Oliwia Whyte 
Create a zen-like back-yard oasis by adding some of the classic features of a Zen garden. The goal of these gardens was to create a setting where one could contemplate peacefully, a way to produce an esoteric landscape full of meaning through carefully applied constraints. The consideration of four elements was key: Austerity, Simplicity, Naturalness, and Asymmetry.
Complete the picture with low-growing plants with contrasting textures comfortably scrambling over pale gravel surfaces (such as heath pearlwort [Sagina sublata] or the black strap-leaf lilyturf [Liriope muscari]).
Make the Most of Your Space
Regardless of how many square feet you have to work with in your backyard or garden area, you can make a Zen space that will help to calm your mind and spirit. Keep it simple. Layer sand or gravel to start, and place stones that resonate. Use a muted palette, and consider moss or small plants to provide subtle texture and depth. Rake the gravel into waves and lines that imitate water, or signify energy flow – or the lack thereof – as when rain falls on an open plot. You’ll use repetition, of course, as in this Catholic chapel designed by architect and artist Leo de Brienne in the Zuiho-en garden at the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa. This repetition can involve using stone pavers to create a pathway that leads towards your garden as a focus point (as above). Here, Hollander Design added a Koi water pond to the Meditative Forest garden to further emphasise repetition by placing multiple pebbled ‘rugs’ that set up an attractive meditation nook.
Create a Focal Point
Incorporate natural zen garden materials, such as gravel and sand, to achieve a serene look and feel. The whisper of crunching gravel beneath your feet is quietly relaxing and meditative – a unique sound that somehow calms the space it enters. Rocks with similar shapes and similar sizes create a calm and balanced look. You can add natural texture and colour enhanced by plant material – all you need to do is add in soft hued mosses, ferns or hostas. Be sure you locate the garden where it will receive plenty of sunshine, so your plants will thrive. And don’t forget to plan ahead if you wish to incorporate large boulders, since they are difficult to move once placed. For more magical appeal, consider planting trees such as this blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca pendula’; zones 6 to 8) or paperbark maple (Acer griseum; zones 4 to 9); both will lead visitors into your serene sanctuary.
Create a Path
An original pathway or a walkway creates an additional feeling of calm in your Zen garden, offering an additional sensation of opportunity and contrast to other garden features, such as plants or moss. Sometimes, pebbles or gravel can perform the function. Pebbles and gravel will also need to work with other features in landscape design, such as plants or moss. You can ripple gravel with a rake, or use concrete stepping stones, which will last longer. The plants that are used in Zen gardens come in many varieties, but the vegetation should not have a particularly strong colour, so trees that are green and white will remain neutral and will complement the rocks, sand and gravel in your space. Some good options are ferns, water irises and the Japanese apricot tree. Bamboo can also be an excellent addition to your garden, as it can provide cover and, at the same time, function as a fence.
Add a Water Feature
A Zen garden should be relatively spare – with respect to design and materials – to encourage a sense of calm. However, there might be elements of the garden that you respond to in particular ways. These can be enhanced to endow the space with added resonance. Water features are great for small spaces as they can be tucked into a corner. They become a beautiful focal point in your Zen garden and also complete nature’s elements in the landscape. Either a rock fountain or waterfall, or a pond would make a nice earthen element in a Zen garden. For an aquatic home feature, begin by selecting a vessel and fill it with sand or rocks. Stack rocks of different sizes and shapes until your visual is calm, add some green to your medium with some moss, and then perhaps also add a small water feature. Once you’ve completed your basic design, you can sketch it out so you can envision what your piece will look like when it’s finished.
Add Lighting
But what you need to know is that evening is perhaps the perfect time to do a Zen garden – especially if your garden is lit. Nothing spoils a Zen garden quite like daylight, but light, especially soft light, is the key to succeeding. We placed lanterns in our Japanese garden that are lit at night, but the best element for success would be candles. They are the best way to encourage the eye to linger over the patterns and the stylised curves of a perfectly rippled piece of gravel meant to simulate a river or an ocean. Plants also have something to say in a Zen garden. You might want to emphasise specimen trees with strong, twisting forms or textural differences in their leaves – think conifers like blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca pendula’; zones 6 to 9), or paperbark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Natchez’; zones 5-8) – or deciduous trees such as redbud (Cercis canadensis canadensis ‘Forest Blaze’); redbud; or the ‘Natchez’ crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x ‘Natchez’; zones 6-8). To keep a Zen garden in shape, you need to rake it periodically and pull weeds every now and then, but that is all there is to it. You also have the option of selecting low-maintenance plants like moss or shrubs to keep costs to a minimum and still have an enjoyable experience.
