How to Make a Desk Top Zen Garden
People conceived Zen gardens centuries ago in Japan as a way of relieving stress. Most people don't have a lot of time to devote to gardening or stress-relieving activities, so try ridding the mind of turmoil by bringing a Zen garden right to your desk. In spite of the name, a desk top Zen garden contains no living things, so even a brown thumb can enjoy this project. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a tray for your desk top Zen garden. You can use metal or wood, but the tray must be shallow and small enough to fit comfortably on your desk. A wooden serving tray works well.
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Fill the tray with white sand to ½ inch of the top. The sand is symbolic of water. Purchase deluxe playground sand, which workers screen and filter to remove debris.
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Add some decorative rocks to the garden to symbolize mountains. Go with odd numbers rather than even number for the most visually pleasing display.
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Keep at least one miniature rake beside the garden. You can find these in a hobby store that sells miniature collectibles. You can use the rakes to create ripples in the sand that mimic water ripples.
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Replace the rocks or choose a different color of sand as it suits your mood. Flow and change are Zen concepts and your garden shouldn't feel stagnant.
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Maintain your desk top Zen garden. Wash the dust off the rocks once a month, and change the sand twice a year to prevent dust buildup.
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Tips & Warnings
You shouldn't have more than 5 rocks unless your tray is quite large.
