Theme: Layout
Intro: Layout
Exercise: Finding The Path
Nature Spirits: A Home For Nature
Plants: Choosing Plants With Nature
Thriving Garden: Timing
Energy In The Garden: Uncovering Existing Energy
Around The Garden: Dividing Spaces
People In The Garden: A Home For You
What’s Next
Intro: Layout
What goes where? With Nature as our partner, layout is something we do together in the field, in real time, more than a colored drawing done by a professional.
Fortunately for humans, Nature takes on both the overall design and the details of implementing our garden. Who knows better than Nature all that’s inherent in the big picture – all about the millions of elements that affect our garden?
Knowing our intentions for our garden, and the big picture, who better than Nature to lay out the day’s work?
In working with Nature, our task is simply to understand the immediate work in front of us and to carry it out joyfully, according to instruction. As we complete Nature’s to-do list day after day, our gardens unfold in magical ways.
Do not be concerned about tomorrow in the garden; tomorrow will take care of itself – with Nature’s guidance and our good work!
Exercise: Finding The Path
The first step in laying out a garden is to find the pathways. That’s because humans tend to be pretty consistent, and pretty stubborn about how they walk through a space. Even though more square corners are set in concrete every day, I almost never see a human make a square turn.
So, look down – look at the ground in your garden. Be a tracker. Find the pathways in your garden.
Once you’ve identified them, notice that they do a very effective job in dividing your garden into smaller spaces – individual gardens – a sort of informal grid.
This simple step provides a base from which to organize all you do in the garden. It provides structure.
Nature Spirits: A Home For Nature
Since you’ve invited Nature to partner with you in creating your garden, how about giving Nature a little spot all her own? After all, you’ve got the rest of the place!
Nature will appreciate your commitment to setting aside a space in your garden which will be off-limits to all. It doesn’t have to be a big space – just private, peaceful, and dedicated to Nature’s use alone.
Look around your garden. You’ll know the right spot. When you’re connected with Nature, ask to be sure.
I suggest defining the space so that no one else will enter accidently.
Something simple will be fine.
Once you’ve set up your Nature Sanctuary, take a moment to present your gift to Nature. Describe the gift and your commitment to keeping it untouched.
It could be that, down the line, Nature will ask you for some landscaping work in the Sanctuary, such as a adding a crystal or boulder. For the most part, you’ll want to stay out of there, even if you’re tempted to weed or prune.
I like to think of my Nature Sanctuary as a place Nature can retire at the end of a hard day’s work. That’s my story anyway!
Plants: Choosing Plants With Nature
For me, this is where the real fun begins. As a designer and contractor, plant selection was my favorite part of the landscaping process. I’m always curious to see what Nature chooses.
Sometimes, plants show up looking for a home in your garden. Other times you have to rescue them out of someplace they’ve been waiting for you.
I have to take a brief time out for a confession of sorts. I don’t hear Nature talking to me all the time, although I am getting better at it. I don’t use kinesiology the way other co-creative gardeners do to tune into Nature’s messages. I use a pendulum. In the last Learning Lesson, I mentioned that my favorite gardening tool is my brain; most days, I’d rather have my pendulum.
I just want you to know that there are tools available to help you “hear” the “voice” of “Nature.” We won’t take time to get into them – yet. And, for those who aren’t into these sorts of tools, gardening with Nature may give you reason to check them out. I think you’ll be very glad you did. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
When I use my pendulum to figure out what Nature is trying to communicate, the first key is asking the right question. The clearest kind of question is one that produces one of two answers: yes or no.
Many humans these days are experiencing an increase in the strength and efficacy of their intuition. Nature is a powerful communicator – patient and infinitely creative. Paying attention to thoughts, voices, and pictures that pop into your head, seemingly not your own, can provide complicated answers quickly.
So, here’s a list of yes-no questions to provide a template for asking Nature’s help in choosing the right plant for the right spot:
• Are we planting today?
• In the front yard?
• In the back yard?
• Along the path?
• In the herb garden?
• How many plants – one?
• Two?
• Three?
• How many types – one?
• Two?
• Three?
• Are we planting from seed?
• From a container?
• A 4” pot?
• A 1-gallon container?
• Do we have this plant here already?
• Is it at a nursery?
• My favorite nursery on Main Street?
• Should I go now?
• Is there anything else we need to get there?
Now I’m at the nursery and the questions continue:
• Is the plant I’m looking for in this row?
• This row?
• Is it toward the front?
• Is it this one?
• Doesn’t this one look better? (I have to keep Nature on the ball!)
In order to play this out completely, we continue back at home. I’m asking again:
• Do I plant it in the back row?
• Middle row?
• On the left side?
• On the right side?
• Next to that sage?
After setting the plant in place in its container, we continue:
• Right here?
• Move it a little bit to the left?
• To the right?
• Is it oriented properly?
• Are there any special planting instructions?
• Do you want me to use a particular soil mix?
• Do you want me to water it in after planting?
• Is there anything you’d like me to do to complete this planting?
This turns out to be a much different selection and planting experience than most gardeners are used to – whether they read, ask experts, or follow their neighbor’s leads.
After awhile, this goes very quickly. You can sometimes guess what Nature is up to – sometimes you feel it or just know it. But if you don’t check, you’ll find yourself making mistakes. By fully engaging your mind, you can get close enough to eliminate a lot of questions.
