Many people want to create a place of rest and relaxation in their garden. We share tips for creating a Zen garden that creates inner balance.
For many, gardens represent a place of rest and relaxation. The Zen garden in particular is said to have an exceptionally calming aura. The Japanese garden shape is often associated with perfect harmony and aesthetics - such a garden is therefore considered the perfect place for mindfulness and meditation. In their home country, the gardens are called Kare-san-sui, which means "dry landscape" and directly refers to the main material of the Zen garden - a rock garden. But in contrast to rustic German rock gardens, Zen gardens are less colorful and rely on clear lines that are cleverly designed. We'll tell you how you too can design a Zen garden.
Create a Zen Garden
The Japanese Zen garden is also becoming increasingly popular in this country. Anyone looking for inner peace and a place for meditation is well advised to use this form of garden design. Fortunately, creating a Zen garden is not difficult, so you can also look forward to an aesthetic garden at home that invites you to admire and linger.
The 3 main elements of the Zen garden
A traditional Zen garden consists of only three basic elements: water, stones and moss. However, the first point in particular regularly causes confusion, because water can only rarely be found in a Zen garden. In fact, this is symbolized by the large gravel areas that are typical of this form of garden design. Flowing surfaces and patterns raked into the gravel reinforce the impression of a body of water. Stones, on the other hand, usually represent islands or mountains, but can also represent groups of animals. In fact, moss is the only plant used in a traditional Zen garden. In the meantime, however, trees, in particular topiaries and bonsai, are often planted in Zen gardens - flowering plants, on the other hand, hardly play a role and are only rarely found. ThatThe aim of the Zen garden is to use its basic elements to create an environment that represents nature and reflects the proportions of forests, mountain ranges and rivers.
Planning the Zen Garden
Before you start creating a Zen garden, accurate planning in the form of a sketch is crucial. Above all, it must be clarified whether you want to arrange your entire garden in Zen style or whether only a separate area should be redesigned. The latter method, in which only a small part is converted into a Zen garden and separated from the rest of the property by a hedge or a fence, is particularly popular.
A place that is easily visible from the terrace or the window is ideal, as looking at the Zen garden in particular conveys peace and serenity. You should also draw in the various gravel areas and the positioning of individual plants and stones so that you can calculate the appropriate amount of materials such as gravel and sand. Ideally, the individual areas should be laid out in such a way that they appear as natural as possible - this means that the transitions between the areas are fluid and you can't see a beginning or end at first glance.
Zen Garden Design
When you have completed the sketch of your Zen garden, the work in the garden begins. First, all lawns that are in the Zen garden area must be cut off, including the roots. To do this, roughly the top 20 centimeters of the garden soil are removed. Then you put a garden fleece or another water-permeable film in the dug bed - this later prevents grass, weeds or other plants from making their way through the gravel layer. It is not necessary to fasten the foil, as it is reliably held in place by the heavy gravel. Plants such as small bonsai or moss are planted by cutting the foil in a cross shape and planting the green garden dwellers directly into the soil below. But if you don't want to damage your garden fleece, you can also plant the plants in sufficiently large pots. The gravel can now be filled in. The height of the gravel layer can vary according to taste - but care should be taken to ensure that the area can be raked later without the tool damaging the film. Finally place stones and decorationand rake the typical patterns into the gravel to give the Zen garden its signature look.
How to design a zen garden?
1. Define floor plans and individual beds in sketch
2. Dig the lawn about 20 cm deep
3. Line the dug bed with water-permeable film
4. Insert plants by making a cross in the film and planting the plants in the soil below
5. Fill the bed with gravel
6. Place stones and decorations
7. Rake gravel into shape
Plants for the Zen Garden
Traditionally, only one type of plant is allowed in the Zen garden: moss. However, designing with mosses is not as boring as it sounds at first, because they actually have numerous variations to offer. Various native moss species such as the bearded moss (Barbula) or some types of reton moss (Polytrichum) not only impress visually, but are also particularly easy to care for. Moss replacement plants such as star moss (Sagina subulata) are also particularly popular in Zen gardens. With its cushion-like growth, this is an ideal and also sturdy ground cover and is also considered to be particularly robust, which is why it is also suitable for partially shaded areas. The Andean cushion (Azorella trifurcata) with its rosette-like growth is also suitable for the Zen garden and is a pretty eye-catcher. By combining different mosses with each other, interesting differences in texture and thus unobtrusive eye-catchers can be realized in the Zen garden.
In addition to the various mosses, other plants are increasingly being cultivated in modern Zen gardens. Of particular importance here is the bonsai, i.e. the miniaturized growth form of well-known trees, which also has its origins in Japan. Cypresses (Cupressus) are also suitable for the Zen garden, but conifers are particularly popular. Straight pine varieties such as the Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), the Japanese pine (Pinus parviflora) or the Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora ) are welcome guests as a sign of longevity and strength. The Japanese Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) is particularly eye-catching and impresses with its intensive autumn colouring. But also the Japanese yew (TaxusCuspidata) or the boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) can be used as a topiary. Bamboo species (Fargesia murielae), which do not form runners, are also eye-catchers in Zen gardens thanks to their Asian charm.
Stones in the Zen Garden
Stones have a special meaning in the Zen garden and are often even more important than plants. They often symbolically represent mountain ranges or islands and often form the focal point in the garden. However, they should never be set up symmetrically or even in geometric shapes - since the Zen garden follows natural proportions, a natural asymmetry or wave pattern is preferred. For this reason, stone groups often consist of an odd number, which is made up of a large main stone in the middle and several smaller side stones. The type of rock is usually of less importance and can be selected according to individual taste. However, hard rocks such as granite or bas alt are particularly suitable due to their high resistance. You should settle on one or two types of rock, otherwise the Zen garden will quickly appear too restless. From an ecological point of view, it is advisable to use regional rock types.
Tip: Erratic boulders, which can be found in many regions, can also be beautifully displayed in the Zen garden.
Decoration in the Zen Garden
Even if the classic Zen garden does not require any decoration at all, many owners want to give their garden the finishing touch with a few works of art. In this garden, however, the motto is "less is more" - limit yourself to a few, meaningful decorative elements so as not to disturb the clean, natural lines of the zen garden. Stone elements, such as sculptures or lanterns, go particularly well with the style of the garden. Buddhas are also a great fit due to their Asian origins and calming charm. Bamboo items, pagodas or water basins are not traditionally intended in the Zen garden, but they can become great eye-catchers.
Proper care of the Zen garden
Not only just looking at the Zen garden is said to have a calming effect on the mind, working in it is also considered almost meditative. The fact that working in the Zen garden also has a positive effect on the body is a real blessing, because you only have a long time with regular careEnjoying his garden. Typical tasks that have to be done from time to time to maintain the garden are, for example, picking up leaves and other plant parts, sweeping the paths or even pulling weeds. Make sure that your thoughts are on you and your work - this way, caring for the Zen garden has a particularly meditative effect. Raking the gravel surfaces also has a calming effect. Here you can also live out your creative streak and draw various wavy or straight lines in the gravel. If you have decided on plants in the Zen garden, you also have to look after them. In particular, regular pruning (at least twice a year) of topiary is necessary to maintain the clean lines of the Zen garden. In the case of pines, the young shoots should also be cut off - this ensures that the trees remain particularly small and flat