Homemade zen garden a perfect Mother’s Day treat

A MOTHER has so many roles. She can be a best friend, a shoulder to cry on and a problem solver.

“Mom” is basically a job description. Always on her feet, mom deserves to be spoiled – so why not treat her with a gift that can relieve some of that stress.

This homemade zen garden is the perfect Mother’s Day gift to keep mom feeling calm, cool and collected when she is under pressure.

This is what you will need:

Some wood, cut into pieces (4 x 24.3cm and 3 x 21cm) Wood glue/nails and a hammer Zen garden sand/fine white sea sand Some black decorative stones Different succulents and/or air plants Small stones Potting mix Weed barrier cloth, cut to the size of the inside of the box A pencil or pen

Here’s what to do:

Before starting, varnish the four longer pieces of wood to create the four sides of the box.

Once the varnish is dry, you can help your kiddies to assemble the box.

Glue the four pieces of wood together to create a square, with the ends sticking out, approximately 1cm from each edge.

Make sure the smaller pieces of wood can be glued snugly to the inside pieces, forming the base of the box, with drainage spaces in-between them.

Once the glue is dry, and the pieces of wood are firmly stuck together, place the weed barrier cloth into the box.

Make sure you tuck the cloth corners for a neater finish.

Let your kids fill the box with potting mix, stopping a few centimetres before the rim of into the the box. Then let them plant the Gaura in the middle, making sure the roots are nicely covered.

Place the rest of the plants around the centre plant, to make a pretty display.

Get your kiddies to lay a thin layer of stones above the cloth, and follow this with a thick layer of potting mixture, leaving about 2cm or 3cm for the fine sand.

Help your kids remove the plants from the containers they were purchased in and plant them in the soil, ensuring you cover all the roots.

Fill the remaining space of the box with the fine sand. Push it into all corners of the box until you can’t see the potting mixture peeking through.

Finally, get creative and place the air plants and decorative stones around the box.

With a pencil you (or your children) can sketch out the word “Mom” in the the sand, along with drawings of some decorative spirals for a final touch of love and ultimate zen.