A minimalist garden fits busy urbanites. Creating your own garden needs planning and creativity.

The sweeping trend of minimalist house design in recent years inevitably calls for a harmony in its environment, and this might be one of the reasons why the art of minimalist-styled gardens has become a huge hit.

Its simplicity makes maintenance easier - especially for urban people who don'€™t have much time at home - but its beauty serves the fundamental function of a garden; a place of sanctuary and ease of mind after a busy day.

Looking back to the era when minimalist designs hit Indonesia'€™s landscaping world, people were fascinated by the solitude ambience of the concept. As the trend evolved minimalist-styled gardens were now customized with typical Indonesian tastes.

From a garden rooted in Zen, '€œIt evolved into a more decorative garden with a stronger concept,'€ said Nopiandi, a professional landscaper and owner of the X-otic Garden, landscape and aquascape agency in Bandung.

Unsurprisingly, today'€™s idea of such a garden is a fusion between minimalism and other styles, such as classic, retro, futuristic and even tropical.

Normally, Andie, as Nopiandi is better known, would make a fortune creating such a garden. But if you'€™re eager to make your own minimalist garden in order to save money, Andie suggests that the first thing to do is to know the design of your house. '€œSo the concept you prepare for the garden will be in line with your house'€™s interior and exterior,'€ he added.

Will it be expensive? '€œThat all depends on the materials and concept. The more complicated your concept is, or if the materials are hard to find, you can expect the budget to skyrocket.'€

Another misconception is that people tend to think that minimalist design equals a minimalist budget. The fact is, for a maximum result, '€œYou will need maximum work. And that'€™s not cheap,'€ he said.

Here are a few handy tips to apply if you want to make your own minimalist garden at home.

Plant

Reza Irvandi, an avid gardener and oil company worker who currently resides in Bintaro, said that the first thing to pay attention to when deciding to create a minimalist garden was the softscapes, part of landscaping consists of natural living components such as plants, grass and trees used to enhance your garden.

'€œObviously you will need to conceive a concept first, then you can choose any kinds of plants as long as they represent the concept and theme that you want,'€ he said, adding that he took three months just designing his dream garden on paper.

Choose an interesting key vegetation; simple yet with an artistic silhouette. You don'€™t want a lot of main plants, since the need for plants in this kind of garden actually is minimal, with Azalea, adenium or betel palm (mawar jambe) a good starting point. '€œRemember to keep it subtle, classic and simple,'€ he said.

After you have decided what your main plants are, you can move on to the filler plants. Choose one or two kinds of plants with the same color palette to create a monochrome look. '€œShrubs and bushes are normally perfect for filler plants,'€ Andie said.

Hardscape

Some say that a minimalist garden is more about structure than plants. To achieve this structure, you need to selectively choose your hardscape. Hardscape is the permanent structures that require installation and construction, such as patios and fences.

And this is where the cost will normally kick you in the groin.

You can let your imagination run wild with your hardscape components. '€œIt'€™s an unlimited space to experiment,'€ said Andie. '€œFor example, you can use glass for a stepping stone, or fiber for a water fountain.'€

Your selection of components will shape the stylish and architectural design of your garden, such as how concrete paving or patio will look lovely and cohesive with any minimalist concept.

Color palette

Like a painter, your choosing of colors is as important as the way you brush your paint on your canvas. With that being said, the easiest way to create a scheme is by choosing the right color palette.

In a minimalist garden, it is best to restrict the use of color to make a clean, modern look. Neutral colors, like white, grey or limestone, are a popular choice. To create a rustic scheme, on the other hand, you can use unpainted, corrugated metal panels.

Harmonizing your garden can also be done by using the right colors. Same-colored plants with different sizes put together in a corner give a good harmonious balance.

Materials like tinder and wood came in various colors, so choose wisely and make sure you use the same color-tone materials for your garden.

Artwork

The use of artwork, such as sculpture, water fountains or other accessories is not a must, especially for those who are superstitious. '€œI guess as long as they match the theme,'€ Irvandi said. '€œI don'€™t use sculptures of any kind because by experience, animal sculptures done poorly can make the garden look cheap and unsophisticated, while human-form sculptures are forbidden in my religious belief,'€ he added.

Irvandi also said that minimalist style was about setting boundaries. '€œSo, any artwork should not mess up the minimalist scheme.'€ This is why limiting materials, colors and artwork is important to achieve a clean, simple look. Too much and the garden will feel fussy.

'€œOpt for a minimalist water fountain with a Balinese ethnic design, or simply put a group of rocks as the center of your patio,'€ he said.

Furniture

Naturally, adding furniture will turn your minimalist garden into a comfy spot for your family to have an afternoon siesta. The furniture pieces can be made in the form of wooden sofas, chairs or a simple tinder stool.

If you think having a chair overseeing the garden is too mainstream, blocks of carefully positioned rocks could serve as a decorative element that function well as seats. The possibilities are endless.

Like many delicate things in life, creating your own minimalist garden needs a lot of planning and creativity. However, if you have succeeded in making one, you will have a beautiful, low-maintenance garden well worth your time making.  (Astudestra Ajengrastri)

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