A Zen garden can be a great way to create a peaceful space in your yard. Some gardeners use color theory to create a calming space in their yard by using “cool” colors like blue and lavender. However, you can also achieve the same effect with an elaborate design that will allow you to enjoy serenity.
Zen gardens are a great fit for gardeners who love nature and like to interpret it symbolically. However, those who are interested in low-maintenance gardening should reconsider installing this design. Zen gardens are not as simple as they appear (which is part their appeal), and require a lot more work to create and maintain. This style is not a good choice if you enjoy gardening by growing beautiful plants. That’s why most people aren’t interested in it.
What is a Zen Garden?
Japan is an island nation with mountains that rise out of the sea. The Japanese are awed by the natural beauty that surrounds them. This appreciation is partly responsible for the Japanese’s innovation in creating the Zen garden.
Zen gardens, developed by Buddhist monks of ancient Japan with some Chinese influences, are sometimes called “miniature landscapings” as their elements represent aspects of nature. The white gravel, which is easier to use than sand, raked into ripples, represents ocean waves. And the tall, narrow, vertical boulders represent mountains. The shorter, rounded or flat rocks in the “sea” of sand represent islands.
Plants are also part of nature, and have a place in design. However, their use is restricted by Western standards. Short, green plants are allowed to be planted on or around “islands” in order to represent island vegetation. Architectural plants can also serve as accents. All short shrubs and trees that are part of the design should be meticulously pruned. It is possible to prune shrub topiaries in a way they resemble islands, instead of using rocks.
Zen gardens are characterized by a variety of characteristics. They are quite abstract, compared to English cottage gardens, for example, because of their stark and artistic quality. In the same vein, they could be characterized as minimalist. The use of raked stones to symbolize water has led to their being referred to as “dry landscapes”. Some refer to their heavy reliance on rock as “Japanese Rock Gardens” despite the fact that they are not made with the same intention (meditation).
It’s not possible to determine a set of “authentic” components to a Zen garden, as it evolved over centuries. Many gardeners who are interested in this topic, but live far from the Far East, will incorporate some of the classic components to create a true Zen Garden.
What You’ll Need: Tools and Supplies
Calculate the amount of white gravel needed
Rocks of all sizes and shapes
Steel garden rake
Wooden Zen rake
Shovel
Hoe
Tape measure
String, string stakes, and stakes
Tamper
Landscape fabric
Edging stones
Back brace, work gloves
Site selection and preparation
Mark out a rectangle in a flat part of your backyard. On a smaller property, you may want to use a rectangle measuring 12 feet by 18 feet. By settling on a smaller area, you can significantly reduce the amount of work that is required. You’ll need to consider the sunlight requirements of your plants when choosing a site for your Zen garden. Decide whether your plants will prefer shade or sun and plan your meditation space accordingly.
Traditional Zen gardens were enclosed spaces. Meditation was made easier by the seclusion. Most homeowners find it difficult or expensive to build a masonry fence in their backyard for a meditation space. Use a lattice to create privacy at a low cost. This is a separate project that you can do before creating the Zen garden. (But make sure to include a large gate so it’s easy to get supplies in).
Zen garden plants: the best plants for your Zen garden
Creeping Thyme
Moss
Mondo grass (also called lilyturf) and Mondo grass
Deutzia
Corkscrew Rush
Chinese lanterns
Pachysandra
Creeping junipers
Ferns
Japanese forest grass
Horsetail (in a container)
Yews
Chinese juniper
Evergreen Azaleas
Bamboo
Miniature pines
Pagoda dogwood
Crimson queen Japanese maple
Silk tree
Snow Fountains Weeping Cherry
Umbrella pine
The red creeping thyme has a tendency to spread. The leaves are so fragrant.
Creeping Thyme David Beaulieu
Hairy Cap and Bog Moss
As this photo shows, black monkey grass can be used to create contrast within a landscape.
Image of dwarf deutzia
corkscrew plant
Chinese Lantern Plant
Pachysandra close-up
Creeping juniper is a ground cover.
The fern has fertile leaves that are interrupted.
Close-up of Japanese Forest Grass with Variegated Leaves (Hakonechloa Macra)
Equisetum Fluviatile is also called water horsetail, snake grass or puzzle grass in modern planters.
Taxus cuspidata
Chinese juniper
Stewartstonian Azalea with red flowers. There are many.
bamboo in yard
Picture of dwarf white pine tree
Golden Shadow leaves at spring when they contain copper.
Ornamental garden grass, Japanese Maple
Silk tree branch in full bloom.
Snow Fountains Closeup Image. This is the popular weeping cherries.
This couple planted a Japanese umbrella-pine tree in the foundation of their home.
Zen Garden: How to Make One
Remove all vegetation (weeds, plants, stones etc.) from the rectangular area. ).
Remove the top layer of soil (a few inches).
Use your string level to check for level. To do this, hammer stakes end-to-end into the ground (both width-wise and length-wise within your rectangular shape), tie string between them and pound in.
Rake out any uneven areas using the garden rake.
The soil should be tamped down.
Along the lattice fence, run a stone edge. Cobblestones are a great choice. This will keep the white gravel.
You can dig holes to place the rocks that you will use to represent islands and/or mountains. The arrangement is subjective but you can get some ideas by looking at how these features appear in nature. Arrange the rocks in accordance with that (not in circles, straight lines or symmetrical patterns). Dig holes for the plants that you will be installing.
Install the plants and rocks in their respective holes. The tall, narrow stones (representing mountains), should be buried for a large part of their length. The placement of the tip-of-the iceberg will make it look more natural.
Landscape fabric can be laid over soil and cut to fit rocks and plants.
Spread a few inches with the white gravel. Distribute it using the hoe. The wooden Zen rake can be used to create ripples and swirls. Zen-garden care includes raking these patterns back into the gravel once the elements have disturbed the designs.