Creating a Zen garden: design ideas and suitable plants

Do you admire the Asian culture and wish that your garden is a real oasis of wellbeing? Then the zen garden might be the right choice for you! This garden type is designed primarily with stones, gravel, moss, individual trees, and bushes. Maybe that sounds pretty boring to you. But one look at our photos is enough to convince yourself that Zen gardens look really classy and soothing! We’ll give you some tips below for creating such a garden. You will also learn which types of plants are best for this. Hopefully the information in this post is helpful. Have fun while reading!
What is a zen garden?
The word “Zen” is related to Buddhism and means the same thing in Japanese as “meditation” and “self-immersion.” In fact, it can best be defined as the perception of the here and now. The goal is to be aware of the moment in peace and serenity without appreciating it. And you can experience that in the Zen garden.


This is a special form of Japanese garden art that depicts nature in an idealized form. These gardens have an aesthetic, calming effect and invite you to look at and linger. The rough sand and gravel surfaces, the plants such as moss, and the individual stone settings visually enlarge the garden and create a special atmosphere that is just perfect for relaxing.
Designing a Japanese garden: ideas for beautiful plants

How can you organize your zen garden? Take inspiration from our photos! You shouldn’t forget the decorations or the water – it is also an essential element in Zen gardens.
Decorative ponds, fountains, water features, etc., will make the garden even more lively and cozy! When it comes to plants’ choice, we recommend Japanese maple pine trees, cherry trees that look simply beautiful with their delicate flowers, plums, and bamboo.

The compact holly, which is between 0.9 and 1.2 meters high, and the Siberian dwarf arborvitae, which looks particularly attractive, are also suitable for the Japanese garden. Flowering shrubs and ornamental grasses would complement the green garden landscape beautifully!