How to Grow Zen Gardens Faster

The Japanese name for Zen gardens is karesansui, which translates to dry gardening. Karesansui gardens are abstracts landscape creations influenced by Zen Buddhism, representing miniature landscapes, also known as mind-scapes.

Zen gardening is reflective of simplicity of design, a design style that can be used in many gardening situations to create a tranquil sanctuary. In Zen gardens, symbolic representations of natural landscapes are created using stone arrangements, sand, driftwood, moss and carefully pruned shrubs and trees. Growth is encouraged by the attentive gardener.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

Design your Zen garden to maximize plant growth. Choose a sunny, open location where trees and shrubs can mature without interference from buildings or overhead wires or obstructions. Japanese-style Zen gardens can be found at private homes, in commercial landscapes and at historical or cultural landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and meditation centers. Water features such as ponds, streams or fountains are not used in Zen gardens. Water bodies (lakes, ponds, oceans) and movement are symbolized by carefully raked designs in sand or gravel. Use garden rakes, hoes or trowels to create patterns that engage the visitor and reflect a calming element.

Establish a regular schedule of monitoring of the overall health of your Zen garden trees and shrubs. Fertilizing is not always beneficial for plant health. Do not try to force the growth rate of your trees and shrubs. Plants use carbon dioxide, water and energy from the sun to produce their own food. Fertilizer should be used only if it provides elements lacking in the soil. A moderate rate of growth and deep green color are desired for most woody plants. Excessive vegetation, evident by lush green leaves and long shoots, may be undesirable. Plants exhibiting these characteristics are susceptible to wind damage and injury and breakage during wind and ice storms.

Provide adequate moisture for the types of plants located in the garden. Sand, rock chips or gravel, used to landscape the garden, may hold heat and dry out underlying soil. Plants and shrubs cannot grow and mature to their full potential if moisture requirements are not met. The majority of outdoor landscape plants require a minimum of 1 inch of water per week.

Inspect the plants in your Zen garden on a regular basis. Plants cannot grow well if infected with insects, mold or fungus. If your plants show a persistent problem, take a sample of the vegetation to your local county extension agent for analysis and recommendations for treatment.

Relax and enjoy the serenity of your Zen garden. In Zen gardening, less is more.

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