lives struggled on the brink of death. 1, 2, 3! The tree standing on the brink of death stood up again. The West Lake is an ancient large garden. Its beautiful scenery relies heavily on the plants. People protect the plants by protecting the garden. Some say that without plants, the garden cannot become a real garden. Plants are the emotion of the garden. They are the tip of the pen. They are the sustenance of beauty. Plants, mountains, water, and architecture have built the second nature of man, the garden. In China, there are 35,000 plants that have been recognized. Of these plants, more than 3,000, or one-tenth, are called garden plants. The fate of these plants is linked to the fate of the Chinese people. They are endless, with thousands of scents. They are an important part of Chinese civilization. They also bring profound influence to the world's gardens. How did all of this happen? About 140 million years ago, the earth was full of swamps. The air was humid and warm. In this area, lotus bloomed from the top of the pavilion. They are one of the earliest flowering plants on earth. At that time, there were 12 members of the lotus family. After a war, only two of them survived. One of them is the lotus that people are familiar with today. After 10,000 years of survival experience, they came up with a plan to save lives in a bad environment. The secret is hidden in its seeds. This is a lotus seed. It is more than 1,000 years old. The pores on its skin were closed after 1,000 years of underground burial. In its hard shell, the layers of the seeds separate all contact with the outside world. Its main task is to protect the seed. Energy and nutrients are locked inside the seed. No matter how the outside world changes, in a stable environment, the lotus seed does not need to worry about its future. It is waiting. Waiting for a suitable environment. Waiting for a good time. When the armor inside the seed is opened, fresh water and air flow into it. It has survived for 1,000 years. It has been awakened. The new lotus leaves are too small. They do not have enough strength to stand up. They can only float on the water. Fortunately, there are not many competitors on the water to compete with it. It can grow very fast. In less than two months, the small green lotus became a large cluster of lotus leaves. The flower bud sprouts in the middle of the lotus leaf and is ready to sprout a new life. Usually, it takes three to five days to complete this important mission. In the early morning, the petals open in the sunlight. On the flower bud inside, there is a pillar waiting for each one. This is the key part of life. The breeze and insects take away the pollen on the lotus. The pollen falls on the pillar and completes the life. A lotus flower can produce at least a dozen pillars. The lotus flower needs to breed as many seeds as possible. It must persist until the last day of blooming. At five o'clock, the petals slowly close to protect the lotus flower. In the process of reproduction, the lotus flower has to go through various tests. The wind, the rain, or the soil from the water. This is the last day. The lotus flower must seize the opportunity to do its best to reproduce without reservation. Afterwards, the petals will no longer consume oxygen and energy and fall off from the bottom. On the tender yellow lotus flower, a dozen pillars have all changed color. The task of reproduction is complete. The finished lotus flower is enlarged and becomes a lotus flower. Next, it's time for a new baby. Another cycle of life begins. Lotus seeds, which provide a rich nutrition for new life, are also regarded as a kind of delicacy for the Chinese. They begin to raise a large number of lotus flowers. It is in the process of dealing with lotus flowers that this ancient plant moves the eyes of people who long for beauty. The Chinese are full of respect for lotus flowers because it has a beautiful sense of beauty. This originates from the structure of its surface. Observe with a microscope. The surface of the lotus leaves is covered with a thin layer of bulges. These small bulges, which are united by nanometers, are like small mountain peaks that block the depth of the water. When the drop of water falls on the lotus leaves, it will roll with the wind and take away the fine dust on the leaves, ensuring that the air holes on the leaves can breathe freely. On the petals, there is also the same structure of the foot that protects the internal reproductive organs. The lotus flower is completely against water and pollution. On the lotus flower, the Chinese have entrusted their longing for a pure personality. It is made of mud, but it is not polluted. It is from the famous love letter of the Song Dynasty writer Zhou Dunyi. But he was not the first person to describe lotus flowers in this way. More than 1,000 years ago, when the love letter was born, Buddhism was introduced to China. According to the legend of Buddhism, the Western world is full of lotus flowers. They were born from mud, but they are still pure and clean and do not pollute. In Buddhism, dust represents the worries of the world. Due to the characteristics of lotus