Gardens Are Not Always About Plants

Gardens are not always about plants. A segment of Japanese ikebana art makes use of inanimate objects to make gardens of simplicity and beauty. You can use the lessons of this art form when it comes to gardening for your home. It is not the garden itself which makes the beauty, but it is the care and discipline of the gardener which exhibits the peace and tranquility in gardening. Here are simple means to capture the Zen like stillness of this Japanese garden art.

1) Plan your garden.

You need only to look through magazines or browse the internet for inspiration for your own home Japanese garden. Then, look at what space you can spare in your own home. It can be the size of a shoe box or it can be acres in size. What is important is that the gardener is able to enjoy the beauty of the garden.

Then, plan your garden design and forecast the maintenance of the garden so that you would be able to enjoy it rather than be burdened with the garden. It is also prudent management to consult someone who knows gardening.

2) Use colorful stones, pebbles, rocks and sand.

In the planning and execution of the garden, it is important that you find out the colors and textures of the materials to be used. The use of colorful stones, pebbles, rocks and sand laid out in the garden would provide for the color and life of the garden. Since the garden is of inanimate objects, there would be little maintenance involved in tending the garden. Also, it would be easy to change the design of the garden and the over all impact simply by altering the position and lay out of the materials. The Japanese rock garden is a simple way to keep beauty and peace in your home.

3) Tend to the garden.

The secret to enjoying the Japanese garden is the careful tending and maintenance of the garden. Maintenance of the garden does not involve putting water and other materials. It is keeping the garden neat and tidy and in order according to the design. Also, it is the solitude provided by the stillness of the garden which provides the Zen like air for the wellness of the gardener. By tending the garden, you are able to find peace in the midst of all the activities.

Peace and tranquility are but the benefits in using Japanese gardening as an art form. Proper planning, use of colorful inanimate material and proper tending of the garden would be the steps to do. If done properly, the benefits would surely provide for the betterment of the individual and the wellness of all who experience the garden's beauty. And this need not be in a grandiose palatial garden, but the same benefits can be achieved when Japanese Ikebana is done even in a shoe box. As the adage says, the garden is only but a reflection of the inner beauty of the gardener.