SLC ZEN: turn your Salt Lake xeriscape into a modern zen garden

In an economic environment that is consistently growing more chaotic, stressful, and fast paced, your home environment should be the opposite.

We are in a deep need for more mindful practices to not only find inner stillness, but to navigate the challenges of modern living with greater peace of mind, clarity, and creativity. The last thing a yard should do, is add anxiety and overwhelm to your life.

Your outdoor space should be a place to be inspired. A place to re-fresh, re-center, and re-charge.

Many modern landscapes are generic, and the only thing worse than a thirsty yard in the desert, is a boring, thirsty, yard in the desert. Unfortunately, the later represents a large number of the landscapes I see as I ride my bike around the greater Salt Lake area in search of inspiration. This isn’t by design. In fact that’s the exact problem. 90% of landscapes are installed without a pre-planned design. Fortunately, the growing trend is a move towards water-wise designs that use native plants, drought tolerant grasses, and incorporates the use of decorative rock. More fortunately still, we are also beginning to see a move towards creative landscape design, and I’m here for it.

With these two truths in mind (the need for more peace, and the dim state of traditional landscape design) the shift to xeriscape and native environment inspired gardens creates a golden opportunity to transform your yard into a Modern day Zen Garden.

As you continue to read, you will:

1. Be enlightened on what a Zen Garden is and what makes it so “Zen”.

2. Learn why the Xeriscape trend lends itself so willingly to this art form.

3. Get insights on how to adopt a few of these guiding principles into your own yards design.

what is a zen garden?

a place to re-center, and refresh, and re-charge.

Zen Gardens were originally created at temples of Zen Buddhism, in Kyoto. The purpose of creating and upholding a Zen Garden is to encourage meditation. A practice of presence that promotes mental freedom and peace. Zen Gardens were aids to meditation for the monks, serving as a physical gateway to Nirvana, and a place to ponder the teaching of the Buddha. In the caring of a zen garden, an individual is able to tap into presence and peace of mind. Physiological states that are aided by the natural elements. You don’t have to be a monk to see the benefits of a zen garden tho-

While modern neuroscience is starting to unravel the mechanics behind just how nature effects the brain, I doubt you need a scholarly article to tell you that:

Nature = Happy Place

The Zen Garden is a place of relaxation and inspiration. It is designed to be representative of nature but with a carefully curated, minimalistic approach. Every aspect of the garden is thoughtfully laid out in a way to invoke a sense of harmony, tranquility, and balance. To accomplish this, the best zen-garden designers will incorporate the traditional design philosophies of Zen.

A Zen garden should bring you to a place of zanshi- or calm awareness. It is a place where the flow state is fostered. Removing distractions, gaining mental clarity, and allowing space for creative inspiration to spring up.

In the Zen Garden, or Karesansui (Japanese Dry Garden) Stones play a critical role, and typically represent mountains, with the raked gravel representing water

---

7 Design Philosophies of a Zen Garden

1. KOKO: (Austerity) Mature, weathered. Stoic. This philosophy makes sure the garden is *grounded. (Pun unintended.)

2. KANSO: (Simplicity) Elimination of the ornate. Things are expressed in a simple, natural manner. This helps reminds us to think not in terms of ornate decoration, but in terms of clarity. This is the minimalist touch to the zen garden. Avoiding clutter and overwhelm in your yard will help you avoid overwhelm of the mind.

3. SHINZEN: (Naturalness) The combination of human creativity and nature. The zen garden allows for creative intent. This creative intent is a reminder that the design is not accidental. The goal here, is to strike a balance between being “of nature” but distinct from it. Curated, rather than happenstance.

4. FUKINSEI: (Asymmetry) Natural Irregularity while still maintaining a peaceful balance in composition. Aiding to the previous principle of Shinzen.

5. YUGEN: (Mystery) Hinting at or alluding to the profound. The design encourages the viewer to engage and use their imagination. Subtlety makes use of the power of suggestion, leaving something to the imagination as it were. The Zen garden piques our curiosity. Motivating us to discover and create.

