Marie Kondo is famous for her quote about “sparking joy” in your home and creating a meaningful space. Essentially, she helps people declutter and organize their homes based on a Japanese philosophy. However, this philosophy can also translate to the garden.
In her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Kondo writes, “The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” In her newest book, Letter from Japan, she deepens this message, weaving in themes of respect, reuse, and quiet simplicity to guide how we care for our most personal spaces.
Just as an over-cluttered room can feel overwhelming, especially to those of us with anxiety, an overgrown or disorganized garden can have the same effect on a gardener’s energy. Whether you tend to a sprawling backyard bed or a balcony full of your favorite potted plants, applying Kondo’s mindful approach to your outdoor space can transform your garden into a sanctuary that “sparks joy.”
1. Prune with Purpose
Kondo doesn’t advise you to ruthlessly throw out everything; it’s about honoring what matters. She wrote in her first book, “Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.”
That sentiment can directly translate to pruning your garden: remove dead or damaged flowers, or crowded overgrowth. Not to punish the plant, but to allow it to breathe and, in turn, thrive. For pruning, try these Corona Forged Classic Bypass Pruners from Amazon. These are a reliable tool for intentional, clean cuts for both health and aesthetics.
2. Repurpose with Respect
Marie Kondo champions the Japanese idea of mottainai, a regret over waste and a respect for what is already there. In the garden, this can translate to upcycling – looking at old, unused containers, terra-cotta pots, cracked planters, baskets, all the things most of us have lying around in our shed, and asking, “Can this serve a new purpose?”
For example, you can turn old, weathered pots into succulent bowls, or use an old basin for a small herb garden. Not only will this reduce waste, but it also adds meaning, history, and charm to your garden.
3. Make Space that Breathes
Making space that breathes is one of Marie Kondo’s most profound lessons that derives from the Japanese concept of ma. This is the idea that empty space itself holds value. In Letter to Japan, Kondo writes that by embracing ma we can “take a moment to pause and breathe, allowing us to see the spaces we inhabit in a new light.”
In terms of your garden, this can mean resisting the urge to add every single plant you love all in one place. Don’t overcrowd! Leave gaps between plants, allow room for air and light to move, and use mulch to separate and make clear what the open areas are. This will not only improve the health of your plants, but it gives the garden a peaceful, more intentional flow.
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4. Ritualize Your Garden Care
For Marie Kondo, tidying is more than a chore – it’s “an act of care” for your surroundings. Create some simple, joyful rituals that you can complete in your garden each day. Things like pruning, weeding, or just sitting in the space when you don’t have as much energy. Let these moments become part of your self-care ritual, grounding you in the present.
By including Kondo’s philosophy in your garden, you can build more than a neat outdoor space; you build a place for reflection and gratitude. A place that “sparks joy.” As Kondo so eloquently put it, “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” By treating your garden as a living expression of the same question, you’ll discover a cleaner, calmer, more joyful patch of earth.
