![]() One of the most helpful resources is Cal Poly’s SelecTree, which shows multiple pictures of each species for which you search. Zenning in the Plant Listsįinding the right kind of trees for your gravel garden can require a lot of meditation wandering through nurseries and searching plant lists and databases online. They surround a small, half-circle pond filled with cobbles into which a tiny waterfall cascades. Studio H split the garden area into a raked gravel bed with well-placed mini boulders and a cobble-mulched succulent garden of Echeveria rosettes (hens and chicks) playing supporting cast to large agaves. Gardenia - a website that offers gardening inspiration - features a tiny Zen yard designed by Studio H Landscape Architecture of Newport Beach. The editors who designed the garden offer tips such as using large succulents as focal points and mulching trees with muted yet colorful cobblestones. A lounge area in which planters containing Chinese pistache trees are the end supports for a long, cushioned bench.An intimate outdoor dining area surrounded by a natural stone retaining wall and plantings featuring multiple textures and hues of green, and.A “looking garden” containing tiny raised beds planted en masse with a variety of grasses, small shrubs, and ground covers.Sunset magazine shows how to give a backyard cottage a water-wise, Zen makeover that replaces turf with gravel and divides the yard into three functional areas. Zen gardens can be small or large depending on space available in your yard. Landscape designer Terremoto created a concrete gravel courtyard sparingly filled with desert plants, including agaves, yucca, an aloe tree, and a tall barrel cactus. The online garden design magazine Gardenista last April reported on a unique Zen oasis at a Santa Monica clothing boutique. Although they may not be available at all of our stores at the same time, attractive benches and Zen statuary are available through Green Thumb Nurseries. A flat-topped boulder conveniently located along a path or an unobtrusive bench are typical choices. Places for sitting are also important, because Zen gardens are places for contemplation. ![]() Stone lanterns shaped like pagodas are another traditional, artistic element. Buddhist statues are also common elements of Zen gardens, whether serene images of the founder, Gautama Buddha, or his roly-poly counterpart from Chinese folklore called the Laughing Buddha. The winding gravel paths of Zen gardens are a more practical choice for families with pets and young children.Īrt and seating. Lovely to look at, these are areas that aren’t meant for foot traffic. Gravel raked into geometric shapes - and flowing around groupings of small boulders - is the first image that comes to mind when imagining a Zen landscape. Hardscape is a strong element in Zen design. Perennials, annuals, and succulents provide contrast, but don’t dominate. Harmonious plants. A combination of shady evergreen and deciduous trees - carefully selected for the drama of their shapes, bark texture, and foliage colors - define spaces in the garden with vertical (trunks) and horizontal (canopies) drama. They emphasize foliage more than flowers. Muted colors. Zen gardens are based on palettes of quiet colors, such as the white blossoms of peonies. Some traditional landscaping elements of Japanese Zen gardens include: So, don’t be a slave to the idea that you have to duplicate plantings you might find in at a temple in Japan, foggy San Francisco, or rainy Seattle. Dry gardens are ones based on plants that need little or no supplemental watering once their roots are established. It works for dry gardens in Southern California as well as rain gardens in the Pacific Northwest. Zen garden design is adaptable to different growing conditions. It became popular around 1200, and that’s when Zen’s central idea of stark simplicity began shaping Japanese gardens. Zen meditation - the practice of concentrating on the present moment rather than past or future concerns - is a core practice of Mahayana or “Zen” Buddhism, which is one of Buddhism’s two main branches.Īfter spreading to China and then to Korea, Zen Buddhism reached Japan during the seventh century. Some people assert that it is a religion while others maintain that it is a philosophy. Buddhism developed in India about 2500 years ago. ![]() Learning a little bit about Buddhist history helps in understanding the origin of Zen gardens. It is a place to rest your mind and quietly release stress. ![]() You don’t have to be a devotee of Zen Buddhism to appreciate the calming environment of a Zen garden based on simple yet artful arrangement of gravel, rocks, and plants.
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