Sacred Garden Designs

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Permalink Reply by Mare Cromwell on May 5, 2009 at 7:08pm

Hi MIchelle,
It's my sense that most Sacred Gardens are round, this is to facilitate the movement of energy.. as CIRCLES are the easiest way for energy to move...

And since I study with a Cherokee teacher, I see my round garden as an altar with the four directions laid out in stones with a stone in the center.. this makes the energy much stronger and really helps the plants grow since they love such an energy field to grow within... If you want to see a design for a Medicine Garden, you can go to my blog at:

http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/41109-latest-medicine-...
http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/the-scooby-doo-garden-...

We were calling the garden the Scooby-Doo garden... at first. Thanks to drawing the design out on the back of a Scoobydoo cartoon coloring sheet at Friendly's Restaurant (over a late breakfast!).

okay, gotta run.
m

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Permalink Reply by Beva on May 6, 2009 at 7:04am

Ha, ha! They choose me... I am just the vehicle for how they move from one place to another!
Choosing the space is also a case of- I am the muscles that they need to be born... so when I set the intention for a new Medicine Wheel or garden, if it is meant to be... then it all flows along very smoothly. All needed ingredients will suddenly come to the forefront. Some people use dowsing methods to choose Sacred space. I use "sensing", and then when I find a spot that I think/feel is correct, I have an amethyst crystal pendulum that I dowse the place with.. and often it will help me to adjust location and position.

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Permalink Reply by Mare Cromwell on May 7, 2009 at 6:28pm

Hi Beva,
I love what you wrote here... Clearly gardening by our senses and our intuition is a very spiritual practice. This is how I know what new plant gifts (ie.. volunteers) are meant to stay in a bed or not stay in my gardens... I know that some are definitely gifts from the wee people or Earth Mother, or whatever term a person chooses to use.. or just 'nature' -- such as last year I had a foxglove appear out of nowhere. And an ornamental tobacco/nicotiana.. in a sweet box garden that I've got on a wood wall. I did not plant either of them.. and they are both quite visible to where I walk and cook in my kitchen.

I love these little gifts and enhancements to my garden and they help remind me that the garden is truly a partnership with other forces in nature and I'm not a dominant, autocratic being in my yard. Rather a humbling, fun way to be with teh plants... I could go on and on...

Such as the iris corm that just appeared one spring day on my front steps. That was pretty wild. I planted it and now it's been growing for about 6 years and turns out to be an iris that dates to colonial days. Go figure. Where it came from, I can only guess... ;~)

here's to gardening in partnership... ;~)
mare
ps. I love that you dowse.. I've focused on just learning to tune in... it takes a long time but well worth learning to listen to those instincts.

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Permalink Reply by Kristina Cranston on May 6, 2009 at 1:20pm

Hi Everyone. I too usually choose a circle design. I also incorporate a lot of stones, all kinds. Flat river stones work well for beautiful paths and l always use larger stones from my property to boarder the garden. This year my husband rototilled a square plot and fenced it to keep critters out. So I am still trying to create a vision in my mind of how to soften the square....circular rows will help along with larger growth plants in the corners, we'll see how it turns out. I also like the idea of an alter in the center, something very simple ( a stone, a stump to sit upon, a special plant, or a bowl with fun collections from my kids that are from nature so are weather resistant like pebbles, pine cones, nuts, feathers, etc. I will also tie the Four Directions flags in the poles and smudge my garden down. What I have found most useful is....finding the spot, work with what I have on hand, and allowing for some flexibility (especially when there is something that is best worked around, like a stubborn stump), and finally....get creative! I am not a painter or a sculptor, but I love to garden; so this is my canvass for creativity as well as productivity!

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Permalink Reply by Mare Cromwell on May 7, 2009 at 6:32pm

Hi Kristina,

Actually all shapes have circles in them. Squares. Triangles etc. On my blog, you'll see that we have a weird "L" shaped bed and we're creating 4 circles in it... with various corners for potato condos and herbs, strawberries etc. (still figuring out what will go in the corners.)

as for the stones.. you can always make them into altars in the garden.. it's rather simple.. just place stones at the four directions and one in the center and then ask Earth Mother and Creator/God to bless the space and ask teh stones to move their energy together for your garden's blessing. Stones love to be asked to help.. if they give you the permission to use them.. (most do... ;~)

But I love your attitude.. I mean.. gardening is all about creativity.. and the plants are rather creative themselves.. for sure! Each tomato is a creation.. ;~)

your garden sounds beautiful..
mare

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Permalink Reply by Mare Cromwell on May 7, 2009 at 6:34pm

oh, meant to say more about the stones. They are so ancient and dense.. they hold energy better than wood and other materials.. that is why they are particularly useful for making the four directions and center of an altar...

The stones in a Zen garden actually hold the energy there quite amazingly but most people are not aware of the significance of stones doing that... rather a subtle thing...
-m

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Permalink Reply by JC on May 9, 2009 at 3:51am

cool

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Permalink Reply by Kristina Cranston on May 9, 2009 at 12:44pm

Lots of information, thanks! When I have time I'll actually look into some of this.....

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Permalink Reply by Michelle W. Flannery on May 16, 2009 at 12:32pm

Here's a naturally occurring garden design.
A Fairy Circle.
Patty's got the scent of a fairy over by the tree.

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Permalink Reply by JC on May 17, 2009 at 11:16am

Lovely, I am more into the "magical" type of yardening myself.

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Permalink Reply by Mare Cromwell on July 30, 2009 at 9:52am

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know that I posted more about the design of medicine wheel gardens and using the number 13 as a way to more powerfully energize the garden, at my blog:
http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/sacred-gardening-in-th...

If anyone wants to read more... ;~)

Also, posted something about Animal medicine and encountering turtles while outside - and their relationship with Earth Mother. That posting is http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/turtles-ogden-nash-ear...

Happy healing gardening to all!
mare

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