JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN IDEAS FULL
JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN IDEAS PLUS

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore) Plant bamboo in planters and pots for a lovely swishing sound.' 11. 'Bamboo is an ideal plant for a zen garden, but it suckers and runs and can ruin paving. Top Tip: 'Don't plant bamboo in the ground,' advises garden designer Melanie Hick. 'Plants such as Bamboo (Arundinaria), can be used around to frame the outside edges of gardens or to add some extra privacy and create zones or areas within a space,' suggests Marcus Eyles from Dobbies. Alternatively, you could add architectural foliage to make your space feel more secluded. For easy garden shade ideas, consider screening off the area with some carefully pruned shrubs and trees, or hard landscaping.Ī simple timber trellis, panels, a pergola, or an umbrella would also work well. If you’re overlooked by neighbours or have a south-facing garden, there are permanent or temporary solutions you can try to give your garden more shade and privacy. Traditionally, zen gardens are surrounded by walls and buildings.

JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN IDEAS PLUS

Incorporating warm low-level lighting can also help to make the space feel more peaceful and inviting, plus soft accent lighting is perfect for highlighting features such as small water features or terrariums.’ 6. ‘When it comes to selecting colours and materials for lighting fixtures in a zen interior garden design, natural textures such as wood, marble or stone work best to create a serene atmosphere.

Hanging pendant lights or wall-mounted sconces are great choices to provide subtle illumination, while also introducing an element of visual interest,’ says Mara Rypacek Mille, managing director at Industville Ltd. Lighting can be used to aid in the creation of balance between different elements in the space, such as plants, furniture, and artwork.

‘The ideal lighting for a zen interior garden should be soft and subdued. During the day your light sources should remain unobtrusive to not disrupt your zen garden ideas. The aim is not to mimic daylight with these garden lighting ideas it is to create a subtle and harmonious effect with your lighting that feels part of the environment and doesn’t overpower it. Other than creating light around pathways, they add a calming atmosphere on long summer evenings,’ says Anna Elkington from Melody Maison. When it comes to planting, include lots of evergreens, but ensure your mix of greens is subtle and interesting, and includes different textures. Focus on foliage over flowers and bring in color to highlight a feature or celebrate the seasons rather than using it for its own sake.‘Adding lanterns around your garden is a common feature in zen gardens. It is a staple of Japanese gardens and is a great addition to a sensory garden, too.Īlso, creating a water feature brings something really special to the garden, encouraging wildlife and offering the opportunity to introduce new flowers and foliage. The combination of water and rock represents the essential forces of life and nature. Think about including water and guide your visitors over and around it using rocks and large flat stones as low-level bridges. Look beyond the confines of your garden and design with its backdrop in mind, using planting to screen off less attractive features and using more pleasing ‘borrowed scenery' to enhance your design.

Imagine how they will get from one point to another and include a pathway that, when followed, will reveal and screen particular views as they travel through. Start by thinking about how people will experience your garden and design with that in mind. How do you make a simple Japanese garden?

JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN IDEAS FULL

They can include ponds and islands, bridges, tea houses and dry landscapes of sand and gravel and are full of design and planting ideas that we can try for ourselves. Japanese gardens come in all shapes and sizes, from small courtyard gardens to the larger tea and stroll gardens that are designed to be walked around rather than viewed from a static spot. Its unconventional shape meant it was rejected by other gardeners, but it was exactly this unusual form which made the designer want to use it. The most captivating feature, in our opinion, was the wonderfully wonky pine tree, leaning on its own crutch. Aligning with the new awareness of the old Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi (or beauty and wisdom in imperfection), designer Chris Beardshaw made a dramatic statement in his Show Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 2019.

Japanese zen garden ideas