Lottie hired us with the vision to create a beautiful zen garden, where she could host clients for yoga and massage. The space is just outside her back door in a shaded spot from a maple tree, casting dappled light. Before we started there was just a weed membrane and some woodchip on the ground. Not much to look at, but a great blank canvas to work on!

We went back and forth with Pinterest mood boards and the idea became clear, although at the time it felt a bit of a reach with only 4 days to make it happen!

The key features were to be a water fountain for a zen atmosphere on the west side of the space, a fire pit on the east/central area, moss for texture and age, as well as a japanese planting scheme, framed with bamboo fencing for privacy and presidential serenity.

We started with the water fountain; the bowl, pump, water reservoir and stone came from a Japanese garden specialist and I created the design and a bespoke bamboo spout. 

A Japanese arch and wooden bench gives a natural look and together with a Japanese burning technique called ‘shi shougi ban’ adds visual interest. You feel like you’ve entered a special place when you step through the arch to sit at the bench.

The fine flamingo stone base was a considerable expense but the light stone really brightens up the garden and adds an element of ‘astonishment’, which is a key zen garden principle.

A Shiitake mushroom zone was placed as we had a perfect full shade spot behind the tree, enclosed by elderflower, making it an ethereal secluded area. The mushrooms will like the dark corner with higher humidity!

Jasmine was planted close to batten fencing to create a nice sensory wall to separate the garden from the neighbour on the east side of the space.

A beautiful moss mound is a key visual area in the garden, we upcycled old wood and soil as the base and placed stone, wood and slow growing plants like Pine and Juniper in the mound. This moss really sticked the garden together from stone to moss, a great touch to bring it to life. It’s a known fact that humans see more shades of green than any other colour and the mosses are an array of deep to light green shades that help bring a peaceful energy to the garden.

In just 4 days we transformed this garden to incorporate all the key features, plus more! Even I was impressed by what we accomplished at the end and this is one of my favourite jobs to date. We hope you, like us and the client, enjoy the result!