12 zen garden ideas for a relaxing outdoor space

What are the seven principles of a zen garden?

Zen art, which included garden design, was based on principles from Zen Buddhism. Though there were many guidelines behind the aesthetics of zen gardens, these seven principles are often regarded as key to an authentic design:

• Austerity (Koko) emphasises the value of endurance and the importance of empty space in a design
• Simplicity (Kanso) promotes clarity of thought in a minimalist garden where less is always more
• Naturalness (Shinzen) is at the heart of a garden that celebrates beauty and meaning in wild landscapes
• Asymmetry (Fukinsei) replicates natural forms – often most beautiful when they are irregular and asymmetrical
• Mystery (Yugen) encourages deep thought in a space where symbolism creates subtle meanings
• Unworldly (Datsuzoku) thoughts inspired by zen gardens free us from conventional thinking and daily routine
• Stillness (Seijaku) is encouraged in these tranquil spaces that provide time and space for relaxation and thinking

Zen garden ideas on a budget

Salvage local stone

Rocks are an important feature in zen gardens. They often represent mountains and create dramatic focal points. Buying local stone reduces your carbon footprint, and stone salvaged from buildings or gardens that have been demolished avoids the need to extract new materials. Some gravel is dredged from the seabed, which can cause damage to ecosystems, so using recycled gravel or aggregate in its place is another way to reduce your garden’s impact on the environment.

Our tip: source recycled and salvage materials from online freecycling sites, salvage yards or municipal waste recovery centres.

• Buy reclaimed feature stones and recycled gravel from Authentic Reclamation, Stone Warehouse and Roofing and Salvage Depot

Share plants

Go back to basics and provide your own foliage for the garden by propagating from plants belonging to friends or family. Hostas are easy to divide in spring, before they come into leaf growth. Grasses like Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) can also be divided in spring, and ferns with creeping rhizomes, such as Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum) and Welsh polypody (Polypodium cambricum) can be propagated from rhizome cuttings.

Our tip: develop your knowledge of plant propagation by reading. There's lots of great books with simple advice to help you grow your own plants for free.

• Buy books about propagation from Amazon, Bookshop.org and Waterstones

Embrace moss

Many zen gardens feature moss as a central focus. It’s used to link areas together and provide a tranquil green background, and it thrives in Japan’s rainy, humid climate. Moss generally grows best in shade in moist, slightly acidic, low-nutrient soils, though some mosses can cope with more sun. Look at places in your garden where moss already grows and don’t try to establish mosses in areas with unfavourable conditions.

Our tip: in areas where moss is unlikely to thrive, try some of the substitutes listed in the 'Grow low plants' section below instead.

• Buy moss from Moss Clerks and Highland Moss

Zen garden ideas for small spaces

Screen with bamboo

Bamboo is great for fences and screens in a zen garden due to its long association with Japanese arts, crafts and buildings. From simple rolls of bamboo which can be used as screens in front of unsightly fences or to disguise bins, to more ornamental fences and bamboo gazebos, it’s the perfect material for any zen garden and any budget.

Our tip: if you don't have room for a bamboo screen, you could add a small bamboo light or water feature.

• Buy bamboo screens from Dobies, Primrose and Thompson & Morgan

Grow low plants

Zen gardens often celebrate small features like patterns raked in gravel or the covering of moss on a rock. Adding compact, low-growing plants develops this attitude of paying attention, encouraging visitors to stop and appreciate tiny plant details around their feet. Heath pearlwort (Sagina sublata) is ideal, with its evergreen mat-forming foliage and tiny white flowers. Leptinella squalida has tiny fern-like leaves, which create intricate patterns, and the black strap-like leaves of black lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscarpus ‘Kokuryū’) make a fantastic contrast to pale gravel.

Our tip: keep ground cover simple with only one or two types of plant to enhance the minimalist feel of the garden.

• Buy low-growing plants from Crocus, J.Parker's and Thompson & Morgan

Add an acer

You don’t need a large garden to create a restful zen atmosphere. Growing a specimen acer in a pot contributes to the Japanese theme and adds a delicacy and interest without overpowering a small space. As well as providing beautiful autumn colour, acers add freshness as their new leaves emerge in spring, and the foliage creates exquisite shadows as the sun moves round the garden.

Our tip: go for a compact acer such Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen’ as or Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ which grow well in containers for years.

• Buy patio acers from Crocus, Suttons and You Garden

Modern zen garden ideas

Take a journey

While paths are usually designed to get you from A to B, they also provide an opportunity to simply appreciate the world around you. Adding stepping stones encourages you to concentrate on where you place your feet, slowing you down so you notice the little details.

Our tip: create a curving path to add shape to the garden and interest to your journey.

• Buy stepping stones from B&Q, Dobies and The Japanese Garden Centre

Relax by water

Kare-san-sui means ‘dry-mountain-water’ and refers to the traditional depictions of ripples with gravel and waterside cliffs with upstanding rocks. Raking gravel (usually white, cream or light grey) into contoured patterns is a meditative art in itself and wave patterns create a minimalist clarity to the garden. And while it’s not strictly traditional, introducing a water feature to your garden will enhance the tranquil atmosphere.

Our tip: an infinity pool creates an optical illusion and draws on the meditative power of reflections, while the relaxing sound of a gently cascading fountain will help wash away the cares of the day.

• Buy water features from Dobies, Keen Gardeners and Primrose

Feature ferns

Foliage is a calming way to add texture and muted colour to your garden, and ferns have such delicate leaves, helping to soften the presence of gravel and rocks. Many ferns thrive in containers, so you can enjoy their feathery fronds in even the smallest of spaces.

Our tip: choose an evergreen species such as the Japanese tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum) or golden male fern (Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata The King’), and they’ll provide interest in a shady spot all year round.

• Buy ferns from Crocus, J.Parker's and Suttons

Simple zen garden ideas

Celebrate sakura

In Japan, sakura (cherry blossom) symbolises transient beauty and the renewal of life. People gather for hanami parties in spring to marvel at the blossom. By adding an ornamental cherry to your zen garden, you can take part in this ancient Japanese tradition and enjoy your own hanami celebrations.

Our tip: Choose a cherry tree that has glorious spring blossom and autumn colour to extend the season of interest.

• Buy ornamental cherry trees from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and You Garden

Frame the view

Zen gardens encourage contemplation and they are often designed to be seen from a particular angle from outside the space. Framing the view enables you to sit and meditate using the garden as your inspiration.

Our tip: if you can’t create somewhere to sit and view your garden, you could add a garden mirror to reflect a specific part of the garden instead and provide an area where you can sit to enjoy the view.

• Buy garden mirrors from Dunelm, Primrose and Garden Trading

Enjoy tranquil lighting

Extend your relaxation time into the evening with lanterns and soft mood lighting. Warm uplighting is also ideal to create shapes with foliage and highlight water features.

Our tip: choose solar lights for a more environmentally-friendly option and avoid bright white lights as they have more of a negative impact on nocturnal wildlife than low-intensity soft yellows. Make sure you turn lights off when you go inside.

• Buy garden lighting from Not On The High Street, Primrose and The Solar Centre