This is how you create a harmonious Japanese garden

Composition of stones, gravel and moss - tips for planning

If you are aiming for a garden design that is true to the original according to the guidelines of Zen doctrine, we recommend drawing up a detailed plan. A true-to-scale sketch defines the precise course of gravel beds, sand and moss areas. The position of boulders, stone garden figures and a stone bench are marked in the drawing.

The relationship between gravel, sand and moss areas is up to your individual decision. The only thing to note is that moss primarily thrives in partially shaded to shady, cool and humid locations. An important premise is the economical arrangement of decorations. For a Zen garden to exude meditative calm, it must not be overloaded.

Create a zen garden - this is how it works

In principle, you can create a zen garden at any time as long as the ground is not frozen. If you are planning a garden design with moss areas, we recommend the months April to September.

plants If you add moss at this time, the spore plants grow quickly and form dense carpets. How to proceed step-by-step correctly:

• Remove sod, weeds, stones and roots
• Dig the designated areas for gravel, sand and moss to a depth of 20 cm
• An air and water permeable Weed control(€ 13.47 at Amazon *) spread
• Mark the course of the different surfaces with cords and wooden sticks

As a substrate for moss plants, we recommend bog beds or Rhododendron soil with a pH below 6.0. Since gravel functions as a symbol for water in the Zen garden, we recommend a grain size of 4 to a maximum of 12 mm.

Permitted style break - plants for the zen garden

The origins of Zen teaching go back to the 6th Century back. Since then, Asian philosophy has undergone numerous changes and followed diverse currents which, in horticultural interpretation, tolerate the use of the following plants:

• Garden bonsai, how Boxwood (Buxus), Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora), Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata)
• Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
• Sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica, partially hardy), Japanese arrow bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica)

Plants with lavish flowering times are avoided in the zen garden. Arrange the recommended plant species and the resulting varieties very sparingly. In the small garden there should be no more than two small specimens. For larger systems, go with one large and two small plants in accordance with the guiding principles of Asian garden design.