Rock Raking
Rock racking is one of the most recognizable aspects of a Japanese Garden and Japanese culture. These designed rocks are intended to stimulate meditation and reflection. These areas of rock raking are also known as dry landscapes since they are striped of nature and left with the bare essentials of rock or sand. In the Kay Mcfarland Japanese Garden, the dry landscapes are made of rock to bring out the meaning of life.
The designs are up to the gardener but tend to be scenes of water, islands, and circular motions. Mounds in the rocks symbolize islands with the water surrounding them. Patterns are raked into the stone in the traditional Japanese style with four and eight tined rakes. These rakes were handmade by Rick Knight, the zoo’s horticulturist, and grounds manager.
The rock patterns are redone every few days as the wind, nature, and sadly people disturbed their placement. The constantly changing patterns allow visitors to experience something different each visit. Become a member to visit the garden and experience those changes.
