For many, a Zen Garden serves as a meditative area away from the outside world where they can unwind after a hectic day.
If you idolize nature and want to create a quiet corner in your home that can be used for meditation purposes, a Zen Garden is perfect. However, as any expert living space designer will tell you, Zen Gardens look simple but require maintenance.
Here is how to make the Zen Garden of your dreams:
1. Choose a Location
Where do you want to build your Zen Garden? Do you want it to be part of the yard? How big of an area do you want the garden to cover?
We recommend picking a flat area in the corner of your yard. After all, you do not want it to be in the middle of the yard, disrupting the pathway into the house.
2. Research
Use Pinterest or other platforms to gain inspiration on how you want the garden to look. You can also pay local gardens a visit and make an idea board where you list all inspirations.
3. Guiding Principles
Zen Gardens are made around seven principles- simplicity, austerity, asymmetry, naturalness, subtlety or mystery, unconventional, and stillness or magical.
The idea behind a Zen Garden is to follow some, if not all, of these concepts and principles.
4. Create a Design
Your landscape designer can help you make a sketch of what your dream Zen Garden would look like. If you want to use big rocks, figure out where to place them, as lifting big rocks is a challenge, leaving no room for error.
5. Be Flexible
Even though real Zen Gardens do not have any water features and very limited plantation, you can create a design to incorporate these two natural features. The key is to experiment without fear.
6. Increase Comfort
Zen Gardens may have loads of elements, but you need to tailor them around your needs and the size of your existing space.
The idea is to take help from a designer Sterling and create what suits your space best.
Important Elements of a Zen Garden
1. Rocks
A landscape architect Sterling will tell you that rocks are the most important part of a Zen Garden. Big rocks serve as sculpting elements, making them the most integral part of your garden.
2. Gravel
Even though gravel can be replaced with sand, we recommend the former as it is durable and calls for easy maintenance. Light colors like grey and cream are recommended by your average expert landscape designer.
3. Fencing
The Zen Garden needs to be separate from the rest of the garden, which is why lattice panels, bamboo screening, and fencing are great options.
4. Pathway
A pathway helps guests into the garden and can be placed alongside the gravel so that it can easily be maintained.
We recommend getting dark stepping stones so that they are in contrast with the light color of the gravel.
Do you want to get your Zen Garden made but have no idea where to find a landscape architect Sterling? Check out Perfect Pools!
