In the traditional sense, my backyard zen garden is not a true zen garden, but it’s pretty zen to me so I’m going with it. And I wish I could take credit for designing it, but it was here

Traditionally, zen gardens (also known as Japanese rock gardens or dry landscape gardens) are typically small, enclosed spaces made with rocks or raked sand, gravel, stone, pebbles, and carefully pruned shrubs.

It is a garden designed to aid with contemplation and relaxation and is mostly comprised of hardscaping without a water feature.

To me, a zen garden should have these elements in some form, but also have things that bring you peace and serenity.

Does that mean you have to strictly follow these elements? No, because your zen garden should reflect your personality, preferences, and sense of style.

My backyard zen garden has a beautiful stone wall with steps that lead to a grassy area with a koi tree sculpture, benches, and specimen shrubs and trees. There are two staddle stones that flank the stone wall and a few other garden statues as well.

The zen garden has a few different types of landscape rocks that were designed in an aesthetically pleasing way. And I’m sure there are elements of feng shui as this home was designed with that in mind.

We have a small koi pond in our zen garden that makes the space that much better. It’s so relaxing to hear the water fall and I LOVE sitting out there on the back porch.

When we moved in, our pond was empty, so we bought a few smaller koi fish to enjoy and it’s been a real thrill. They are very personable, love to eat, and we named them after each member of our family.

Because I am a plant and flower nut, I added . Long term, there will be a lot more, but for the last growing season, I just used what I had and potted them up.

Since I’m into all things plants and flowers, I never looked into creating a Japanese zen garden space before. Mostly because we didn’t have the extra space for it, but also because it wasn’t my organic aesthetic.

Now that we have one here, it’s interesting to see how much I enjoy having this kind of garden space.

I spend a lot of time in the zen garden when I need to take a mental break from the day’s tasks. It’s where Chris and I regroup after a long day. And it’s typically our final stop after

If you’ve got some space to play around with, I highly suggest adding a zen garden to your outdoor living space.

The benefits of having a peaceful garden like this include:

1. Relaxation and stress relief
2. Improved focus and concentration
3. Mindfulness and meditation
4. Aesthetic enjoyment
5. Connection with nature
6. Cultural and historical appreciation

But even if you lack space, you can still create a mini zen garden using a planter with some rocks.

Many Japanese zen gardens are also enclosed by walls. If you don’t have an enclosed garden space, you can create your own using a bamboo screen, fence panel, or lattice fence around your garden, or on at least one side.

Or you can use planters that have small evergreen shrubs or trees to help make a natural wall. And if you enclose the garden completely, add a gate for easy access.

Want to learn how to create your own zen garden?

Although we didn’t design ours here, they are not hard to make. I suggest researching then on the web to see what designs strike your fancy before beginning so you can learn what you like and how to design one.

There are lots of beautiful stone garden ideas out there and you can draw your inspiration from what you see online.

While most zen gardens don’t have a lot of plants and flowers, I’m all about it. So it’s zen to me to have them in this peaceful garden.

Because the backyard was all hardscaping, I added planters and filled them with flowers. When we originally saw this space, I thought I’d move all my houseplants out here but it gets too much sun. So over time, I’ll add more container gardens to really fill in this space.

To make your own zen garden in your backyard, you will need a few supplies:

1. Sand or gravel: This will be the base of your garden. They’ll help level the ground and will provide a surface for rocks and plants to sit on.
2. Rocks: Choose a variety of rocks that are interesting and aesthetically pleasing to you. Larger rocks can be used as anchors for the garden, while smaller rocks can be used to fill in gaps and create patterns.
3. Plants: Zen gardens often feature small, low-maintenance plants such as moss, bamboo, and dwarf conifers.
4. Rake: A rake is used to create patterns in the sand or gravel, such as ripples or concentric circles.

The landscape rocks used in our garden were a little rough on my dogs’ paws when they’d run up the stairs to access the back lawn.

We found these circular stepping stones in the back woods on our property that the former homeowners used here at one point, but took them out.

So we gathered them up, laid them out in an aesthetically pleasing way, and eventually dug these in so they are level to the ground.

Before starting, design your space. It does not have to be a large garden room. A small space will work just as well and probably cost a lot less.

Find a location in your yard that is flat with good drainage. If it’s not completely flat, you’ll need to level the area.

Next, lay down a layer of sand or gravel and use the rake to create patterns so you know where to lay the different decorative rocks and gravel. You can also do a layer of weed block below the sand and gravel to help keep weeds from popping through.

Follow your design and place the rocks in the garden, arranging them in a way that feels harmonious to you.

Finally, add the plants, that will thrive in the climate conditions you have. Check for how much sun the space gets before purchasing plants so you get the right plants for that microclimate.

Once your zen garden is complete, you can use it as a space for meditation, contemplation, or simply to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

You may also want to consider adding elements such as or a bench to enhance the peaceful atmosphere of your garden

Now that we understand what is a traditional zen garden, to me, a zen garden should have the traditional elements in some form, but also have things that bring you peace and serenity.

And so it goes, the minimalist traditional zen garden design has evolved into something more. More homeowners want small ponds, fish, flowers, and the soothing sounds of a waterfall too.

But do you need to incorporate all that?

No.

But you can pull ideas to make your backyard your own personal zen garden.

Here are some Japanese garden ideas to get you started.

1. Rock and sand garden
2. Raked gravel garden
3. Dry landscape garden
4. Moss garden
5. Bamboo garden
6. Stone lanterns and basins
7. Koi pond
8. Wooden bridge and walkways
9. Pagoda or teahouse
10. Tended trees and shrubs.
11. Container gardens

And by the way, if you don’t have room to add a small pond and want one, check out these that are perfect for any size space.