flowers, Buddhism hopes to break the obsession of people's worries and lead the mind to the eternal shortcut and unification. In the birthplace of Buddhism, lotus flowers are referred to as sleeping lotus and lotus flower. When Buddhism developed in China, this water lily, which is the closest to the Chinese, naturally became the best representative of the shortcut. A lotus flower, a dignified world. About 1,500 years ago, the Master Huiyuan of Dongjing planted lotus flowers in Donglin Temple at the foot of Mount Lu. Chinese people's love for lotus flowers has lasted for 1,500 years. This is an old man who is fascinated by the beauty of lotus flowers. Zhang Xingyan, over 90 years old, has been studying lotus flowers all his life. At most, there are more than 30 species. We collect them all over the country. In the end, our species reached 806 species Now there are more than 3,000 species. 64. For more than half a century, the search and cultivation of lotus flowers are in the hands of Zhang Xingyan and in the hands of countless lotus flower researchers. This ancient plant is changing into an unprecedented richness and beauty. As one of China's most widely distributed flowers, the lotus flower, with its extreme power, in every hot summer. The garden is without water, and without water, there is no scene. It is called the eye of the lake In the north and south of the Yangtze River, wherever there is clean water, there are lotus flowers swaying. If the lotus flowers rule the waters of the garden, then a fragrant plant is an indispensable feature of Chinese culture. The orchid is an important spiritual symbol in Chinese culture. It is closely related to the Chinese culture. Its leaves are long, and its flowers are small. It is called the orchid. Luo Yisi, because of his love for Chinese culture, came to China from Costa Rica. In the studio of Xu Yunhe, he plays the zither and enjoys the orchid. He is fascinated by the traditional way of life of a scholar. There are three kinds of orchid. The wind blows here, the silver wind, and the blue sky. This way, the orchid can absorb the dew, and the fragrance of the orchid is light, and attractive. Try it. Very good. Smell it. You can't smell the orchid. You can't. You have to smell the wind. Luo Yisi is not unfamiliar Costa Rica is also the place where orchids are produced. But the orchid in Luo Yisi's memory is very beautiful. It is very different from the orchid he saw in China. There are 20,000 to 30,000 species It is one of the most numerous plant species on earth. Compared to those brilliant distant relatives, the orchid in the Chinese garden is extremely attractive. One side of the water and soil feeds on one side of the plants, and one side of the plants feeds on one side of the people. Chinese scholars especially love the orchid that blooms daily on this land. Even if it is not in flowering season, in the corner of the house, in the hall, in the dark, in the bookcase, there must be an orchid. An ordinary plant depends on what charm to firmly occupy a place of interest in the garden? In China, the orchid is a common plant It grows all over the mountains and is abundant in food. Its habitat is not far from humans. However, in the mountains, in the forest, and in the wild, not everyone can see When it is not in flowering season, the orchid's appearance is low-key and ordinary. When it merges with the weeds around it, it is not easy to be discovered. The wet and deep wild forest is where the orchid has lived for thousands of years. Here, the sun-covered bridges block the sun's rays. The running water of the spring ensures the humidity. The slightly acidic soil is not covered by the rustic bushes. They become the heaven of all kinds of orchids. Here is also the heaven of orchids I can see one here. These two orchids are called Jiutou orchids. The orchid's appearance is not outstanding. However, when it blooms, its fragrance attracts people who pass by. However, only the fragrance is not enough. The beauty of the orchid in Chinese culture is closely related to the environment in which it grows. Born in the quiet empty forest, the orchid does not grow without people. According to Chinese scholars, this is a kind of that does not seek recognition from the outside world. They believe that the orchid is a plant for self-cultivation. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the orchid was introduced into the body of the scholar After leaving the forest that allows it to grow freely, the orchid was kept in the flower pot. The thick and cumbersome roots lost the space to grow freely. In order to allow it to survive and flourish, people had to use all kinds of techniques to adapt to its growth pattern. When the orchid grows for a period of time, new branches will grow on the roots. Under the branches, new branches This is the plant's instinct. However, small flower pots cannot accommodate such growth. So, people came up with a solution to separate the plants. We used the old and new branches to build the road. We cut off the empty roots. After cutting off the roots, we sterilized the window to prevent the orchid from getting infected and dying. This white