How to Make Fake Rocks for a Zen Garden
A Zen garden brings out the calming influences of symmetry, fluidity and repeated patterns through the use of natural materials such as sand and water and by the incorporation of flora and fauna in a pleasing way. Rocks, from small pebbles to large boulders, play a part in creating the Zen garden, but larger rocks are difficult to move in and out of place. Many gardeners construct lighter weight fake rocks, sometimes called hypertufa, to accent their rock gardens, koi ponds, pathways and other Zen spaces. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- Construction mask
- Plastic grocery bags
- Chicken wire
- Styrofoam
- Household glue
- Sharp knife
- Mixing container
- Portland cement
- Sand
- Peat
- Water
- Trowel
- Sea sponge
- Bubble wrap
- Black plastic lawn bags
Instructions
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Put on work gloves and a construction mask.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Place your project in a black plastic lawn bag.
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Cure or harden the hypertufa by allowing it to dry underneath the plastic covering for two or three days.
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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.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace chicken wire with a small-grid mesh wire if desired.
Actual recipes for hypertufa vary but generally employ a mix of Portland cement, water and various aggregates that create low-weight bulk and stability to the finished product.
If you've never made fake rocks before, practice first by creating a few small ones to get acquainted with the process.
Shape fake rocks any way you desire, and size them to complement your other Zen garden elements.
Fake rocks that will be used around water must be cured and hardened in a very slow process if plants or fish are nearby. The goal is to avoid the leaching of lime, which is dangerous to some plants and to koi and other fish. Cure this hypertufa by constructing the fake rock in a place where there are no breezes or drafts to dry your artificial rock too fast. Cover it with the black plastic as usual, but uncover and mist the artificial rock every day. Continue this process for a month -- the longer, the better. Then, if it is small enough, submerge it under water for three days to give any residual lime an opportunity to leach out. Use a fresh supply of water each day.
References
- University of Illinois Extension: Hypertufa
- Global DIY: How to Make Artificial Rock over Wire Frames
- The Artistic Garden: Start With One Of These Hypertufa Recipes
- Alpine Garden Society: Easy Ways with Hypertufa
- The Artistic Garden: Curing Hypertuf for Success
- The Artistic Garden: Hypertufa & Concrete Faux Rocks