6. DATSUZOKU: (Freedom from Attachment) Breaking free from habit or formula, and embracing the unexpected. Transcending the conventional. When a well-worn pattern is broken, creativity and resourcefulness emerge

7. SEIJAKU: (Stillness) Solitude, tranquility. The feeling that a Japanese garden aims to invoke. It should bring you to a place of calm awareness. When the mind is relaxed, is when we tap into our creative energy.

---

TRaditional ELEMENTS OF A ZEN GARDEN

A traditional Zen garden is a minimalist, dry landscape comprised of rock, gravel, sand, and wood; with very few plants and no water. Man-made components include bridges, statues and stone lanterns. Since the focus is on hardscaping, there is little seasonal change and the garden has year-round appeal. This is fantastic if you want a yard that *doesn’t look awful for 4-5 months out of the year.

• Seating

• Statuary

• Inviting Pathways

• Stones and Boulders

• Decorative Rock and Gravel

• Native and Minimal Plant materials

MODERN INCLUSIONS TO CONSIDER

• Landscape Lighting: While the Monks didn’t have the modern lighting we have today, lights can contribute to the mystery and the magic of a Zen Garden, while lighting your step on your path to peace.

• Water Features: Again, while the monks might not have had modern water features, the cognitive and psychological benefits of a water element are, in my opinion, too good to pass up.

The Xeriscape Movement

Xeriscaping (or Zero-scaping) is growing in popularity, and for good reason. The use of native, non-invasive, and zone appropriate plantings makes the garden hardy, easy to care for, and environmentally sound. Creating a sustainable yard for years to come. In many areas, home owners may even qualify for a rebate of up to $3 per sq. ft. to rip out their water-intensive lawns and replace it with something less thirsty.

Here’s a list to see if your city is eligible, (at least for Utah.)

For these reasons, it is becoming more common to see neighbors rip out their old dying grass, and replace it with decorative gravel and drought tolerant plants. A well designed xeriscape yard will include a variety of decorative rock choices, eye catching focal points, native friendly plant material, and hardscaping elements aimed at increasing functionality.

DIy your own Zen Garden?

Combining xeriscape processes with Zen philosophy and native plants is not only possible, but the combination of the two styles is so seamless that it’s practically meant to be, and it can also be done so in a highly stylized, and aesthetically pleasing way. Creating not just a place for tranquility, but a garden design that will be as timeless as it is unique.

Tips for incorporating Zen garden themes into your Xeriscape designs

• Let the space, and elements, speak to you. Each material has its own spirit, and its own character. Choose your elements by listening to what speaks to you. Not your head, but your heart. Creating a Zen garden is about the dialogue between the garden and the creator.

  “There is a great difference between a form that only sets out to be beautiful, and one in which body and soul are united at the time of its creation” -Shunmyo Masuno

• Incorporate the 7 Elements of Zen Design. A zen garden isn’t so much about how it looks, but how it makes you feel. Using these 7 design principles or at least having them in mind is a great guide post.

• Use Landscape elements native to your environment. Go for a walk on a close by natural trail. Look at what formations you see that make you look twice, the plant life, the types of stones, how elements layer, etc. Let your own natural environment speak to you.

• Harnessing the Essence of Nature: While your garden might be abstract representations of nature, the essence of nature should be in the forefront of your mind. Whether the garden is tradition or contemporary, each element should be able to be identified as to what it represents.

Should You transform your yard into a zen garden?

A Zen Garden is a distinct style, but it’s beauty is more than skin deep. If you want a garden that encourages you to look deeper, to pause and reflect, or if you simply want to break the tradition of what you see around you, I would highly consider making the switch.

If you decide to tackle the project yourself, you embrace the opportunity for self-expression and personal growth through landscape design, and you can use the principles outlined in this article as your guide. Or if you want a little further help, feel free to reach out to me to get your project started. Whether you are a DIY’er looking for a little creative direction and some insight into plant materials or hardscape selections, or someone who needs a pro’s touch- I will make sure your landscape design direction is catered to your specific needs.

At the end of the day, a Zen Garden is all about inspiring harmony, balance, and creativity. Whether these design principles encapsulate your entire garden design or just a small section the goal is a place of mindfulness, something we all need a touch more of in our life.