Infuse your garden space with calm, peace and serenity by styling it the wabi-sabi way.
So often are we caught up in the pursuit of perfection that we disregard the beauty of what we have in this very moment. Adopting a wabi-sabi lifestyle can encourage us to stop perfecting and start appreciating.
What is Wabi-sabi?
Wabi-sabi does not have a solidified definition, however it is an ancient Japanese philosophy all about exactly that – the beauty in imperfection.
Author Richard Howell of ‘Wabi Sabi Simple’ defines this Japanese concept as “nurturing all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities:
• Nothing lasts;
• Nothing is finished;
• Nothing is perfect.”
Often described as the Japanese ‘Secret of Happiness’, the wabi-sabi lifestyle is deepky connected to nature and accepting the natural cycle of life.
Master the art of wabi-sabi design in your garden
In the garden, wabi-sabi is about bringing together natural and manmade elements and letting nature take its course; embracing the beautiful ways that nature can change objects and landscapes and appreciating their imperfect forms.
Man-made elements
Upcycling and repurposing objects is perfect for this style of garden. Rustic ornaments like iron tools, pottery vases or even a wheel barrow can help to add texture and patina. Overtime, objects will weather and your wabi-sabi garden is the place to home them and admire the changes in their appearance.
An old metal or wooden gate is a great way to symbolise the beginning of a journey to calmness, and also creates an opportunity for the wabi-sabi aesthetic – allow a climbing plant to creep up and over it, combining the natural with the manmade.
Planting
Wabi-sabi gardens require little maintenance, as you simply let nature take its course. Planting perennials and self-seeding varieties, allowing seeds to naturally drift and disperse throughout the garden is a great way of letting nature evolve naturally.
Choosing plants which change over seasons will allow you to appreciate their varying forms, as well as inviting different tones and textures into the space. Plants with decorative seedheads are the perfect example. Read more about our tips for planting for all seasons here.
Tree varieties with peeling bark epitomise the ‘perfection in imperfection’ ethos.
Moss is also a great plant to incorporate, with strong links to Japanese gardening; allow it to spread over rocks, stones and logs, untamed.
Embracing the wabi-sabi lifestyle
Malvern Garden Building Owner Wolf Kettler is a Visual Artist, Photographer and Author, who now lives a wabi-sabi inspired lifestyle. Wolf’s latest book, ‘An Imperfect Garden’ is a book full of visual ideas and inspiration for creating your own imperfect space. It also documents Wolf’s very own wabi-sabi journey.
We spoke to Wolf to find out what made him embrace the gentle lifestyle approach and share some tips on how you can begin too…
“That I discovered the wabi-sabi – garden connection was a lucky accident. I was researching various aspects of Japanese culture for a separate art project. One early Sunday morning in July I was sitting in our garden with a cup of coffee, barefoot and still in my bathrobe. I was engulfed by plants and wildlife, birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects, and briefly a solitary rabbit, who did not take much notice of me. It was too early in the morning for human noises. The only sounds were those of nature. I was filled with a wave of joy and could not be sure where the plants ended, and my body began. I was surrounded by harmony. It was at that moment that I knew that wabi-sabi was already in my life, right here, in our garden and in my mind. This awareness of being in the moment has since become a part of my day-to-day way of living.
Wolf’s wabi-sabi top tips
- Spend time in your garden silently sitting, watching, listening. Rid your mind of anything that might divert you from this moment.
- When you are in the garden, make it your rule to leave your tech gadgets behind.
- Convert your lawn (or much of it) into beds and borders. Make your garden overflowing with plants. It is good for the wildlife, our planet and your own mental wellbeing.
- Leave patches of your remaining lawn uncut until early August. The wildlife will love it and it is far less work for the gardener.
- Embrace weeds for what they are: Wildflowers.
- Love the insects and molluscs in your garden. They are very beneficial. If nothing eats your plants, your garden is not part of the ecosystem.
- Don’t be too tidy around the garden. The manicured garden is the death of wildlife and quite likely many of your plants because slugs and snails will be left with nothing else to eat.
- Don’t cut down the old year’s growth in the autumn. Wait until early spring. It offers shelter and food for the wildlife and your garden won’t look bare over the winter months.
