what are the properties of a zen guarden?

Question

what are the plants in a zen guarden. what does a zen guarden look like.

Answer 1

A karesansui 枯山水, Japanese rock garden, or Zen garden is an enclosed shallow sandbox containing sand, gravel, rocks, and occasionally grass or other natural elements. The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Plants are much less important (and sometimes nonexistent) in many karesansui gardens. Karesansui gardens are often, but not always, meant to be viewed from a single, seated perspective, and the rocks are often associated with and named after various Chinese mountains.

Japanese rock gardens have become known in the West as Zen gardens. The term was probably first used in 1935, by the American writer Loraine Kuck in her book 100 Gardens of Kyoto, and has since also found its way to Japanese language (zen niwa). The term zen gardens has also been adapted to more naturalistic planted Japanese style landscapes containing rocks. This can be seen in the image (see source URL), a small zen garden that is a part of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Not seen in this view are several large boulders to the left at the shore of the rock bed enclosed by the bordering shrubs.

Additional information and pictures at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_rock_garden

Answer 2

Common plants in a Japanese garden are junipers, azaleas, nandinas, and dwarf conifers. Maybe they aren't really Zen gardens in the very strictest sense, but Japanese gardens have very specific "rules" if they are to be done correctly. They are loaded with symbolism, and almost everything means or represents something. As an example of the rules, a tea lantern must not just be placed willy-nilly anywhere that you think looks good. The lantern must sit upon a large level rock, with a medium size rock flat enough and near enough to stand upon while you light the lantern. A third rock is required nearby as well, as a place upon which to sit your small lantern. This rock serves as a temporary resting place for your small lantern from which you light the larger, permanent, tea lantern.
As an example of the symbolism, the islands in the imaginary water feature of a Zen garden are shaped like animals. One popular island-shape is the tortoise, a symbol of longevity.
I advise you to buy a good book and carefully follow it for an authentic Zen garden, or else don't even try.

Answer 3

Sorry, Tibetan Buddhist here... you might be better off running a search on it or going to a Zen website.

Some gardens I'm aware of (Zen) are usually rock, and the properties are basically the person's expression of simplicity and their understanding of emptiness... but don't take my word for it.

I just noticed you weren't getting many answers.

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