A Guide to Creating a Zen Garden

Happy Saturday! I'm trying to get myself a little Zen this weekend. While I'm in pursuit of that, here's a zen gardening article by freelance writer Delicia Warren, who is passionate about the environment and the impact humans are having on the world around us. She's an advocate of holistic approaches to life's issues, including alternative medicines, as well as having an interest in helping individuals make small changes to their lifestyles to minimize their carbon footprint.

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A Zen Garden is not only a beautiful sight, but when done well can have a profound effect on a person’s mood and emotional wellbeing. Whether you have a large or small outside space, the important point is that the garden should promote inner calm and tranquillity; after all, a Zen Garden is intended to encapsulate a landscape in a small space. This is why many people living in busy cities try to design a serene sanctuary which will help them to refresh their minds. To keep it in line with the traditional Japanese garden, here are the key elements to include when creating a Zen Garden at home.

Raked Sand

The foundation of a Zen Garden is a bed of raked sand which is meant to represent the mountains and a dry river bed. To create this effect, the sand should be even before being raked gently to create swirls and waves. Stones can then be placed in particular places to finish the landscape. Traditionally, only 15 stones would be used, but you can be more generous if you choose. 

Rocks

The Zen Garden by definition is a rock garden or Karesansui as it is known in Japan. It is supposed to convey a picturesque view of rivers and mountains so this should inform how you arrange any large rocks and plants.  

Moss 

Moss is a huge part of the Zen Garden as it is very common in Japanese gardens due to the climate. The moss lends a vibrant green colour to the garden and, if grown in a design or to cover a statue, can be a very striking feature. Moss looks great when combined with small stones and with a small body of water. To grow moss, you need to give it full or partial shade, moisture and plenty of humidity.

Water 

Water features have been used in Chinese and Japanese garden designs for centuries and lend themselves well to the sand, moss and stones. The sound of running water and/or the tranquillity of a pond can be a very soothing influence on a garden and help you to achieve a relaxed or ‘Zen’ state of mind. It doesn’t matter if you do not have a lot of space, even a small water feature will help the garden to reach a higher level of serenity. In Japanese culture, less is more and simplicity is the height of sophistication. Explore water feature options at Water-garden.co.uk.

Symbolic Statues

A Buddhist statue is a popular choice in Zen Garden design, but there are plenty of other Zen themed statues, which have their own meanings and may appeal to your personal taste more. 

Plants

Finally, you will need some plants that will complete your Zen Garden. A great choice for the fencing is bamboo while ferns, water irises and the Japanese apricot tree are other popular plants. It’s important to make sure you place them well to ensure a peaceful finish to your Zen Garden.

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Happy birthday to my aunt Sue today!