Don’t confuse a Zen garden with a Japanese garden. While Zen gardens are a type of Japanese garden, not all Japanese gardens are Zen gardens.
A Zen garden is one devoid of water. It’s comprised mostly of sand and rocks while other types of Japanese gardens can be lush with shrubs, koi ponds, bridges, etc.
Zen gardens are also referred to as Japanese rock gardens or by the proper name, “karesansui” (dry landscape garden) [source: Insidekyoto.com].
If you’ve never seen a Zen garden, you might think the idea of just a rock/gravel garden sparsely mixed with larger boulders and maybe a few shrubs would be ugly, but it’s quite the opposite. There really is a minimalist, stark beauty to these gardens. They also serve a purpose in the ever changing nature of them as you rake your patterns in them on a regular basis as part of a meditation exercise.
Below we set out a huge collection of the most beautiful Zen gardens in the world (many of course are in Japan). Below that we set out a few miniature Zen gardens for indoors.
Materials used:
As you’ll see below, the main material is sand, gravel, small pebbles or crushed rock (gravel). What’s interesting is there is no one type of rock or rock size used. Some use larger pebbles while others fine sand and everything in between.
Large boulders are used sparingly to create depth and texture in the garden. They serve as sculptures.
Many of these gardens are surrounded by lush garden landscapes that incorporate water, bridges, various trees and plants, moss and shrubs of all types.
Get inspired to create your own Zen garden in your backyard from the many designs and examples below.
Rock Zen Garden Ideas
Famous stone gardens of Kyoto
Zen garden in the temples of Koyasan. World Heritage Site. Wakayama, Japan
traditional rock garden or zen garden in a sunny day inside Hase-Dera or Hase-kannon Shinto
Traditional Japanese raked gravel and rock garden (karesansui style) at Kodai-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan
The Japanese landscape with the Pagoda Tower on the background at Kew Gardens, Royal Botanical Gardens, London, UK
Peaceful Japanese Zen Garden with Pond, Rocks, Gravel and Moss
Japanese zen gardens in Kyoto
Japanese Zen garden at the Hamilton Gardens, New Zealand
Japanese stone garden in Tofuku-ji temple (Kyoto)
Japanese landscape – Komyoji – Kamakura – Kanagawa
Gardens of the world, East Garden, Berlin
Kyoto Hyakumanben Chionji Temple
View from Hyakumanben Chion-ji Temple’s Peaceful Gardens. The Japanese rock garden or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water.
The Japanese rock garden Karesansui) or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water.
Japanese zen garden with scenic stone pathway
Sand and Stone Garden. This is one of the five gardens located at the Portland Japanese Garden. This is located in the Pacific Northwest in in Portland, Oregon. I am a Photographer level member of the Portland Japanese Garden as required by the Garden for Commercial use of photos.
Koyasan, Japan – November 16, 2010: Banryutei Rock Garden in the Kongobuji temple complex. This temple is known as the headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism.This sect was introduced to Japan by Kobo Daishi in 805.World Heritage Site.Largest rock garden in Japan.
Stone and Sand Garden at Portland Japanese Garden with Tiled Roof Wall
Portland Japanese Garden, Sand and Stone Zen Garden, Oregon State, USA
View of a zen rock garden in the summer
Sand Garden, Kyoto, Japan.
Japanese garden seen from inside a traditional tatami room.
Temple Garden
Japanese garden of stones at morning
A beautiful small cairn sculpture on the beach near Lake Michigan. Here’s an idea – you can apply the Zen practice on a beach if you live near one or are visiting.
Bao Loc, Vietnam – Rock Garden with the rays of sunshine radiating in the sky creates a peaceful feeling at Bao Loc, Vietnam.
Tofuku-ji Temple, which was founded in 1236, is the head temple of the Tofuku-ji School of Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism. Tofuku-ji Temple is one of the most popular spots for Kyoto’s beautiful autumn foliage. The maple trees beside the Tsuten Bridge in the temple are its centerpiece.
Karesansui, Japanese traditional landscape gardenn at Tofukuji temple, Kyoto, MiniKyoto.
Bainbridge Island, Washington United States – A beautiful summer day at Bainbridge Island, sunlights bright on the Japanese garden and the cozy guest lounge at the Bloedel Reserve. This is an example of a small Zen garden that you could easily replicate in your backyard.
Kyoto, Japan – Kennin-ji Temple is one of the five most important Zen temples and it’s the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto
Zen garden at Hyakumanben Chionji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. This is an excellent small Japanese Zen garden idea for your backyard.
Zen garden at Hyakumanben Chionji Temple in kyoto japan
Zen garden at Hyakumanben Chionji Temple in kyoto japan
Detail from Zen garden, which is Japanese type rock garden presenting miniature landscape. It is carefully arranged meditation place with rocks, water, or water features, sand, moss, trees and bushes .
Zen Garden japanese style of stone garden way of peace
Kyoto, Japan – A stone lantern in the traditional zen garden of Shoren-in Temple, a Buddhist temple located Kyoto’s Southern Higashiyama district.
Japanese Zen Garden near Seattle with raked sand around rocks
Zen rock garden at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Portland Oregon.
Zen rock garden at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Portland Oregon.
Small Zen garden in between Chion-ji Temle buildings walls. It is Japanese type rock garden presenting miniature landscape. It is carefully arranged meditation place with rocks, water, or water features, sand, moss, trees and bushes .
Detail from Zen garden, which is Japanese type rock garden presenting miniature landscape. It is carefully arranged meditation place with rocks, moss, trees and roots with white wll in background. That is in Chion-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan..
Return to all types of gardens as well as our epic backyard ideas article here.
Miniature Zen rock gardens
If you like the meditative aspect of this type of garden, you can do it indoors with miniature Zen gardens with small rakes. Check out a few popular examples below.
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