As above, so below. We are simply a mirror image of each other, the land and us. That connection is deep and mysterious, and only becomes apparent upon close observation and contemplation. We have objectified most of our land; used and abused it. Land is the embodiment of feminine energy, and our treatment of it reflects the way women have become o

Cleared land is like a mirror: it reflects the love and attention it receives from us. Children, in large part, develop their self-image through their interactions with their parents. In the same way, if land receives the message that it is valued only as long as it looks pretty, it will try to contort itself to wear those ill-fitting garments you

In the Islamic tradition, the word ‘garden’ carried a different meaning than it did in the West. In India, Persia and the Arab countries, gardens were actually magnificent rugs, each imbued with specific intentions. They were rolled out so that people could sit on them to meditate and journey to heaven, which was understood to be an inward experien

In order to manifest something, you need to imagine that your wish has already come to fruition, otherwise you are holding the vision for it in the future. The present is where and when the gift should arrive. Saying thank you for your desired outcome, rather than wishing for it, is the best way around this.

could sense the energy of love in those places, but it was conditional love. The land was loved, as long as it stayed contorted in the way the garden designer had decided it should look. It was not allowed to be itself.

But surely this is better than suffocating the land with concrete and herbaceous borders? That method tends to be fast and convenient, and may be more accepted by our culture and the gardening industry, but it doesn’t encourage an intimate relationship between you and the land – or any connection at all, for that matter.

Co-creating a garden with nature involves lots of listening. Careful observation and understanding about which plants the land is willing to support, and which ones it isn’t. This is key. The aim is to achieve harmony and balance. Working with rather than against your land is vital, your overall goal being to restore health to the land.

colourful band of warrior women were stoically standing

They were referred to as ‘sacred places’;