The Garden Awakening: Designs to nurture our land and ourselves

If we all sit up and take notice, “believe in fairies” and encourage the life energy to emerge in every piece of land we work with, we can infuse our homes, our families and ourselves with the healing, magical energy of the earth.

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

If you explore the world of sacred geometry, I guarantee you will be amazed at the beauty and harmony that exists in the shapes and patterns of all things.

They were referred to as ‘sacred places’;

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

colourful band of warrior women were stoically standing

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.

Gardening like this involves having an intimate relationship with nature. No college degree is necessary; in fact, for this type of garden it is probably a waste of time, as formal schooling may actually block your ability to hear the subtle voices of the land.