Carnegie Library defines “Wabi-sabi” as a Japanese aesthetic concept that “encourages us to appreciate that nothing is truly perfect or permanent.” From a new crack in your flower vase to the sudden ripping of your favorite dress to the more astronomical losses and griefs of life, the idea of Wabi-sabi is intended to embrace the imperfections of life. By looking at the imperfections with an unbiased perspective, they turn into perfectly imperfect pieces of art and beauty.
"Wabi-sabi gives gardeners license to be imperfect. Not only is this forgiving to people who lack the time, or inclination, to maintain a pristine formal garden, it is intrinsically more aligned with nature,” Kevin Lenhart, design director for Yardzen, the landscaping design company, told Real Simple. The company’s website added that requests for wabi–sabi–inspired designs have risen over 100% in the past year.
A Wabi-sabi-inspired outdoor space calls for imitating the natural environment and embracing nature’s flow, often featuring elements that bubble with humble and serene undertones. Focus on natural textures and wild nature-mimicking colors to turn your garden into a lush pocket breathing with tranquil life energy.
As the idea suggests, a Wabi-Sabi garden will shine at its best when incorporated with plants and objects that are dynamic, that change with the seasons. Gardening Know How recommends planting perennials and self-seeding plants. Over time, these plants will automatically spread throughout the garden and establish their own patch for blooming and blossoming. Experts warn gardeners to avoid deadheading the flowers. Allow your flowers and plants to display their seed pods during autumn and winter as well.
Let those dandelions propagate in the wild. Wafting in the breeze, their pores will attract bees and other pollinators that will help spread the pollen throughout your garden and transform it into a colorful tapestry of flowers. Punctuate the grassy lawn with rocks and stones. As time goes by, they’ll get cloaked in mats of slimy green moss and weathered lichens, a refreshing tint of color to the overall aesthetic. Add water fountains, bird feeders, and delicate wind chimes. Pepper the garden with little ponds with lotuses or tiny patches laden with grainy sand, pebbles, or shells as accents to the overall mosaic.
