If you’re lucky enough to have a yard or some outdoor space, you’ll want to make the most of it all year round. A Zen garden is the perfect place to relax and unwind, so why not create a miniature landscape all of your own? With these top tips, you can start designing your new DIY project right away:
5 Steps to Your Own Zen Garden
1 – Understand Zen garden philosophy
Learning more about the wonderful theory and philosophy of Zen gardens can help you to create a calming and meditative outdoor environment that will make relaxation beyond easy. Traditionally, these spaces use certain components to replicate natural landscapes. Consider white gravel representing the ocean waves or rocks as land islands. By understanding how each component contributes to the overall environment, you can gain the most benefits from the space.
2 – Be certain you like the style
Zen gardens are minimalistic in design, which many people associate with contemporary styles. If you love the sight of large, flowering plants and shrubs, a Zen garden may not be right for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy carefully pruned plants, hard landscaping, and an immaculately maintained space, a Japanese-inspired outdoor retreat could be just what you’re looking for.
3 – Have the time to dedicate to your garden
Although Japanese-inspired gardens are minimalist, they do require a lot of work. Both creating and maintaining a Zen garden will take up a considerable amount of time and effort. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this alone. Using a landscaping service is a great way to install a Zen garden quickly. What’s more – having a gardener or landscaper visit your property regularly will make it far easier to maintain the space and limit the amount of work you need to put into your project.
4 – Use color theory to design your garden
Many gardeners use color theory when creating an outdoor space and you can adopt this when designing a Zen garden too. The cool, calming effect of blue and lavender makes them ideal in Zen gardens, for example. When you’re looking for plants for your Zen garden, however, do stick to species that are well-suited to the environment.
Gardeners frequently include the following elements to add color and texture in these spots:
- Chinese lanterns
- Moss
- Ferns
- Creeping Junipers
- Yews
- Evergreen azaleas
- Japanese forest grass
- Miniature pines
- Bamboo
5 – Get the right equipment
If you’re a keen gardener, chances are you’ll already have the equipment you’ll need to get to work on your landscape projec. If not, you’ll need to pick up some basic supplies, such as rocks, edging stones, white gravel, Japanese-inspired wooden rake, hoe, shovel, tape measure, landscape fabric, string, and stakes. Once you’ve got everything you need, you’re ready to start creating your new getaway.
The Bottom Line: Enjoying Your Zen Garden
Maybe you want an outdoor space in which to meditate, practice yoga, or simply enjoy nature. Great! Then a Zen garden can be the perfect addition to your property. You will create a space that’s dedicated to calmness, relaxation, and restoration. Thus, you can always ensure you have an oasis of tranquility to immerse yourself in.