4 typologies for the Zen garden
Are you thinking of renovating your garden? Do you want to change the arrangement of your plants within your green space? Do you want to organize it like a Zen garden? In this article we will help you to understand which are the various types of the Zen garden , so you can choose which model best suits your needs and requirements.
But what specifically is a Zen garden? Since ancient times, the garden represented the fundamental pivot of the entire house and had two roles at the same time: the first was the status symbol that was attributed to it and the second was a purely symbolic role which, also through its decorative and evocative functions, allowed the human being to get in touch with nature to find a sense of harmony and inner peace. The Zen garden or Japanese style garden is that type of garden organized in such a way as to be suitable for meditation and contemplation. In fact, in the past the gardens of noble origin, such as those of the Emperors, were designed both for aesthetic pleasure and for recreation.
The types of Zen garden
There are several new types of trends regarding the Zen garden. But what are they? Let’s find out together:
- Tsubo-Niwa;
- Roji;
- Karesansui;
- Kaiyu-shiki-teien.
Tsubo-Niwa
This type of Zen garden embodies the concept of a small courtyard garden, which aims to encourage introspection. In Japan it is the most widespread private garden as it can also be created in very small spaces, giving city homes both a corner of nature and the right privacy.
The very few elements used in the composition of this small garden have the ability to evoke a strong sense of intimacy: some stones, a lantern, a small pool of water, small and inconspicuous shrubs and moss. This Zen garden therefore represents a window to another world: it can evoke the countryside, a poem or a natural setting at will. This depends on what the owner of the garden wants to see and hear at that moment and in that space.
Tsubo – Niwa are therefore spaces in which attention is focused on feelings, offering the possibility of dealing with inner contemplation.
Roji
This Zen garden has a rustic and very simple style, it is created in the outdoor spaces of the tea houses. These areas are small in size and serve to evoke tranquility, harmony and relaxation. It is a sort of corner of paradise, where the stress and frenzy of everyday life are left outside, thanks to the natural and bucolic environment. In this atmosphere it is possible to experience a real ancient ritual, like that of tea.
This Zen garden can also be replicated in a context such as the western one, just use what are the characteristic elements of the Japanese garden :
- a kind of stone basin (tsukubai), which must be surrounded by decorative and functional stones;
- a lighting to be able to give a suggestive nocturnal rendering;
- an intermediate gate (chumon) which serves to divide the tea garden from a first waiting area. This gate features bamboo slats;
- stone pavements and paths (tobiishi and nobedan), with which it is possible to create different combinations depending on the aesthetic result you prefer;
- even the plants that will be used must create that typical atmosphere of the countryside, of a rustic and natural landscape; therefore they must be free of too geometric shapes. Finally, we need to use moss to cover parts of the ground to create a perfect environment.
Karesansui
This type of Zen garden was born to help priests better understand what Zen was. Like all other types of Japanese gardens, this one also venerates nature, the seasons and the landscape. Basically they represent waterfalls, mountains, lakes and rivers of the natural world. The materials used are all natural materials, such as bamboo, rocks and stones, wood and all these materials highlight the shapes of plants, trees, the colors of the foliage and moss.
These gardens especially use moss and stones to create a natural environment, where peace and tranquility can be found. They are also referred to as Zen stone gardens . Specifically, the arrangement of the stones must take place in parallel with the study of the ground, they must be of a certain color, of precise dimensions as they are stones that, properly positioned, must become poetry to convey peace and harmony.
But how do you build a karesansui Zen garden? First of all it is necessary to model the terrain, imagining that it is the base of a mountain or the hill of a field, then the stones are placed to create a global design. The stones are qualified according to basic principles regarding their shape and their specific use. The most important shape is the one that is at the top, the subsequent ones can be placed horizontally, they can be flat, there are those that can reflect a small hill and those that are placed diagonally. Islands are created in this world which represent health, longevity and immortality. These islands are also referred to as islands of thought and their number must never be even or four, as this ideogram is very similar to that of death. In stone gardens it is also very important how the rocks are qualified according to the terrain, because the meaning depends on where they were collected. In stone gardens it is necessary to understand where to place the largest stone, because it is the most impressive and most beautiful and consequently the other elements will be placed, which must surround this stone.
The absence of water in this type of Zen garden is not absolute, as it can be represented by the gravel, which when properly raked, can create designs that simulate the movement and light of the water: in this way the rocks represent islands.
Kaiyu-shiki-teien
This Zen garden is a garden dedicated to hiking and walking. The beauties of this garden must be explored and discovered, in fact its beauties are not put on display but are hidden in the nature that form it. Inside them we find ponds and lakes, long paths where you can discover the different beauties that are inside the garden. There are small bridges that are characteristic of this Zen garden , which are used to cross the water areas.
The Kaiyu-shiki-teien garden has a precise path to follow, a circular path that runs along the main pond or lake or in any case the largest one. Crossing the path that presents itself in front of the visitor, you have the beauty of the garden all around until you reach the bridge, which crosses the main water area. Here you can stop and admire the work that has been done to create this green area.
These paths are made of homogeneous and smooth material, which allows for a peaceful walk, making you appreciate the greenery and peace that these gardens offer. The avenues that appear in the Zen garden are lined with bamboo, which delimit the very boundaries within which one must remain in order to continue on one’s walk. You can also find small structures and sculptures made in miniature. This type of Japanese garden is also used to meditate and relax, thus calming the worries of everyday life.
How much does the cost?
A Zen garden has lower costs than a traditional garden. They are composed of a few simple elements: water, plants, sand and rocks. These elements represent peace, nature and life. The water element is very often recalled by the pond, even if small in size, whose banks are adorned with stones and gravel. The plants in the Zen garden must have small foliage, such as evergreen shrubs with very few flowers, and harmonic and delicate colors are chosen, such as light orange or pink. The areas around the trees are covered with moss and, eventually, in Japanese gardens rocks and sand are very important. With the sand, bases are made in which to draw lines with a rake, while with the rocks the borders of the flower beds or the pond are made and they are also used to create paths in a casual way, to have a natural effect.
