In this climate - plenty of precipitation, ocean breezes, summer sunshine - things grow. Trees, flowers, shrubs, grass, moss; they all find purchase here.
A rock garden is an unusual choice for a landscape in such a lush growing region.
But the Japanese rock garden, or Zen garden, isn't meant to encourage the growth of plants; it's meant to encourage the growth of thoughts.
Classical Zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto, Japan in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The landscapes of carefully composed rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and raked gravel or sand are intended to imitate the intimate essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to stimulate meditation about the true meaning of life.
With the end of summer on the horizon, you might be making plans for next year, or even for your garden this winter. Why not consider sectioning off a corner for your own Japanese rock garden?
The most important aspect is the selection and placement of rocks. The rules for "setting stones," are specific (according to tradition, if not followed the owner of the garden would suffer misfortune). Individual rocks rarely play the starring role; the emphasis is upon the harmony of the composition. One common triad arrangement has a tall vertical rock flanked by two smaller rocks, representing Buddha and his two attendants. Rocks should vary in colour, shape and size, and the grains of the rocks should run in the same direction.
Gravel is usually used in Zen gardens, rather than sand, because it is less disturbed by rain and wind. The act of raking the gravel into a pattern recalling waves or rippling water has an aesthetic function, and helps with concentration.
