| When you hear the term "Zen Garden" the picture | | | | a tree in the subconscious mind.Not all Zen gardens |
| conjured up is of a dry landscape with rocks | | | | are restricted to dry stones and gravel, but often |
| surrounded by carefully raked gravel which invites | | | | include plants and mosses as well as shrine lanterns, |
| you to withdraw from the noise of the world outside | | | | bridges and water features. A Zen garden should be |
| and to enter into silent meditation. Some say that | | | | equally attractive and inviting throughout the year, |
| zen priests adopted the dry landscape style in the | | | | which is why evergreens play such an important role |
| eleventh century as an aid to create a deeper | | | | in their design. Black pines and bamboo, moss and |
| understanding of the zen concepts, but others hold | | | | other evergreen ground covers provide seasonal |
| that the Japanese Zen Garden is a myth. They claim | | | | continuity which is always green and |
| that it is a late 20th Century western creation that | | | | alive.Construction of a Zen garden starts with the |
| has nothing to do with the Japanese Garden Tradition | | | | selection of suitable rocks. It is important that you |
| and that the dry garden style is not unique to zen | | | | find rocks in shapes that appeal to you since these |
| temples but can be found associated with many | | | | will form the backbone of the design. It may take |
| other buildings.Whatever your view it is undeniable | | | | some time for you to find the right stones and |
| that there is something rather special about this dry | | | | gravels to blend together to form a harmonious |
| landscape style which is generally known as a Zen | | | | picture, but taking time and making careful |
| garden. The main elements consist of rocks | | | | choices is an important part of transforming simple |
| representing mountains or islands surrounded by | | | | gardening into an act of "meditation".Zen gardening |
| flowing water in the form of sand or gravel.Recently | | | | means that design, construction, planting and |
| scientists used computer analysis to study one of | | | | cultivation |
| the most famous Zen gardens in the world, at the | | | | is all part of the garden itself. A Zen garden is a |
| Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, to discover why it has a | | | | continuing process in which the creation and |
| calming effect on the hundreds of thousands of | | | | maintenance of the design is as much a part of the |
| visitors who come every year. The researchers | | | | meditation as contemplation of the completed |
| found that the seemingly random collection of rocks | | | | garden.Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden |
| and moss on this simple gravel rectangle, when | | | | Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, |
| viewed from the right position, created the image of | | | | gardening tips and product reviews. |