I have an atrium that is the first thing that you see when you enter my 1972 house in Tempe, AZ. Views of the atrium are from the combination living room and dining room on the east side and the master bedroom on the north side . I love to open the atrium doors in the spring and fall for cross ventilation. When it rains, I can close off the louvered roof keeping most of the rain out of the atrium. I can also direct the sunlight by directing the louvers of the roof in any direction. A few years after I moved into the house, I had new windows installed during which the contractor found termites. $25,000 later with a new solar-powered louvered rooftop, six new support beams, new stuccoed walls, new windows, and two new French doors, I am considering making the space into a Zen garden. The dilemma - there are only three pockets of soil currently with a large slab of concrete providing the bulk of the flooring. Designers are suggesting that I remove the concrete slab so that I could plant a hybrid form of grass, heavenly bamboo, and other greenery in the soil instead of using ceramic pots. Is that a good idea given that I have had termites? Could I install some type of concrete curbing around the base to prevent termites? I have many Asian accessories in my living room and dining room, so a Zen garden would follow the Asian theme. What are your thoughts?