Created as a spot for meditation and contemplation, Zen Gardens are primarily composed of rocks and sand. The sand used here is finely crushed gravel from Kyoto, Japan. Sand often represents water in Japanese Rock gardens; while its surface motifs, meticulously drawn with a rake, symbolize ripples and waves. Carefully selected rough and natural stones are planted solidly in the ground to evoke mountains or even islands. The stones used here are peridotite, from the asbestos mines of Thetford, Quebec.