Creating a beautiful garden is not just about arranging plants, but also considering the feeling you will get from looking at it. This concept is applied by the Japanese Zen garden. With the aim of reflecting a calm and peaceful feeling for the house owner, a Zen garden has its own rules in its landscape garden design ideas.
1. The Characteristics of a Zen Garden
A Zen garden promotes simplicity and neatness. While some Zen garden may feature various plants, it avoids the messy and cluttered look. The Japanese believe that a well-organized area will bring peace and calmness for those who see. Often, the garden resembles a miniature of a natural landscape.
Every element in a Zen garden has its own meaning. For example, rocks work as the basic elements of a Japanese garden. In the composition, it represents mountains. While philosophically, it symbolizes the strength and power of the Buddha figure.
There are at least six essential elements in a Zen garden. Each of them represents a philosophy of human, life, and nature. The landscape garden design ideas in a Zen garden is to create harmony between these elements:
Zen gardens avoid overlapping one element with another. Traditionally, they would not tolerate too much decoration other than the elements mentioned. However, lanterns and bridges have a strong meaning behind it.
One of the most used trees in a Zen landscape garden design ideas is the pine tree. Still, don’t try too hard to shape the tree into an ideal Christmas tree. The Japanese Zen garden appreciates the natural form and beauty of the plants. Thus, pruning the plants can only be done when necessary. If you are still looking for the best landscape garden design ideas that would work for you, a Zen garden can be definitely one of your options.
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