one is imported from Japan. This is the fresh soil This is the chestnut leaf from Yunnan. This is the grassland soil This is the pearl salt which acts as the soil. The orchid's favorite is the soil in the forest which is moist, breathable, and fertile. It is a gift that nature gives us under the complex metabolism. Without the help humans can only think of a way to reproduce. The flower pot becomes the second nature of the orchid and also becomes a shrinking mountain forest. The orchid has become a cultural stage in the close-distance The plain, smooth, and drifting orchid is full of the beauty of Chinese classical art. In the Song Dynasty, the painting with orchid as the theme began to be popular. The orchid's elegant and simple geometric beauty matches the aesthetic of the Song people. The Song Dynasty was the era of the literati and also the era in which the hobby was promoted to the moral age. In the orchid, what they see is the highest ideal No matter whether someone appreciates it or not, they should maintain an independent spirit and a pure heart. More than 3,000 years ago, the word orchid appeared for the first time in the literary records to refer to all the plants in all directions. But when it aroused the sympathy of the people, this elegant and beautiful word was then designated to this little orchid. The encounter between humans and plants has various different opportunities. The function of food is the most basic need of humans Human and plum trees are connected because of their fruit. At least 7,000 years ago, Chinese people began to eat plums. They used plums as a kind of seasoning which has the same effect as vinegar today. Now, people soak plums and wine to make delicious plum wine. A plum tree not only provides food and plums to a family, but also brings the joy of the season as expected. After meeting the needs of humans, people have no way how this plant can transform from a food to an ornament. However, according to records, in the late Han Dynasty, there were plum trees in the royal courtyard. But that was just the beginning. In the Song Dynasty when American culture reached its peak, a poet from West Lake wrote a famous poem called Shuying Hengxie Shuiqingqian Anxiang Fudong Yuehuanghun This poet has never been married and lives in West Lake to plant plum blossoms. It is said that he took plum blossoms as his wife. Today, in the place where the poet lives, he loves plum blossoms and has been here to accompany him for thousands of years. Under the influence of the Linhe Mirror, more and more poets and writers have fallen in love with plum blossoms. But to make plum blossoms really walk into a wider group, it is necessary to mention a major event Jingkang Revolution This is a difficult period In 1127, the emperor of the Song Dynasty was captured by the Jin army in the south and was forcibly deprived of the right to rule. From then on, the Northern Song Dynasty ended and the Southern Song Dynasty began. In the harsh weather, the people of the Song Dynasty who moved to the south began to reflect and shout. This nation desperately needed to find a symbol to rebuild the country and to find spiritual support. They turned their eyes to the plum blossoms. The long winter is coming to an end. The snow hasn't melted yet, but the plum blossoms are already prepared. The cold can't stop their steps. The temperature that can stimulate them to bloom is much lower than that required by most plants. When the white flowers are still sleeping, the plum blossoms to wake up in the cold. In the cold winter of the fate of the people, people see the blooming of the firm flowers. Plum blossoms become the plum blossoms of the frosty snow. Fan Chengda said in his book Plum Blossoms, that the first thing to do is to plant plum blossoms. Plum blossoms entered the private garden and became a kind of spiritual propaganda for the people to plant plum blossoms in the garden. Through a large class of scholars, the style of plum blossoms was promoted. It completed a cultural revival and spread the love for plum blossoms to more corners. Soon, people found another firm feature of plum blossoms. This plum tree of 600 years only has a layer of bark left. But it still blooms every year. Plum trees of more than 100 years can't escape the fate of emptiness. Their branches are relatively easy to be bitten by insects or corroded by the damp air. Just like most other trees, the bark of plum trees has the function to transport nutrients. As long as the bark is perfect, even if the heart of the tree is empty, it can continue to transport water and nutrients. Empty heart, old tree, old tree, new branch. This aroused the admiration of humans and inspired the creation of an extreme art. Some plum trees are destined not to wait for the day when they will for the art of plucking plum. Plucking plum, as the name implies, is to cut off the top part and leave the plum branch and split it in half and then tie the flower and plum branch together. With the power it creates the natural mechanism In the whole process, plum is alive. Plum branches still have the ability to transmit the power of life. The tender plum branch comes from