How To Create Miniature Zen Rock Garden

You do not have to be a Buddhist to enjoy a rock garden inspired by a Zen. A Zen garden is a type of “dry landscape” that has been appreciated in Japan for many centuries. Flowers are rare in a Zen garden; instead, garden designers rely on muted colour schemes intended to relax the mind. It is a place where simple, natural elements are valued over complicated construction. Every aspect of a Zen garden should have meaning, and the overall effect should create a harmony that appeals to everyone who visits the garden. The dominant elements of Zen garden are stone, sand and gravel,
If you are in very tight budget, you can consider creating a miniature Zen rock garden. You can reduce the cost by scaling down the size. All you need to do is capturing the serenity of a traditional Zen garden. Regardless the size of your Zen garden, you must portray simplicity of quite meditation. Creating miniature Zen rock garden can be done on containers. Principally, the process of building a Zen garden incorporates the different elements and raking the sand provides a meditative experience. Here are the steps of creating miniature Zen garden.
•Select a garden container that is at least 2 inches deep. Miniature Zen gardens are usually rectangular. Clean your garden container, inside and out, with a rag, warm water and dishwashing detergent. If you are using a wooden box, do not get it too wet. Dry the container thoroughly.
•Fill the garden container half full with sand, so that it’s 1 inch deep. Fine sand will give a smoother-look to the garden, while coarser grains of sand will hold the patterns well.
•Place the rocks and stones, called “ishi” in Japanese landscaping, in the container. Choose rocks and stones that are tall and vertical, low and flat or have an arch in them. Place the rocks and stones in a group of three to form a triad.
•Introduce a water element, “mizu”, into your garden. You can place a small mirror or a flat rock on the sand to represent water. Alternatively, placing a small bridge over sand raked into lines also symbolizes water. If you have a small container of a natural material, use that to hold water and introduce the actual element into your design.
•Place ornaments, “tenkebutsu,” in your miniature Zen garden to add architectural interest. Use a simple tea candle to add the element of light and to tie into the stone lanterns often found in full-size Zen gardens. If you have any small objects, crystals or even pieces of jewellery that have meaning for you, place them in the container. Do not introduce too many ornaments, just feature one or two, leaving plenty of unadorned sand.
•Smooth out the sand with an old credit card or piece of card. Traditionally, Zen gardeners create patterns around the objects in the garden, forming a seascape with the rocks and ornaments as islands in the sea. Create your own sand patterns with the fork or comb, or use a chopstick to draw shapes in the sand