Be at Peace with the Perfect Plants

Creating a special place to relax can seem like an overwhelming task if you don’t know where to start. Our experts at Moon Valley Nurseries are here to help show and explain exactly how to create the most tranquil, relaxing meditation garden you’ve ever seen. The art of meditation goes back to around 1500 BCE and it comes from the Hindi traditions of Vedantism. Meditation is great for many reasons but our favorite reasons to meditate are to help relieve stress and clear our minds.

When you look at your backyard and see a pile of dirt or a dead lawn, that doesn’t seem relaxing to us! Imagine a backyard living and growing with beautiful trees, flowering shrubs, lacy palms blowing in the wind, and a beautiful water feature. Now that sounds like a relaxing place!

Where do you start? The first thing to start with is the perfect design. Creating your perfect meditation space is easy if you pick the right plants and lay them out properly. Start by building your area with tall trees and palms. This will give you privacy and create shade while reducing the noise of the outside world. Next begin to layer in tall flowering shrubs and dwarf palms. Doing this will add density to your garden, giving you the secluded feel you need to get into a deep state of meditation.

The final steps include using small flowering and non-flowering shrubs and ground covers to add color and vibrancy to an otherwise green area. To give you that Zen feeling, now is the perfect time to incorporate your water feature. Select one that you think has a soothing sound, nothing too loud that will be a distraction. Now the hard work is done. You can sit back and relax, clear your mind and enjoy your new meditation garden.

If you are not a landscape designer, that is ok. We have the perfect tools for you. The experts at Moon Valley Nurseries offer free in-store design consultations. We can even schedule to come out to your home for an on-sight consultation. Our experts will help you create the perfect Zen garden just for you. If you are more of the do-it-yourself type, then our Virtual Landscape Designer is perfect for you. Check it out here and start designing your meditation garden with our plants in your yard.

The Perfect Palms

Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) – These are your classic resort-style palms. Slender-trunked palms with gray-green, waxy leaves on wide fronds. They are perfect for using around pools or along driveways since they have practically no litter.

Mule Palms (x Butiagrus nabonnadii) – Long, pinnate (feather-like) arching leaves make this large palm great for added impact in any landscape. This palm is a hybrid between a Sabal and Queen Palms. It thrives in full sun and is extremely drought-tolerant.

Pygmy Date Palms (Phoenix roebelenii) – Smaller multi trunk palm trees that are slow-growing and stay small. These are perfect to plant around larger trees like the Piru Queen Palm and Pineapple Palm.

Sago Palm (Cycass revoluta) – Cycadas have been around since the Cretaceous Period and are living fossils. These palm-like plants are small with long stiff fronds. They work well planted with other palms under the canopies of trees.

Create Shade and Seclusion with These Trees

Camphor Tree (Cinnamomun camphor) – These evergreen trees have wide spreading limbs that create cooling shade and give great privacy. New spring foliage comes in pink, red, or bronze colors which matures to a shiny yellow-green. Camphor trees thrive in humid areas and require low water once established. And due to its aromatic leaves, the mosquitoes will be sure to stay away!

Tipu Tree (Tipuana Tipu) – Gold blooms in late spring and again in early fall make this a perfect tree for a meditation garden. The beautiful color contrasted by green long, oval shaped leaves is a popular characteristic. This fast-growing tree provides shade and privacy, too!

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) – These flowering trees come in many colors: red, pink, white, purple, and more! These are smaller trees with umbrella shaped canopies. Planted with palms and other shade trees, Crape Myrtles are a show stopper!

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) – Large umbrella canopies and unique trunks make these perfect for a meditation garden. These thick trees can grow quickly requiring little care. Once planted, these trees become extremely hardy and drought tolerant.

Monterrey Oak (Quercus polymorpha) – This fast-growing semi-evergreen tree is also known as the Mexican Oak and is native to southern Texas. With its large spreading green canopy, it is perfect for creating dense shade during warm summers and light in the winter once the leaves have fallen.

Beautiful Flowering Shrubs

Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) – Hibiscus have large flowers that come in many different colors: red, pink, yellow, white, and orange are some of the most popular. These plants can grow upwards of 4-6’ tall and work well with palms and other shade trees.

Lantana (Lantana camara) – Lower growing lantana species are perfect for a meditation garden. These will fit perfectly under palms and shade trees and towards the front of your layered garden. Many different color options are available at all locations.

Japanese Boxwood (Buxus) – Small leaves and a tight growth pattern make these a perfect addition to a space where you are adding texture and privacy. Green year-round and easy to care for are just some the plants characteristics.

Boxwood Beauty (Carissa macrocarpa) – These small, low growing plants have a white star shaped flower in the spring the pops against the dark green foliage. These small plants grow in a round shape staying close to the ground and look beautiful with colorful shrubs, shade trees, and palms.

Bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) – A member of the grass family, bamboo comes in many different varieties. The best varieties to use in a Zen garden would be the clumping varieties such as Golden Bamboo or Timber Bamboo. These thick monocots create shade and add a different shade of color year-round.

Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) – Everyone is familiar with these sweet-smelling orange flowering plants. Their clusters of bright reddish-orange blooms are contrasted by thin, shiny dark green foliage. Cape Honeysuckle can grow 4-7’ tall and are easily trimmed to be maintained at your desired height. These could be planted in front of larger palms, contrasted by smaller ground cover or shorter growing shrubs to add a feeling of depth and tranquility.

Creating a meditation garden to relax has many health benefits. Clearing your mind and creating a stress-free environment can help reduce stress from daily activities. And, with the help of the experts at Moon Valley Nurseries, we can remove the stress of creating your Zen garden. Come in to any of our locations or click here to call and speak with one of our design pros. Let’s get you started on the path of relaxation!