How to Start Your Own Zen Garden: A Simple Guide

Since centuries, the Zen garden has been used as a place of contemplation. Now, in our hectic lives, we still need some time away from modern distractions to contemplate on what’s actually important to us. Here is where Zen gardens or Japanese rock gardens come into the picture. If this is the first time that you're coming across Zen gardens, do read our Introduction to Zen Gardens. So, now where do you start and how do you make your own Zen garden?

Things you need

• Measuring tape
• Sand (use sand that can hold shape) or gravel depending on the size of your garden
• Shovel
• Tamper
• Level
• Two-by-fours in desired lengths or bamboo
• Large stones
• Rake

Steps to follow

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• Measure the area that you require for your garden and mark it off. If you prefer to dig, then mark it off and use a shovel to remove the soil from that area. The area you choose should be simple in shape, so make it square or rectangular.
• Give the space a solid form by the setting up the boundary. Nail together the wooden planks or bamboo. Alternatively, dig out the marked space to a depth of 4 inches.
• If it’s a large space then fill the boundaries with gravel and if it’s a smaller space you can choose to use sand.
• Spread out the gravel or the sand through the space and use a tamper and a level to make sure that it's spread out evenly and packed well.
• Place the rocks that you chose through the garden. It’s always better if you choose rocks that you can connect with or that have a special meaning for you. The garden should be an expression of your relationship with nature so take your time during this activity.
• Now that the rocks are placed, use the rake to create swirls around the rocks and straight lines through the rest of the sand or gravel.

To get the most of your zen garden watch how your patterns transform with the effects of nature. Based on these tiny movements and shifts you can change your designs every day. If your zen garden occupies a large portion of your outdoor space then you can even think of adding other features like lights, Buddha statues and more.

If you don’t have any outdoor space you can even create your own desktop Zen garden by using a ready made box (a cigar box is a good option) or making one yourself.

Line the box so that the sand doesn’t leak out, place pebbles instead of rocks and make your own rake and voila, you’re done!

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