I find Nature is quite clear and precise about what is needed and when. The last time I went to the nursery, every time I asked if we should go look at those nice trees over there, or those pretty flowers over there, the answer was “no.” I had a strong feeling Nature was hustling me out of there, wanting me to get home and get the planting done.
It turned out that I needed every minute at home to get my planting done before an unexpected event took me immediately out of the garden. It’s amazing what Nature knows and how wise is her guidance!
Thriving Garden: Timing
Information about when is the best time to plant or harvest has been gathered and passed on since humans began farming. That’s a lot of information!
Frankly, although there are patterns in the information, much of it is too complicated and too conflicting to be of much use.
Are we following the moon? Or do we need to allow for planetary movements as well? What about Sun spots? How does local weather modify our calculations? Does each bit of advice work as well in the shady part of my yard as in the sunny section?
We could listen to our local nursery human, but the store just got in a load of something that’s looking particularly wonderful and so is on special this week only.
We could do our planting next Saturday because that’s the only free day we have in the next four years.
Or, and you’ll be surprised by this idea, we could just ask Nature. It’s nice to know there is one advisor in the group who has a finger on all the data that ever was, is now, and ever will be. This advisor has an agenda of creating the good, the holy, and the beautiful. And this advisor already knows exactly what our desires are for our garden – and all about our schedule and our physical and financial limitations.
So, ask. Do I plant the peas today? Or would next week be better?
Energy in The Garden: Uncovering Existing Energy
Imagine putting on a pair of special energy decoder glasses. These powerful glasses allow you to actually see energy. Let’s go out to the garden and see what energy is there.
Oh, everything in the garden is energy. But each thing looks different. Each kind of thing looks different. The energy of a chair looks different than the energy of an oak, which look different than the energy of your dog racing through the garden.
The energy of each sunflower in the row looks a little different.
The energy in each section of the garden seems to look different.
And you can see energy in places where there is no “thing.” If there’s energy there, could there be some thing there that you just weren’t seeing before?
What’s showing up when you look through your energy decoder glasses is what a symphony would look like if you could see it. A swirling and blending and dancing of energy that makes up a coherent whole – a thing of beauty.
You probably don’t have a pair of special energy decoder glasses up in your attic – I don’t either. Try this: close your eyes. Imagine those glasses are now already on. With your eyes closed, imagine yourself walking into the garden.
What do you see?
Around The Garden: Dividing Spaces
You’ve already identified the pathways around and through your garden, and understand how these pathways divide the big space into little spaces like an informal grid.
Now we can name each space. What’s the important function going on each each space?
Some are obvious: this is the shed garden, this is the patio garden, this is the meditation garden, this is the pool garden. I refer to each as a garden because, in almost every case, even though there’s something happening in the space, if you treat it as an individual garden, you can enhance it by bringing Nature into it. Every shed deserves its vine.
Some spaces in your garden may not have a name yet. They’re waiting for one – to give them a purpose. Why not ask Nature for guidance?
• Would this be a good space for the herb garden?
• Would this be a good space for the sandbox garden?
• Would this be a good space for the greenhouse garden?
You get the idea. Besides knowing what each space is about, by giving each a name, you’re developing a common language with Nature. When you ask about the rock garden, everybody will know what you’re talking about.
People in The Garden: A Home For You
When humans look at gardens, that’s two-dimensional. When we go out into the garden, that’s three-dimensional. When we work with Nature in the garden, we’re in multi-dimensional territory.
It’s nice to have a place inside where you can look out on a perfect view of your garden. It’s nice to have a place outside in the garden where you can enjoy looking around. Let’s not stop there.
When I walk into the garden, I become the garden. Everything there is alive and interacting – and I’m joining the action. I’m home. I’m part of Nature too.
Each plant knows me, and I know them. We’re connected. And we’re connected on levels we don’t fully understand and can’t fully appreciate.
When I’m in the garden, the conversation is flying.
And so is the healing. We’re not just exchanging chitchat – we’re exchanging energy. As the energy in my garden thrives, I thrive. This is the purpose of a home – to nurture your spirit.
What’s Next
If you look below, you’ll see I’ve included some resources to support you as you develop your understanding and practice of the new gardening paradigm. Please don’t overwhelm yourself. The idea is that plenty of good work proceeds what we’re doing here. We’re simply pulling together pieces that already work into a way of being with Nature that’s appropriate for our world today.
In the next Learning Lesson, we hit the dirt. Gardening is no fun until you get dirty!
We’ve laid the foundation; now let’s get into the nitty-gritty. We’ll look at soil and planting, and try to make sense out of what we already think we know about dirt.
Until then, hug a tree.
Peace,
Rog
Resources
You are never alone. Now is a good time to meet some of our friends.
Here’s a list of resources covering some of the main ideas and tools of our new gardening paradigm.
Who else is gardening in this manner?
Findhorn: The book that got me started on the path – The Magic of Findhorn, by Paul Hawken
Perelandra: A modern workbook – Perelandra Garden Workbook: A Complete Guide to Gardening with Nature Intelligences, by Machaelle Small Wright
Where do I get help with applied kinesiology?
• Both books above talk about applied kinesiology. The Perelandra book provides substantial help.
• Good old Wikipedia provides some background information
• A nice demonstration on YouTube
Where do I get help with dowsing?
• Here are a couple articles on my healing website: Dowsing and Dowsing Perfection
• Letter to Robin, the classic for beginning dowsers
• The American Society of Dowsers website
