How to Create a Garden for Meditation

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (3 Ratings)

When people think of functional gardens, they might think of a vegetable garden yielding its bounty of produce or a cut flower garden providing armloads of bouquets. However, a garden planted for meditation provides another reward for its owner--peace and tranquility. Carve out a space in your yard for a meditation garden and you can enjoy the stress reducing benefits of your garden this season.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Path
Trickling fountain
Sitting area
Garden statue

Step1

Focus on greenery. A large swath of green foliage provides continuity in the garden and is pleasing to the eye. Riotous red and orange blossoms are cheerful but too stimulating for a meditation garden.

Step2

Achieve relaxation with low maintenance plantings. If you include high maintenance beauties like hybrid tea roses, you will find the time you would have spent relaxing is spent tending plants instead. Ornamental grasses are hardy and add movement to the garden as they sway in the breeze.

Step3

Add depth with a path. In small meditation gardens, a path winding around the corner gives the illusion of additional space. In larger gardens, paths provide a place for a winter stroll when plants are dormant.

Step4

Use fragrance to calm the senses, not overwhelm them. Some flowers, such as gardenias and jasmine, are known for their powerful perfume. If you find strongly fragranced flowers pleasing, choose only one variety for your garden to avoid clashing scents.

Step5

Include a water feature. A small trickling fountain will block ambient noise, clearing the mind for meditation.

Step6

Create a sitting area. A tranquil seating area can be as simple as a large throw pillow or as sophisticated as a patio with benches.

Step7

Inspire your meditations with a garden statue. Your thoughts and reflections might be enhanced by a religious figure, such as a Buddha or St. Francis of Assisi. Secular statues for meditation gardens include a child figure or your favorite animal.