Zen gardens have been cultivated by monks from Japan for centuries to help them reach a state of meditation. People all over the globe now have the ability to create Japanese-inspired gardens. They can also rake the gravel and sand into beautiful patterns. Learn how to rake a garden in the water drop pattern, which is one of the most popular patterns. Once you have the basics down, you can start to experiment with different patterns or make your own. You will soon feel calm as you continue to practice this ancient art.

Take out any leaves or sticks to make your garden flat. This will allow your design to stand out. You can grab a few leaves with your hands if they are scattered. It will be easier to use the broom if there are many leaves.

Use a metal rake to smoothen the gravel or sand so that the pattern is visible. To smoothen the gravel to an even thickness, use a fine-toothed rake made of metal. There shouldn't be any sloping or mounding in the gravel. Your design will cover the lines that the metal rake makes in gravel. [2]

Most gardening shops will sell a metal rake.

Pick a design that best reflects your garden's most important features. Consider the garden's elements. Are there large stones in the garden? A tree? A walkway? These elements should be included in your design.

Before you begin raking, it is important to know what your pattern will be. It's important to have a pattern in mind before you start raking.
One of the most popular methods is the water drop wave pattern. In Japanese, it's maru-uzumon. It has straight lines that run across the entire garden. Then, it is broken up by circles that trace around the large stones. The circles give the illusion of water ripples.

Use the long-toothed, wooden rake to rake straight lines through the gravel and sand. Begin on one side of your garden, and then move the rake straight up to the other. Turn around and rake along your lines. [5]

This wide-toothed wooden garden rake is unique from other gardening rakes. The teeth are long and spaced apart to make deep grooves in the gravel or sand. A wooden rake can be purchased at most garden shops or online specifically for Japanese gardening.
Be careful not to step on the lines! You can always go back with the wooden rake to make sure you don't step on your lines.

Grab your rake and go over large garden items or stones. Keep raking on the opposite side. Continue raking until the entire garden is in straight lines. [6]

To avoid walking on your lines, you should always get up to the garden's edge. For more detail visit https://www.greenleaftreesurgeons.com/