Many years ago, when China was a forbidden country, one of my customers suffered acute appendicitis while on assignment there. Surgery was required. An instructor sat by his side teaching him a method of self-hypnosis. During surgery he was awake, no anesthetics and felt no pain. Upon his return to the States he wrote widely of his experience. This is when I began my search for a teacher of meditation and self-hypnosis. And, as the Yoga saying goes..."when you are ready, the teacher will appear". What is overlooked in general overviews of Zen gardens is the understanding that the act of maintaining the garden itself is a form of meditation. One can meditate anywhere and also in any type of garden. Slow down, see the light and shadow, feel the sun's warmth, the evergreen branch bowed with snow, the tactile touch of mulch running through your fingers, listen to the sound of shovel on stone, rake on gravel.

Hello from Melbourne, FL. This is my first day on this site, about what size gravel to use in a Japanese Garden. I'm also in the process of about starting one in the front entrance courtyard. This is what I found some years ago: The following is from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record, Plants & Garden 1961-62 (new series vol. 17 no. 4) The "Sand Gardens" Of Japan ...there are centuries-old "abstract" gardens in Japan in which sand or gravel are used more frequently, because it can be raked in meaningful patterens. In constructing the replica of the Ryoanji Temple Stone Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the gravel problem required a satisfactory solution. Washed gravel cannot satisfactorry be raked into surface patterens. Crushed gravel of uniformly-sized particles can be raked into patterens, but if it it is to hold the pattern and at the same time present a satisfactory appearance (texture, light and shadow, etc.), it is necessary to combine two or three sizes of gravel particles. After several experiments, it was found that poultry grit from the North Carolina Granite Corporation, Mt Airy, NC came closet to giving the effect obtained by the Japanese in their Ryoanji Garden in Kyoto. Of the many size combinations we tested, one of the best proved to be: 2 parts "Grower" size 1 part "Turkey" size 1 part "Turkey Finisher" The different sizes were thoroughly mixed, applied evenly over a flat surface, and raked into a the "wavelet" pattern. The mixture can be recommended both for texture and holding quality. The wavelet pattern holds its form for several weeks, depending on the weather. While mixtures with a higher percentage of small grit held the pattern very satisfactory, they were chaclky in appearance and did not resemble the orginal Ryoanji mix. --- Landon H. Winchester, (Assistant Horticulturist, Brooklyn Botanic Garden). I added the following: http://www.ncgranite.com/gritmailer.pdf grower: 3/32 - 3/16 inch (2.3813 - 4.7625 mm) turkey: 5/16 - 7/16 inch (7.9375 - 11.1125 mm) turkey finisher: 7/16 - 5/8 inch (11.1125 - 15-8725 mm) Here is a link that might be useful: Gran-i-grit broucher

You might post on the Landscape Design or on Japanese Gardening forum. Best luck!

I hope you don’t mind me playing around with the image (I’m not a pro) ... I added river rock, stacked boulders, decorative pot (for a sculptural look), ornamental grasses, Lantana, and an idea for a low ground cover (front corner). I don’t know what plants do best in your area, a good nursery will. This isn’t an idea set in stone (heh), just to give a visual idea of a minimal look. I personally think a tree there would be too much. I like how your house is framed by mature and lush plantings — it’s attractive and provides nice borders with neighbors. I think a simple, Xeri/zen area just in the front there would compliment your house well and be a nice contrast with everything else. (The bed between the driveway and walk seems overgrown, are you wanting to change it, too? I think low growing plants would be better there.)