How to Build a Zen Sand Garden

A zen garden with components of sand, a few stones and a rake can bring an air of tranquility to the yard. These gardens are used to destress and bring peace -- simply rake the sand in patterns, focusing on the sand, and stresses wash away. You can build a zen sand garden in your yard with light-colored sand or fine gravel, a few large stones and a rake.

Tape measure
2- by 4-inch boards
Miter saw
Carpenter's nails
Hammer
Roll of weed barrier or landscaping cloth
Light-colored granite sand or fine gravel
Visually interesting stones
Garden rake

Instructions

- 1
  Locate a flat area of your yard suitable for a zen garden. Determine how much of this space you would like to use for the garden and whether you'd like a square or rectangular garden. Use a tape measure if necessary.
- 2
  Cut the boards to the appropriate lengths to frame your zen garden. Use a miter saw to make the cuts.
- 3
  Place the edge of one board at a 90-degree angle to another and nail the ends together using a hammer. Continue securing the ends to one another until you have built a rectangular or square frame.
- 4
  Roll the landscaping cloth out on the ground, ideally on a driveway or flat surface. Set the frame on top of the cloth. Trim around the frame using scissors, leaving a 1- or 2-inch overlap on all sides. Staple the cloth to the wood all around the frame, securing it to help keep the sand from falling out later.
- 5
  Set the zen-garden frame in its chosen location in the yard. Pour in the sand, smoothing it out with the rake as you go, until there is 1 to 2 inches of sand in the entire structure.
- 6
  Set a few visually interesting stones in the garden. Rake the garden into wave-like patterns or straight lines to create a zen effect.

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