Stage 2: Placing the Rocks |
|
![]() |
After the wall was sealed work was needed on the soil. The ground needed to be flattened, and a top layer of soil removed. Here Patrick, Rinsan, and Hoben do this during sesshin. Patrick was recently elected as the new president of ZCO. It's nice to see a president who's willing to work hard and get dirty! |
![]() |
In preparation for the garden, 90 azaleas were purchased and placed outside the zendo. Once the rocks and trees are in place, and the soil made ready for them, they will be planted. |
![]() |
Here's the garden with the soil prepared ready for the rocks. The tree is a flowering cherry. |
![]() |
The rocks were delivered in two sizes. The smaller size is pictured here. |
![]() |
To help us with this crucial stage, Toru Tanaka came to work with us. Toru, who designed the garden, was a joy to work with. He was energetic and fearless, and inspired us all to relish the process of creating the garden. |
![]() |
In order to move the large rocks into the garden a pathway for the tractor had to be created. Toru asked for "Junky wood" for this purpose. Luckily we had just cleaned and organized all our scrap wood during the sesshin held the week before, so it was relatively easy to find enough wood for the job. |
![]() |
DeAnne and Diane, thanks for helping! |
![]() |
![]() |
Toru selected the big rocks he wanted to place in the garden, and they were collected by the tractor and a lot of hard work. Dustin and Evan lever a rock into place. |
|
![]() |
Here are the rocks lined up by the garden waiting to be placed. Toru is entertaining three young guests in the background. |
![]() |
Each rock was attached to the bucket of the tractor with a cable. |
![]() |
The rock was lifted... |
![]() |
...and driven over the pathway to the wall. |
![]() |
This was a dramatic moment, as the tractor's back right tire came off the ground. (He's actually in front of the wall that seems to be under the tire.) |
![]() |
Toru rotated each rock to the best position... |
![]() |
...and Hogen in the tractor gently lowered it into place. |
![]() |
In all there were 9 big rocks placed in the lower section of the garden, either in the courtyard or on the wall. |
|
|
Toru called them the "Nine Dragons". |
![]() |
Then three more rocks were placed on the upper section of the garden. |
![]() |
![]() |
The last job of the day was to plant the flowering cherry tree. |
|
![]() |
Getting the rocks into place was a huge job, and we were all happy to have it done.
Thanks to everyone who put in so much hard work! |