Yards can be a manifestation of a homeowner’s personality and style. It can be an outlet for the creative side of those that live in a home, and the options for how this creativity can look are endless. Many yards remain a site for trash and embarrassment as owners vow to themselves that they will ‘sort it out’ soon but never get around to it.

Luckily, there are many ways to make something of a yard without spending too much money. One popular choice is a zen garden. Contrary to popular misconception, a zen garden can be created in any size yard. It comes down to making the best of the space available.

A zen garden can become a space for reprieve in a house or a meditative space. There are multiple ways to achieve a zen garden's ‘calming’ effect. Some gardeners and designers focus on color theory and work with colors that are known to be ‘relaxing’ and ‘calming,’ such as pastel colors, and especially cool-toned pastel shades of blue, purple, and green.

Instead of color theory, many like to focus on designs and style to achieve the same effect. For those who love gardening, a zen garden is an ideal choice as it requires care and maintenance. Therefore, this might not be the best option for those looking for low-maintenance landscaping in Loveland. Additionally, those that want to grow large and extravagant plants might not prefer the zen garden as, to a large extent, a zen garden prefers minimalism.

What Is a Zen Garden, and Where Did It Originate From?

Zen gardens are also known by their less popular name, Japanese rock gardens. The first zen garden was created in the sixth century by Zen Buddhist monks as a space to meditate in. Stone gardens have existed in Japan for centuries.

Stones and rocks have always been a significant part of Japanese gardens. In zen gardens, sand, rocks, and stones are strategically used to instill a grounding and thoughtful atmosphere, almost in an abstract manner. Composing designs using stones was already a popular practice in China, but its implementation in Japan was nothing short of revolutionary. For instance, stones would be arranged in a wave-like pattern to symbolize running water. Every component and design was done with purpose and intention. White sand would be used to not only represent water but also symbolize emptiness or a ‘negative space.’

Sakuteiki, which literally translates to Records of Garden Making, is the oldest known garden planning manual. It was published in the 11th century to help designers and practitioners select and place rocks and stones in their garden space.

Today, Japan holds its history of zen gardens in high esteem by establishing and maintaining the world’s most beautiful zen gardens and making them open to public viewing. These gardens are present in the city of Kyoto, the place where the Zen Buddhist monks built the first zen garden in Zen Buddhist temples. Even with the presence of visitors, the space is filled with a sense of tranquility.

One of the world’s most beautiful gardens is Ryoan-Ji, a 2,670-square-foot zen garden with fifteen stones that are grouped in fives. The space is filled with white sand with sparse moss growing around each stone, the sole presence of any vegetation. The sand is raked daily to create perfect and meaningful patterns.

Of the Ryoan-Ji, garden historians note that it does not represent anything or reproduce any specific natural beauty. It is considered an abstract composition of natural elements that serves to promote meditation.

Over the centuries, zen gardens have evolved to produce many variations.

Building a Zen Garden

To build a zen garden, a good first step is to visit a landscaping store in Loveland.

Tools and Supplies Needed:

• White gravel
• Garden rake, preferably steel
• Zen rake
• Shovel
• Edging stones
• Differently sized and shaped rocks

Apart from these, other common gardening tools and supplies such as a shovel, hoe, tape measure, back brace, and work gloves would also be needed. All of these are easily available in landscape supply in Fort Collins or landscape supply in Loveland.

Plants for a Zen Garden

In addition to tools and supplies, it is also important to think about the plants that would be placed in the garden. Some of the ideal plants for a zen garden are:

• Moss
• Ferns
• Bamboo
• Creeping thyme
• Corkscrew rush
• Chinese lanterns
• Creeping junipers
• Japanese forest grass

Site Selection

Pick a site in the yard for building the garden. This should be flat and preferably rectangular. Before deciding on the site, consider the plants that will be grown and their needs. Some plants for the zen garden will grow best in the shade, while others are sun-loving plants.

Enclosed Spaces for Privacy

Since the purpose of a zen garden is primarily for meditation, they are mostly an enclosed space. Traditionally, a zen garden would have walls built around it. However, this is a bigger expense than most would like to take on while building a small zen garden in their backyard. A more inexpensive alternative is a lattice fence that can also give a feeling of privacy. This can be done as a DIY project too.

Minimalist Approach with Room for Customization

The traditional zen garden went for a highly minimalist and abstract approach, but over time, there has grown room for preferences and customizations to cater to the needs of the meditative processes and the environment for the person. The goal, however, remains for the space to be meditative and personal.