Purists with a soft spot for Asian garden art create a Zen garden. The term is translated for 'dry landscape' or 'dry garden'. In fact, this special form of the Japanese rock garden goes one step further in reducing it to the essentials. We would be happy to explain to you how to create an authentic Zen garden.

Stone and plant alternate harmoniously in the Zen garden

Composition of stones, gravel and moss - tips for planning

If you are striving for a garden design that is true to the original according to the guidelines of Zen teachings, we recommend that you create a detailed plan. A true-to-scale sketch defines the precise course of the gravel beds, sand and moss areas. The position of boulders, stone garden figures and a stone bench are marked in the drawing.

The relationship between gravel, sand and moss areas is left to your individual decision. It should only be noted that moss primarily thrives in semi-shady to shady, cool and damp locations. An important premise is the economical arrangement of decorations. For a Zen garden to radiate meditative calm, it must not be overloaded.

Create a Zen garden - this is how it works

In principle, you can create a Zen garden at any time, as long as the ground is not frozen. If you are planning a garden design with moss areas, we recommend the months of April to September. If you plant moss at this time, the spore plants will grow quickly and form dense carpets. How to proceed correctly, step-by-step:

  • Remove sod, weeds, stones and roots
  • Dig out the designated areas for gravel, sand and moss to a depth of 20 cm
  • Spread out an air and water permeable weed fleece (21.70€).
  • Mark the course of the various surfaces with string and wooden sticks

We recommend ericaceous soil or rhododendron soil with a pH value below 6.0 as a substrate for moss plants. Since gravel is a symbol of water in the Zen garden, we recommend a grain size of 4 to a maximum of 12 mm.

Permitted breach of style - plants for the zen garden

The origins of Zen teachings go back to the 6th century. Since then, Asian philosophy has undergone numerous changes and followed various currents, which, in horticultural interpretation, tolerate the use of the following plants:

  • Garden bonsai, such as boxwood (Buxus), Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora), Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata)
  • Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
  • Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica, conditionally hardy), Japanese Arrow Bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica)

Plants with a wasteful flowering period are not used in the Zen garden. Please arrange the recommended plant species and the resulting varieties extremely sparingly. In a small garden there should not be more than two small specimens. For larger plants, go with one large and two small plants in accordance with the guiding principles of Asian garden design.

tips

The acceptance of bosai trees in the zen garden already indicates it. Wood in any form harmonises perfectly with the strict garden style. An Asian pavilion is therefore a creative interpretation and stylish eye-catcher for the puristic dry garden.

Category:

Garden design