the plum of 1 to 2 years old. The price of the plant is like a large organ transplant operation. The whole process of plucking plum must be completed in a few minutes. The shorter the window is exposed in the air, the less water will be lost and the higher the probability of a new life. The small branches are transplanted to the big tree. The small and mature ones have completed the process of life. Next, it is time for them to integrate and repair. They must revive with their own power. The plum plant responsible for supplying nutrients and the plum branch have realized a cooperation. In the spring of the second year, they bloom flowers in a new way. The Suzhou Garden is the biggest stage A section of dry wood is covered with star-shaped plum blossoms. The plum blossoms are made of art plum blossoms Perhaps, the natural cycle and the tenacity of life are the origin of the plum bonsai. It allows people to admire the tenacity of the Chinese people. The Chinese people are passionate about early blooming flowers and the unyielding branches. The people who have suffered in this history have connected their own destiny with a bridge and wood. Sturdiness, tenacity and courage are not only the pillars of Chinese culture to the plum blossoms, but also the definition of the Chinese people to themselves. Autumn The season of the Qunfang Douyan has passed. Most of the plants are preparing to enter the winter sleep. In the autumn, the stage of the garden will welcome a new protagonist. The chrysanthemums that come late attract people's attention. About 2,000 years ago, the chrysanthemums appeared in the gardens What is the charm that makes this plant bloom forever in the garden of China? The time when humans met chrysanthemums for the first time cannot be verified. But it can be confirmed that the Chinese people were the first to plant chrysanthemums. At first, it was a sign of the season. Planting chrysanthemums to guide agriculture was a symbol of autumn. And when it came to the garden of the royal family, it gained a more noble status. According to historical records, since the Ming Dynasty, the North Sea Park is a place for the royal family to raise chrysanthemums. This row has a good effect. There are purple, yellow, and pink ones. After that, there is this row. This row has a pure color. Now, there is a famous chrysanthemum class here. The craft of raising chrysanthemums has been passed down from the old palace. Today, Liu Zhan, the fourth generation of chrysanthemum craftsmen, leads a group of young people to plant chrysanthemums as a kind of plant. Many of the ancient species were planted in this royal garden to make chrysanthemums. The royal family loves chrysanthemums. At first, it was because chrysanthemums were the most common color. Zhou Li, the prime minister, was one of the concubines of the royal family. The color of the chrysanthemums was yellow. The color of the chrysanthemums was first chosen as the queen's clothing, and then it became the royal family's specialty. In China's agricultural civilization, yellow represents the land. Therefore, chrysanthemums symbolize the design of the country. In Japan, the chrysanthemum from China became the exclusive symbol of the Japanese royal family. Here, the emperor is regarded as the descendant of the god of the sun, The shape of chrysanthemums is like a shining sun. Today, chrysanthemums have become the national emblem of Japan. The bright golden color is also the original color But yellow is not the only choice The chrysanthemums that people admire in the garden today is a species that has been produced after continuous hybridization. These yellow flowers grow in the mountains and fields. Among the chrysanthemums in the royal garden, the golden yellow has a lot of genes coming from these tiny flowers. They are distant relatives of chrysanthemums, a kind of wild plant In China, there are 17 kinds of wild chrysanthemum plants. They form a complex and extensive natural hybrid They are the original fathers and mothers and have given chrysanthemums a unique personality. And when humans got involved in this process, the variety of chrysanthemums grew exponentially in numbers. The chrysanthemums that people see today have their genes passed through the choice and reproduction Take this over there and don't touch it. Let the aunt go to sleep and leave the cake. No, not her. I don't want the flower. In order to get a whole new variety, in autumn, people choose the father and mother for the new variety and do artificial hybridization. After harvesting the seeds and planting them, it takes a whole year of waiting and waiting to see the result of this game. However, all this effort is worth it. Chrysanthemums never let humans down. No matter how high or low your cultivation level is, in autumn, chrysanthemums will bloom. Some flowers won't. Chrysanthemums won't. They will bloom. Every autumn, Ye Jialiang can harvest hundreds of chrysanthemums after different varieties of hybridization. He has full control over the choice. He will select the best pots to promote the new variety. What is the direction of the new variety? What is the direction? Good color, good