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.
One thing that must be done when decorating your Zen garden is to arrange all the plants and the exterior of the garden neatly. You can also add arch accents as a complement to the entrance that can be installed easily without the need for professionals. Wooden fences make your Zen garden more private and closed. A neat and orderly Zen garden from gardeningetc.
To create peace and freshness in a garden, you can use Zen decorations, this is the best solution you can do. A neat line formed from the boundary between the green area and the garden path will give a neat impression that will make the display less boring. Green areas also only use two to three types of plants to make the garden look beautiful and orderly. You can prune trees of the same shape for a more harmonious look. The serenity and tidiness of the Zen garden from gardeningetc.
The combination of rock on the garden path and wood on the bridge that seems to connect two islands is a smart idea for a Zen garden decoration this year. Arrange the garden area as well and as much as possible by separating the green area from the sand area which will support a clean and tidy Zen garden style. There is no need to put any outdoor furniture in this garden. Zen garden with stone elements with greenery from gardeningetc.
Using a stepping stone as a garden path will also make your Zen garden look beautiful and of course neat. You can also use a stone lamp house that will add to the characteristics of a classic Japanese garden. To keep the garden looking clean, pay attention to the layout of the large tree so that it is not too close to the garden path, so that the fallen leaves are not scattered in the garden path area. Stepping stone as a Zen garden path from gardeningetc.
2. Zen Elements
There are at least six essential elements in a Zen garden. Each of it represents a philosophy of human, life, and nature. The landscape garden design ideas in a Zen garden is to create harmony between these elements
Various types of stones that have different sizes become one of the important elements that can be placed in your Zen garden decoration. Stone symbolizes the power of nature that gives it a specific personality. You can place this stone randomly in the garden area, but keep in mind you also have to apply this stone element in a neat order so that it can be enjoyed beautifully by anyone who sees it. Stone elements from bobvila.
The gigantic pile of sand in the decoration of this Zen garden is the main attraction and of course it can be used as the focal point of a different garden. Sand gardens can contain gravel, river rocks and a variety of different types of plants. For this reason, Zen Garden is known as dry garden. Giant sand pile from bobvila.
To help decorate your Zen garden this year, plants are an important part that you can try. You can choose two to three different types of trees and then trim them with a sweet round shape. In addition to trees you can also add grass and rock elements to make your garden Zen easily in no time. Zen garden with tree elements from bobvila.
If you have a Zen garden with a fairly large size then there is nothing wrong with using a koi pond design that represents a lake or sea. This koi pond is made of stone which is surrounded by green moss and various other types of green plants. Don’t forget to add some stone lanterns that are quite tall and large as one of the hallmarks of Zen garden decorations of all time. Koi pond elements from home-designing.
The next Zen garden element that you can use is a bridge made of natural wood. This bridge serves to connect the ground so you can move while in this park. You can repaint it with a bold color like red so that it can be used as a focal point for a beautiful and unusual garden. This bridge is also perfected with a stone garden path that looks elegant. Red Zen garden bridge from home-designing.
3. The Key Points to Remember
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.
The combination of lanterns and bridges into a single unit that must exist in a zen garden. This combination will strengthen the Japanese style in your garden. Lanterns placed in the garden path area will help your lighting when crossing this sturdy bridge. To add to the classic impression, you can also use a bridge made of natural stone slabs that have a more even and smooth surface. Slab stone bridge with lantern from digsdigs.
The wooden bridge that you install in your Zen garden can be used to cross a dry river if it is combined with a small white lantern that is right beside it so that it will make a Zen garden even more perfect. It doesn’t have to be installed above the river, a wooden bridge can also be a variation on a garden path that uses stepping stones. The arched wooden bridge is one of the best choices you can try. Arched wooden bridge design from digsdigs.
Install and place a natural stone bridge in the middle of a Zen garden as a very important element. The material of this bridge is very sturdy and not easily porous so it is highly recommended to try. A vintage-looking Buddha statue and stone lantern complete this Zen garden. You can choose a Buddha statue that is large enough to be used as the focal point of a Zen garden. Stone bridge with Buddha statue from decoist.
The final choice of material for a bridge design in your Zen garden is a bridge made of wood that has been painted and re-varnished so that it looks more shiny. Stone lanterns with poles that are high enough to be a combination of Zen garden elements are often used simultaneously so that they can be installed at a distance that is not too far away. Wood Zen bridge with high lantern from decoist.
One of the most used trees in a Zen landscape garden design ideasis the pine tree. Still, donβt 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.Β 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.