Zen Gardens aren't your usual gardens- no flowers or leaves; rocks. Zen Gardens are created by laying a thick layer of gravel on the ground and creating symbols in the gravel with a special rake. All symbols made in the gravel represent water. Large rocks are placed in the gravel to represent large land forms/mountains, or islands, if chosen. Zen Gardens can also contain structures, like stone lanterns. The Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens contains a few Zen Gardens.
How to make your own Zen Garden.
Want to make a peaceful sand garden? Get started!
Materials: 1. Shoebox lid 2. Toothpicks (4-7) 3. Sand, or anything you can grind into a near-powder 4. Glue 5. Rocks/pebbles 6. Parental Permission.
How: 1. Ask a parent before starting. 2. Take your sand, and carefully pour it into the lid. 3. Break 2 toothpicks in half, then take a full toothpick and cut off the points. On the halves, also cut off the points. 4. Squirt a little glue onto a paper plate. Take a full toothpick and get some glue on it. Spread the glue on teh halves, then attatch the halves to the full toothpick with no points. Let dry. 5. While the front part is drying, take the rest of your toothpicks, cut off all the points, and tpe them together. 6. Once the front of the rake it dry, attatch the handle from step 5 to the front of the rake with glue. Let dry. 7. Get creative with your rocks! Remember to have fun!