shape, big flowers. Chrysanthemum is a complex and variable gene that stimulates the infinite imagination and creativity of humans. In front of this plant, people are complete creators. They are satisfied with the fresh nature they love. Countless people like Ye Jialiang continue to create chrysanthemums for the brilliance of the world. The power of chrysanthemums to help people has also strengthened its own race. It has become the most important flower in the garden of China and has successfully conquered a wider stage. Today, the variety of chrysanthemums is so diverse and varied that it is a sin for the world to cultivate plants. In the world's flower market, it is one of the four main flower groups. There are 20,000 to 30,000 chrysanthemums in China. This number is still increasing year after year. It enters the court and the garden of scholars And with the power of change, it goes to the public and to the world. In the 6th century AD, Chinese chrysanthemums spread to Japan. In the 18th century, a Frenchman took it to Europe. In the 19th century, Robert Foucault brought back more abundant varieties of chrysanthemums in China and made this garden in Europe more colorful. In fact, in today's garden of the world, there are more and more In a period of one to two hundred years, the ardent plant followers from all over the world traveled thousands of miles to look for and take away Chinese plants These plants were planted all over the world. British botanist Ernest Wilson compared China to the mother of the world garden. He wrote that our garden is deeply influenced by the plants provided by China. But not only the plants themselves but also the Chinese thought of creating the garden is influenced by the plants in different ways and influenced the garden of the world. In Europe, for several centuries, people have seen the garden as a conquest of nature. However, the explorers who went to the ancient east brought back different information. In China, the beauty of the garden is a kind of imitation of Therefore, the shape of the plants is closer to nature. Inspired by this oriental thought, in the 18th century, the garden of the UK was the first to break free from the shackles of order and free the plants from the form The British landscape was born from the garden. It quickly swept Europe and America and became a modern park. In Japan, the understanding of the garden and the shape of the plants are inevitably influenced by China. China and Japan value nature very much and try to read the truth of things So the fundamental things are very similar Since the 7th century, the plants and poems have created an atmosphere where the Japanese admire the flowers While looking for artistic value in plants, the Japanese keep updating their gardens. One of the main features is the Jiangnan garden that imitates China. Located in the Xiao Shi Chuan Hou Park the garden uses Chinese plants such as bamboo, plum blossoms, and lotus flowers along with a lake, mountain, and pavilion to create a Japanese garden that embodies the charm of China. It is also called the Little West Lake by the Japanese. The West Lake is a special inspiration in the Japanese gardens. In this country, many gardens that imitate the West Lake are preserved. In China, that is admired by the world and the harmony of plants and people have existed for more than 1,000 years. This ancient large public garden is located in the center of Hangzhou, a prosperous city. It is an open and moving city forest. Between the lakes and mountains, the plants depict another kind of nature. This is the home of more than 3,000 kinds of plants. Together, they form the rich landscape and space of the West Lake. Cultural gardens, temple gardens, royal gardens, and various forms of modern gardens respond to each other and do not interfere with each other. Plants tell their own stories. Since the first colonization of the Tang Dynasty, the West Lake has gone through eight dynasties and has been flourishing for 12 centuries. The plants have faced crises and witnessed history and have a brilliant culture. This place has inspired countless artistic creations in Countless poems were born here. Poets and poets are fortunate. They have met lotus, willow, plum blossoms, and maple trees. Plants are also fortunate. They have met Bai Junyi, Su Dongpo, Lin Hejing, Yang Wanli, and Liu Yong. Plants, poems, and art have been reborn here for generations. The people living in this mountainous area are also fortunate. The beauty of plants has brought a brilliant culture. These precious spiritual heritage will nourish the Chinese for generations. Today, when people walk the West Lake or any Chinese garden, a tree or a flower they see may carry a mission. They will cultivate the character and spirit of the people and enhance the national beauty and shape the culture. The garden is the heaven the cradle of art, the crystal and coordinate of the history In the past thousands of years, thousands of plants in the garden have come out from the 35,000 plants in China and come to our homes. In the future, maybe there will be new plants entering the garden and enriching the second nature of the people.