How to Make Fake Rocks for a Zen Garden

Put on work gloves and a construction mask.

Create the mold for the artificial rock by shaping chicken wire and stuffing it with plastic grocery bags or any other type of lightweight material to give it body and strength. Alternatively, glue sheets of Styrofoam together for bulk, and carve your artificial rock with a sharp knife. Choose shapes that enhance the peaceful atmosphere of a Zen garden.

Make the hypertufa material by placing 1 part Portland cement into a large mixing container. A wheelbarrow works well for this. To this add 1 part sand. Mix this and add 1 part peat. Stir this well, adding enough water to make a very thick but moldable paste. The exact amount of water will vary.

Trowel the hypertufa onto the mold, covering the mold completely. Apply enough hypertufa to give the resulting artificial rock stability. Smaller rocks will only need a couple of inches, but larger rocks require several more inches. Experience will teach you how much to use with different sizes.

Dab the hypertufa with a textured material such a natural sea sponge, bubble wrap, an old shoe brush or any other item that adds interesting depth. This gives the hypertufa a natural, weathered look, which is a pleasing aspect in Zen gardens.

Place your project in a black plastic lawn bag.

Cure or harden the hypertufa by allowing it to dry underneath the plastic covering for two or three days.

Remove the cured hypertufa from the black plastic. Paint it if desired or leave it natural, however you feel it adds best to the ambiance of your Zen garden.