Zen gardens are created spaces in Japanese homes to take time for solitude, reflection, relaxation, and meditation. You can create this semi-spiritual garden haven in your backyard with elements such as water, rocks, plants, and buy sand Australia from your local landscape supplies store (like Labrador Landscape Supplies).
Decorative rocks
The Japanese believe that rocks represent strength and permanence. They can also reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. This helps small plants grow when planted near or around these decorative rocks.
Stepping stones
Natural stones and fine gravel found underneath the large stones are intentionally there for aesthetic and decorative purposes to create garden paths so you can walk around the Zen garden. Often the path leads to the main meditation space that can be decorated with larger rocks or a Buddha statue.
Raked sand
Sand is always found in a Zen garden. The raked sand acts like an ocean with the rocks, plants, and paths looking like islands. As a meditation tool, beautiful, temporal, carefully raked sand represents the changing nature of life. Raked gravel can also be used, or a mixture of the two. When gravel and sand are mixed, this is less likely to be carried away by water or strong wind.
Water features
An important element in a Zen garden is water, though a must-have in Japanese gardens, more modern gardens make this an option. Some Zen gardens even have mini-waterfalls. The flowing water brings a feeling of inner peace and composure by focusing on the sound of the soothing water. You can also watch the ripples form on the water and around the lilies.
Zen plants for a Zen garden
- Japanese boxwood – This evergreen provides a nice dark green backdrop for any garden and can even be used to create a small fence or hedges.
- Japanese sedge – If you have a water feature in your Zen garden, Japanese sedge is a good choice to go with other living elements in the water such as lilies.
- Black bamboo – This popular Japanese bamboo’s black stem provide contrast to the lighter elements of any Zen garden. Walls of black bamboo makes for a great backdrop with your white sand or gravel.
- Japanese black pine – This pine tree is perfect for adding an exotic element to any Zen garden. These small trees with twisting trunks are like works of art and can be put in individual planters or made into bonsai.
Labrador Landscape Supplies
If you need to buy sands Australia for any landscaping project or a Zen garden, Labrador Landscape Supplies stocks a wide variety of sands for any landscape to come to life. All our sand is of the highest quality and can be delivered fast within the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas. Call us today on 07 5537 2841 or you can send a direct enquiry at https://landscape-supply.com.au/contact/.