A gardener who idolizes nature and who likes to interpret the world symbolically is a good candidate for Zen gardens. But lovers of low-maintenance landscaping should think twice before installing such a design. Zen gardens may look simple (which is part of their appeal), but they’re a lot of work—both to make and to maintain. Nor is this style a great choice if most of your gardening fun comes from growing showy plants, which immediately disqualifies most of us (growing plants being almost synonymous with gardening for most people).
What Is a Zen Garden?
Japan is a mountainous nation of islands jutting out of the ocean. This natural setting is awe-inspiring, and the Japanese people value the raw beauty of nature that surrounds them. It’s this appreciation, in part, that accounts for their innovation of the Zen garden. Developed by Buddhist monks in ancient Japan (with some Chinese influence), Zen gardens are often dubbed “miniature landscapes” because their components symbolize aspects of nature. Most notably, the expanse of white gravel (which is easier to work with than sand) raked to have ripples represents ocean waves, and the tall, narrow boulders jutting out vertically represent mountains. Meanwhile, the shorter, more rounded rocks or the flat ones in the “sea of sand” represent islands. Plants, too, are part of nature and therefore have a place in the design, although their use is restrained by Western standards. But short, green plants may be grown on or around the “islands” to represent island vegetation, and architectural plants can serve as accents. Any short trees or shrubs that are included in the design must be pruned meticulously. In fact, shrub topiaries can be pruned in such a way that they represent islands (instead of using rocks for this purpose). Zen gardens can be characterized in a number of different ways. Because of their stark, artistic quality, they’re quite abstract when compared to, say, English cottage gardens. Along the same lines, they can be considered minimalistic. Their symbolic use of raked gravel to represent water leads to the characterization of being “dry landscapes.” Their heavy reliance on rocks leads some to refer to them as “Japanese rock gardens,” although the intent (meditation) behind making them differs from that behind other rock gardens. Since Zen garden design evolved over the course of centuries, it’s pointless to try to ascertain a single “authentic” set of components for it. Most gardeners interested in the topic who live in lands far away from the far East are content to incorporate enough of its classic components in their construction to suggest a true Zen garden.
Tools and Supplies You Will Need
White gravel (calculate amount needed) Rocks in a variety of sizes and shapes Steel garden rake Wooden Zen rake Shovel Hoe Tape measure String, string level, and stakes Tamper Landscape fabric Edging stones Back brace, work gloves
Site Selection and Preparation
Select a flat area in your backyard, and mark out a rectangular portion of it. Size can vary; on a small property, a 12 foot by 18 foot rectangle may be appropriate. You can reduce your workload (which is significant) by settling for a smaller space. If you’ll be growing plants in your Zen garden, their sunlight requirements factor into your site selection, so decide ahead of time whether you will be growing sun-loving or shade-loving plants and locate your meditative space accordingly. The traditional Zen garden was a walled-in space. The seclusion thus attained was conducive to meditation. For most homeowners, building a masonry wall for a meditative space in the backyard is either undesirable or unaffordable. Substitute a lattice fence to achieve inexpensive privacy. Consider this a separate project, to be undertaken before you make the Zen garden (but include a wide gate to make it easy to bring supplies inside).
Best Plants for a Zen Garden
Creeping thyme Moss Mondo grass and lilyturf Deutzia Corkscrew rush Chinese lanterns Pachysandra Creeping junipers Ferns Japanese forest grass Horsetail (in a container) Yews Chinese junipers Evergreen azaleas Bamboo Miniature pines Pagoda dogwood Crimson Queen Japanese maple Silk tree Snow Fountains weeping cherry Umbrella pine
