How To Design A Japanese Zen Garden
When you think of Japanese Garden design you immediately think of serenity. When most people picture this in their minds it's not usually a typical Japanese garden they are wanting but more a calm and relaxing area. Whatever image you have in your head be it a Zen garden or a replica mount Fuji, You will of course need some Japanese garden supplies and certain Japanese ornaments to match. Let's stick with the Zen garden theme to illustrate this.
The Zen garden is a Japanese rock garden or a karesansui. Plants feature very little in a true zen garden and sometimes not at all and although it has no water, it is actually deisgned to represent the sea. Sand is raked to give a rippled effect which could appear as waves. This form of Japanese garden design could be described as a sandpit. It's three main elements are sand, rocks, and gravel but you will sometimes find other natural additions like grass. Zen gardens are often designed to be viewed from one singular spot and will include seating of some kind. One other thing you may find interesting is that the rocks in this type of Japanese garden design are often named after various mountains. All of this of course relates to a true Japanese rock garden. Many Zen gardens today are more about plantlife combined with rocks to create a peaceful atmosphere and place of refuge.
So, how do you go about creating your Zen garden? Do you need to learn about Japanese garden design? Well no, in my opinion it isn't really necassary. Of course there are things you could learn which would help you on your journey, but the whole point is to create a thing of beauty that will keep you body relaxed and sooth your soul. Creating this type of design comes from within and (again) in my opinion can be different for everyone. There are of course some common sense rules. You wouldn't want to add fuscias or pansies into the mix as this could spoil the mood somewhat. But, if you fancy a nice traditional waterfall in the background or some Japanese ornaments then why not?
The great thing about Japanese garden design is that it can fit into any size space you have. You don't need a big open garden to create a wonderful place of refuge. Even if you have no garden you can buy micro Zen garden kits and create your own little haven no bigger than a poster. So your first step in your zen garden plan is to decide what space you have available or wish to devote to your project. As the main focus of a Zen garden will usually be sand or gravel, you will need to create a border or mould for your design. The most popular way to do this is by using old railway sleepers or 2" x 4" pieces of lumber but any wood will do. Next (and this is important). Don't forget to lay down a weed protective base. Depending on your budget this could be anything from plastic sheeting to pond lining but anything similar will do. Now you are ready to fill your base with gravel. At this point you will need to contact a few Japanese garden supplies and decide which features you want to include such as Japanese ornaments or waterfalls. Personally, I prefer to not to have anything to specific in mind until I have visited the supply stores and seen what's available. Usually something calls out to me. Don't forget while you are there you will need to choose your rocks (unless you get these from a quarry). How you put your Zen garden together is really up to you and your imagination. Try partially submerging any rocks or logs you are using, and rake you sand or gravel in long sweeping lines to create a rippling wave effect. To fully understand Japanese garden design you would have to not just appreciate, but fully understand and embrace their culture which would be virtually impossible for most of us. But this doesn't mean we can't all appreciate the pure feeling of calm and serenity that can be gained from a Japanese garden.
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