Inspirations: How To Create A Soulful, Zen Garden

Your garden can be more than just a pretty place to enjoy nature. With the right design and landscaping, you can create a meaningful space outdoors to speak to the soul. Here we share some ideas to create an idyllic zen garden and reap the rewards of a soulful space to call your own.

What is a Zen Garden?

Back in the sixth century, Buddhist monks created the first zen gardens as outdoor spaces to help with meditation. They realised the power of nature as a way to connect and speak to the soul. As time passed, these gardens were used to teach others about key zen principles and soulful meditation.

Today zen gardens can be found around the world, in public spaces and private garden areas. Their beautiful artistic look adds a wonderfully refreshing and abstract space in the garden.

How to create a Zen Garden?

The design and layout of the zen garden may have been refined over the years, but the main principle remains the same – using nature and the layout of the land to empower and connect to the soul.

There are key elements used in every zen garden and many of these have deeper symbolic meaning. A typical Zen garden incorporates raked sand, gravel and carefully placed rocks. Because of its reliance on rocks of various shapes and sizes, zen gardens are therefore often referred to as Japanese rock gardens.

When creating your zen garden, it is important to understand the symbolism behind the elements used. Rocks are one of the main components. Used upright, rocks may represent trees, while flat, horizontal stones symbolise water. Different layouts will add emphasis to different parts of the zen garden.

Another obvious inclusion in a zen garden is white gravel which can be raked to have ripples, often reflective of the ocean waves.

An Expert Eye

It may be difficult to achieve a practical garden design that may only exist as a vision in your head. This is why is important to consult with a professional to make the most of your space and bring your garden visions to life.

Whether you want to create an authentic Zen Garden at home, or you’re looking for a full landscaping service, the team from Inspirations offers a full-spectrum design service that includes professional consultations on paving and pool design, garden lighting layouts, irrigation systems and decking solutions. Their experienced building contractors install all hard landscaping such as planters, retaining walls, water features and garden staircases. This multi-faceted approach ensures the smooth-flowing implementation of each design, with projects overseen personally by owners, Deidre and Vanessa. The finest quality plants are sourced from registered growers countrywide, so you can rest assured that your garden will come to life as you imagined it.