To a degree the easiest Zen garden is the most severe (to Western eyes) - just rocks. Indeed if it really is just a small corner go for just one rock. Try to find a quarry that will let you pick out one big boulder. Look for a characterful 'gnarled' appearance - avoid any rock you find unsettling.

Once you have found your main rock everything else will be dictate, a yellow or reddish rock will require similar gravel etc.

Plants can be added to Zen gardens, the most common being clipped pines. If your rock is flat and 'recumbent' then you might look for an Acer that has a 'wing' shape so that the two harmonise. The Acer might look like it is cradling the rock or a cloud above the mountains...

Thanx for that info. Gives me an idea now. My mom tho has decided to give me another part of her garden so now I have to, the smaller one and now I have a longer bigger space along my shed. I have a rock for the smaller one already I just need one or maybe 2 rocks for that one. Would a bonzi look good or even be a good idea for the garden, the bigger one??

Well thanx again for that info thought there no one was gonna reply to my post.

Hiya!

I hope your dry garden works out ok! We have also thought about making a dry garden somewhere on our property, but the main problem is to find suitable rocks and to get them into place. I wish we had superman ;) A dry garden is really nice, but my problem is to make it fit naturally between the lawn, the pond, the flowerbeds and the trees... One way of thinking about it is to consider it a lake or the sea... and to make it float naturally around the garden.... lot of hard work... and there are no obvious answers. Why ot post a sketch of your landscape and the experienced people here can comment it? I like to do that since it is the best way to make people understand the pre-conditions of the landscape.

yours
Peter

Oh I forget... about the forums.. we also feel a sense that people dont visit the forum so much anymore... about 6 months ago there was a lot more activity!

Personally me and my wife loves this forum, since it is the only place we can talk with people who understand japanese gardens... in sweden people always maek traditional european flowergardens. We dont want that. But there is no one we can talk to :(

/Peter

SO no one has any tips or anything for me?? :(

With all due respect, I suggest you
1) visit your local library. There's nothing like research!
2) visit a garden centre and ask alot of questions! :D

Check this out...
http://koi-z-are-us.20m.com/shishi.htm

In sweden, all garden centers are useless when it comes to japanese gardening. We get all our info from this forum and books....

/Malin

Hi ZenAngel I did a search for prior posts in this forum for Small zen garden. Arrangements for small gardens posted by herb might help. I also did a google search and looked at lots of photos when planning my garden, you might give that a try. A pot of bamboo might work well on your deck with crushed granite. An easy way to buy it is at a farm supply. Chicken grit is sold there and is usually crushed granite.

Good luck Cheers Jando