Minimalism was born as an artistic trend that expresses itself through reducing the elements of a composition to the most basic and elementary, eliminating what can be considered excess or accessory to achieve an essential and pure artistic expression.
Over time, minimalism spread and was adopted as a way of living culture and its principles were applied to different areas or aspects, including gardening.
The large and lush traditional gardens are beautiful, full of life and provide hours of pleasure, however sometimes people do not have the time that their care requires or do not have the necessary space.
A minimalist garden is the ideal option for those people who want to have their own green and natural space in their home to relax or spend time with friends and family, without spending too much time watering or caring for it and occupying the area that each type of home can afford.
Minimalist gardens can be considerably small or not, depending on the style that is intended to be printed.
The essence of a minimalist garden is to generate meaning and provide the natural, relaxing and fun experience of green space with a simplified value proposition appealing to pure colors, simple lines and delimited areas, inspired by landscaping and Zen structures that give the space a modern and relaxing atmosphere.
This does not mean that it is necessary to have special knowledge of design, gardening or landscaping to be able to create a space with these characteristics in your own home; it is enough to follow the basic guidelines and follow individual taste or the needs of the space.
What do you need to create a minimalist garden?
- Space.
- Low maintenance plants.
- Decorative elements.
- Decorative stones.
Instructions to create a minimalist garden
Before starting with the creation of a minimalist garden, it is worth defining if this type of garden is the most appropriate. The minimalist space will not be a green area from which you can expect fruit or a vibrant nature: cleaning needs will be reduced to a minimum, which means eliminating plants that shed a lot of foliage or have flowers that need pruning.
This type of decoration is appropriate for people who spend a lot of time away from home, whether due to a demanding job or a life of constant travel, who prefer that the space in which they live gives them a space for relaxation and reflection without Therefore , it requires constant cleaning.
First step: Choose the colors
The minimalist spirit seeks that the decoration is harmonious in all its aspects and from the beginning the palette or range of tones that will be used in the space must be defined, which set the tone for the type of plants and decorative elements that will be implemented.
Generally, palettes of natural or neutral tones are used, inspired by nature itself, which are easy to combine and give a relaxed and sophisticated look.
Although a personal space should be created according to the individual tastes of its creator or end user, the implementation of strident or contrasting colors in this type of garden is not recommended, since it breaks the harmony of the decoration with the minimalist spirit.
Second step: Delimitation of green areas and selection of plants
It may sound contradictory, but the essence of a minimalist garden is not the green area. These spaces are created with an idea of functionality, seasoned or enriched with plants and shrubs in their minimal expression.
It is essential before starting with the creation of the garden, to make a plan of the chosen area and capture the areas to which the vegetation will be limited.
These green areas should be easily accessible for their care and should be visible from any angle of the minimalist garden, seeking to prioritize symmetry and functionality: a minimalist space seeks simple geometry without diffuse borders.
If it is an open area or without a roof, some walls or tall trees may be considered part of the green space. Always remembering that expressions are reduced to the elemental.
The number of plants or shrubs that are used in a minimalist garden varies according to the space and the predominance that the creator intends to give it.
It is valid even to manage a single plant of great size or beauty that dominates the area centrally. The options regarding the type of vegetation to use are very varied: from the traditional grass that marries magnificently with any decorative natural element to exotic plants.
There are trends in which harmony is sought by using different types of plants as long as they are of the same hue, as well as contrary trends that are limited to a single type of vegetation with different color ranges.
It is also possible, if the space allows it, to delimit the green space with sober pots and planters that allow plants to take on a leading role in central or mobile spaces.
If it has been decided to sacrifice part of the maintenance of the garden and flowering plants are placed, it is advisable that in this case the colors of the flowers of the plants be taken into account so that they do not throw a surprising note of color that contrasts with the rest of the decoration. It is preferable to choose white or neutral flowers.
Third step: Choose the decorative elements
An essential element in the planning of a minimalist garden is the artistic pieces that harmonize with the space. It will be important that you limit yourself to one or two pieces of great impact and originality or beauty and that your colors and materials are in harmony with the rest of the garden.
Large rocks, trunks or directly paintings and sculptures can be included, according to the taste and capacity of the creator or end user.
Fourth step: Establish the predominant materials
To give the idea of continuity and harmony, it is important that the decorative elements, furniture and structures are made of matching and similar materials.
Minimalism plays with textures but never in an abrupt or crude way. For example, a space can be created where natural materials predominate in which we would have two or three types of wood with different textures but the same color palette and one or a maximum of two natural stone elements.
Or, industrial elements can be added which are not in disagreement with minimalism if they are handled elegantly and simply.
Glass, concrete and steel is elements that can be combined to give a space a modern and functional look while maintaining the same color range as the vegetation.
Tips for creating a minimalist garden
One of the most traditional features of minimalist gardens is the inclusion of some serene fountain, pond or water bed to help give the area a sense of relaxation or sanctuary.
This element must be handled taking care that it is not noisy or break with the serenity of the environment in general.
Although it is a traditional element of the minimalist garden, if for structural reasons it is not possible to place water in the area, the undulating effect of light can be achieved with dim lights in specific corners of the garden, which visually add space and light.
