So you’re building a Japanese garden. It would be great if you could check out a Japanese garden in your town, even if you’ve never seen one in Japan itself. That way you’ll get a better idea of how a Japanese garden looks. But if you don’t have a zen garden in your place, don’t worry. Just use photos instead. There are plenty on the Internet.

The sand gardens are dry landscape gardens. There is no water and hardly any plants in this type of garden. Water, plants and mountains are all represented in these gardens using different elements. The Zen monks created these gardens in order to meditate inside their temples and shrines.

Japanese zen buddhists think of sand gardens as being helpful in meditation. To the rest of us, this is a beautiful work of art. Gardens are easy to create using molds made of wood or railway ties. You must keep the garden neat and tidy. The true appeal of a zen garden comes from the Japanese penchant for neatness in every aspect of life. You should make sure there are no weeds, dirt or grime.

Adding pretty rocks make your zen garden appealing. When you look at the clean lines of your Japanese garden, your mind is calm and at peace. Pick stones for their beauty or artistic appeal, or even if they are merely interesting. Place them in sand, with a little bit over the stone too. Add some moss covered logs, green gravel and a few patterns can be drawn in it for added appeal.

It is important to rake the sand garden daily. One is to keep it clean and second the different patterns make them interesting. The patterns represent water flowing. How you rake it shows whether the water is placid or rippling or flowing in a particular direction. Japanese garden photos are interesting aids in creating your own gardens at home.

Learn all about Japanese garden designs and Japanese gardens pictures at Ariana’s website.