How to Build a Grotto in Your Yard

The grotto at Lourdes inspires homeowners to create their own.

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples have kept sacred caves, caverns and crypts to honor deities, nature spirits and ancestral lines. During the last 2,000 years or so, these traditions continue, often with sacred grottoes specifically dedicated to gods or saints. From ancient Celts and Buddhists to Christian, Hindu or tribal cultures, the quiet grotto became a place to offer prayers and meditations, and to honor those who came before. During the mid-18th century, grotto building became fashionable in Europe and eventually took shape in home landscapes across America. You, too, can create one in miniature form to meet your needs for beauty and solitude.

Things You'll Need

• Sketches (pad and pencils)
• Soil
• Plants
• Stones
• Stakes
• Statuary
• Water source
• Garden tools
• Digging tools
• Urns
• Pottery
• Lanterns
• Bench (optional)
• Fountain (optional)
• Arch trellises (optional)
• Ironwork (optional)
• Cement (optional)
• Electric lighting (optional)
• Torches (optional)

Instructions

1. Plan your grotto. The true meaning of this word has origins in the Greek word "krypte," as in a hidden place. Look around your yard to determine the best place for a grotto. Think about what you will want to do here, whether to sit in peaceful surroundings or worship. Consider how much space you will want to use. Creating one about 12 by 12 feet can be done more easily than one much larger.

2. Rough out a sketch of your yard and existing gardens. Mark any existing pools, ponds, outbuildings and established large trees. If you have a cluster of mature trees and shrubs, you can hollow out your grotto from within. A fence or wall is excellent to work with as one side or the back of the grotto. Otherwise, mark the area where you will create one from scratch.

3. Dig the soil in the planned area to a depth of at least 12 inches to prepare for new plants. If you want a sunken grotto, such as one that descends a couple of feet, dig out enough soil first to establish the base level. Leave a narrow entry area for steps into the grotto area to give the sense of seclusion — once the plants have filled in.

4. Shape the grotto's boundaries. Lay out stones or stakes to outline where you will put a shrine or fountain. Mark off the area for plants. Remember, the smaller the garden space, the more intimate your grotto will be.

5. Visit a reputable nursery and choose the plants you will use. Tall evergreen shrubs work well, as do evergreen vines. Flowering perennials and rosebushes are good choices as accompaniments to the central focal points, such as to surround an altar or statuary.

6. Plant your greenery, working from the outside to the inner part of the grotto. Taller trees should wrap the perimeter in a "U" form. Shrubbery comes next, inside the trees. Avoid making inner lines too uniform unless you want a totally symmetrical design. Fertilize and water in well.

7. Solidify the focal point. Mount your statue atop a group of stones, or set it on a mounded-up area of soil near the back of the "U." You can also lay a nest of moss or soft ground cover where the statue will be placed. This becomes a matter of your own sense of beauty. Once the central focal point has been placed, add the small perennials, herbs and rosebushes to surround it. Water in the plants.

8. Add lanterns, urns, potted plants and other ornamentation as desired. Care for the plants properly until they fill in and become the grotto frame.

Tips & Warnings

• One trick for a very simple grotto is to take three or four arched trellises and nail them together. One side is placed up against a tall fence, while the other becomes your entry. Plant a mix of evergreen vines such as jasmine, with clematis and climbing roses to cover the trellis. Set your statuary or sacred objects on a small table as the shrine.

• Get inspiration from images of the world's many existing grottoes.

• A small fountain or pond is ideal for some grottoes. If you plan to add one, you will need to lay in any piping before you do any planting.

References

• East Herts Council, U.K.: Scott's Grotto, Ware
• Cultural China: Maijishan Grottoes in Gansu
• U.K. Guardian; Old Masters; Jonathan Jones; June 2006
• Theoi Greek Mythology; Mousai; Aaron J. Atsma
• Garden Visit: Garden Fountain Grotto
• Basilica of the Annunciation: Official Possession of the Holy Grotto
• Dictionary.com: Grotto

Resources

• U.K. Independent: Elaborate 19th-century Grotto Uncovered... Gwent Garden; Anna Pavor; March 2009
• Architect of the Capitol: The Grotto at the Summerhouse
• Curbed Los Angeles; A Typology of Southern California Pool Grottos; A. G. Kudler; June 2011
• Lourdes, France.org
• See the Holy Land.net: Milk Grotto
• Ala Turka/Turkey: Grotto of the Seven Sleepers
• All Greece Travel: Patmos, Greece
• 7 Wonders.org: India - Ajanta Caves Photo Gallery
• Capri.com (Italy): La Grotta Azzurra (The Blue Grotto)