Is Your Garden Zen?
If you want to have a unique, meditative garden space, a Zen garden could be the right choice for you. This Japanese-styled garden has a long history and creates a private, intimate space outside your home. The design of your garden will create a tranquil, contemplative outdoor living space. A design-builder can provide on-trend, practical, unique advice for creating your space. The plants you select are important but not nearly as important as the design of your outdoor space.
What Is a Zen Garden?
A Zen garden is a type of Japanese garden. This kind of garden is often called a "miniature landscape" because the landscaping is made to create the appearance and representation of water, sand, mountains, and greenery.In a Zen garden, there is usually an area of white gravel or sand raked into ripples. The goal is to make the sand represent the waves in the ocean. Additionally, a Zen garden may have some boulders or rocks, usually tall and narrow, to represent mountains. Shorter rocks may be used to represent islands.In terms of shrubbery, it's possible to have short, green plants and vegetation around the island rocks. Short shrubs or trees may also be used, but they must be pruned regularly.Zen gardens come in all sizes. Some people have Zen gardens small enough to have on a tabletop. Others build a Zen garden outdoors in a larger space. These gardens are intended to be artistic and to abstractly represent the elements found in nature in a new way.
What Are the Benefits of a Zen Garden?
Zen gardens have a few benefits. Originally, they were designed to give monks a place to meditate.The top five benefits of Zen gardens include:
- Using them to relax and meditate by rearranging stones and sand designs
- Encouraging a connection to mindfulness
- Stimulating creativity
- Enhancing the beauty of an area in or outside the home
- Increasing focus and concentration by building a routine of cultivating the garden
All of these are great reasons to build and maintain a Zen garden, which may help you reach a calmer, more reflective state of mind.
What Plants Should You Use In a Zen Garden Design?
Zen gardens tend to use Japanese and Asian plants, but the options are endless. Some of the most popular plants to use in a Zen garden include:
- Silk trees
- Japanese forest grass
- Snow Fountains weeping cherry
- Moss
- Creeping thyme
Each of these can be added for a unique touch.
Where Can You Build a Zen Garden?
Zen garden bed designs can be built in small spaces or large areas. Normally, Zen gardens in landscaping are at least 12 feet by 18 feet and structured in a rectangular space. Smaller spaces can be used if someone is just starting or reducing their workload when taking care of the space.Another thing to consider when selecting a space for the Zen garden is if the area is sunny or shady. Sun-loving plants and shade-preference plants are both available, so the right plants should be selected for the space.Most Zen gardens are walled-in, but that may not be practical, depending on where you live. You can opt to use a fence or lattice to achieve the same look. Some people choose to use wooden fencing, stone walls, plastic fencing, lattice fencing, or bamboo panels.Adding a fence increases the privacy you have in your garden, but remember to add a wide gate so that larger supplies can easily be brought inside.
Contact Valley Landscaping, Stone, & Patio for Help with a Zen Garden
Whether you are interested in building a large Zen garden or want to make a smaller garden for your enjoyment, we have the tools, plants, and materials you need at Valley Landscaping, Stone, & Patio. We would be happy to talk to you about garden design and landscaping services, which can help you put together the perfect Zen garden for relaxation. Call today at [direct] to learn more about this unique gardening style and why it may be right for you.