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WHILE Zen gardens are minimalist in nature, each element carries a strong symbolism that makes a well-planned design essential. KANSO Kanso is a principle of Japanese Zen gardening, which means simplicity. Kanso brings order to a Zen garden through lack of clutter and chaos. The order achieved through Kanso brings a sense of peace, calm and silence to the garden space, helping you to feel a sense of harmony in the space. Man-made objects added to the garden space should be minimal and simple, reflecting the idea of Kanso. Empty spaces are encouraged in a Japanese Zen garden, allowing you to have the space for reflection and thought without busy designs or clutter. Any unnecessary elements are removed. Style Elements CONTRAST, DEPTH AND TRANQUILITY Building on the idea that a Zen garden is one with nature, it is rare that you find even numbers and symmetry in nature. There- fore, the design follows a natural order with odd numbered plants, decorative elements and asymmetrical placement of objects. This contrast is believed to create an en- ergy and sense of movement between ele- ments in the garden that brings harmony. Depth in a Zen garden is achieved through simple textures, colors and composition. To bring a sense of harmony and tranquility, there is no central object within the garden on which to focus. Instead multiple simplis- tic objects allow you to focus on the rela- tionship created between them. REFLECTION OF THE NATURAL WORLD Order and harmony are created in a Japa- nese Zen garden as the space aims to represent a metaphorical impression of the natural world. Large solitary rocks and boulders are set among smooth raked grav- el to represent mountains and the ocean. In most cases Zen gardens are silent spaces, with water being reflected through smooth stones, but in some cases, water is incorpo- rated to represent rivers and oceans. Cre- ating this impression of the natural world and landscape is called "wabi-sabi." Only the most simplistic items are used to create these elements. Zen on a Budget