No Zen Garden is complete without accessories and ornaments that represent Chinese, or Japanese culture, faith, and architecture. A figurine of the Buddha is never very far away from the Zen Garden, as it was, and still is, traditional to have these reflective gardens places near or around a temple, where Buddhism is practised. You can acquire such statues in all different sizes, so you need to consider the size of your garden before you purchase your Buddha. And of course, no Japanese Garden is complete without one or two stone solstice sculptures or ‘spirit’ houses. Some of these structures are low and small and some are tall and slender, it is up to you and what you like the look of, they usually have a typical Chinese-fashioned roof, (pagoda) and they are usually red, or grey-stone colour. Stones and stepping stones, pebbles can all be arranged around your garden to create interest and to aid reflection. Water bowls, water features, bridges, bamboo fountains, lanterns, the choice is endless, however, you need to plan carefully so that you don’t overdo the accessories otherwise, too much stuff can, in its own way, create clutter so, take care. Once set up, your garden needs to give the onlooker the feeling of space, peace, tranquillity, as well as interest and curiosity. However, the real beauty of accessories is that they are usually movable, that is unless you have purchased a two-ton Buddha, but in the normal way your accessories can be moved around if you believe the item is more suitable elsewhere. Remember to plan your accessories so that you don’t over-buy.
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