Zen Gardens

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By Michelle Banner and Veronica Pascucci


 A Zen garden is a stylized landscape element that has its roots in Japanese Zen Buddhism. These gardens usually have very little plant, just thoughtfully placed rocks, grave, sand, and occasionally moss. They are intended to inspire feelings of peace, simplicity, and harmony with the natural world.

Zen garden are created with extreme attention to detail, frequently using sand or gravel that has been gathered to simulate ocean waves or ripples in water. Rocks are arranged in a compositional way to provide balance and focal points. Zen gardens are designed with an emphasis on balance, minimalism, and the beauty of imperfection. 




Zen gardens are made for a variety of purposes, such as contemplation, meditation, and the promotion of awareness and inner calmness. They provide as peaceful havens where people can unwind and ponder, escaping the pressures of everyday life and re-establishing a connection with their inner selves. 

The Zen gardens we created consisted of sand, rakes and other tools to shape them how we wanted, stamps to imprint the sand with pretty designs, and various decorative pieces such as crystals, rocks, shells, and mini plastic trees. 

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