The first insight came at the depths of my frustration with humanity. Have you noticed an increase in the level of insanity around you? I sure have. I never thought or believed that things were working too well with humans – either individually or collectively. But recently, I see things growing much worse.

I’ve been searching for a context for living my life – something bigger and better than playing some role in this human game. As I expressed my frustration with some dear friends, I found myself saying that one good thing about being human is experiencing Nature – because Nature gets it right.

It dawned on me later that evening that I am Nature – that Nature can serve as  the context for living my life. I’m happy to give up the idea of being human as the pinacle of my existence in form and seek my role in Nature. That feels good.

I was reminded of a message I received on a hike one day. I was glorifying in Nature and this strong feeling of how connected everything around me appeared. I expressed my amazement and wonder at this beautiful connectedness and the way everything cooperated. To my surprise, Nature answered: “You are part of this too!”

I didn’t know what to make of it at the time – it just felt great to be acknowledged as part of this undescribably whole. Now it’s getting clearer.

The second shift is away from Gardening With Nature. The purpose of this website has been to advocate for a new gardening paradigm – moving beyond gardening against Nature and gardening like Nature to a co-creative partnership with Nature. It’s time for a new paradigm: Gardening AS Nature.

As we move forward together, I’ll be exploring this idea of living in the context of Nature and writing about what’s showing up for me.  I’m excited by this uncharted territory. Maybe I’ll even find some charts to share with you!

Today, I brought in the hose and hooked her up. Then, I blessed the water. I was glad to acknowledge the importance of the life water brings to the garden.

I was already wet and muddy and that felt good. I watered some thirsty agaves and was glad to feel the rejuvenation of the garden beginning anew.

Then we made two lines in the soil. First, I needed a drawing tool, and was led to the two-year old flower stalk of a yucca near the garden. It practically jumped off the yucca and into my hand.

The two lines were not anything I anticipated – that’s ok – Nature is designing this garden! When that was completed, I brought out the seed I had been led to stow in my pocket. I dug three little trenches with my fingers and planted three seeds in each. And covered them lightly.

That’s it. I think the Deva of the garden is teaching me how to work with her and I am glad.

Joyce and I were drawn outside to see what was up. There, holding firmly to a branch, we found this one:

This picture is not bad – you don’t see the transparency of her wings. She amazed us. And, she was absolutely patient with me as I grabbed the camera, snapped away, and even set off the flash.  She just held her pose.

What a gift to be drawn outside at just the right moment, to just the right spot to witness this beautiful creature! Thank you Nature!

Today’s gardening was accomplished from the big leather chair in our living room where I do thinkin – it’s where I go to meditate and communicate with Spirit. No dirt – no shovels.

My first exercise involved imagining flowers and vegetables – just fleeting images of life in the garden. It felt like I was getting tuned up.

Next I was aided in identifying the plant spirits of my acquaintence who will be joining me in c0-creating this garden. Then I made a list of all those spirits who already manifest in the garden. You’ll be interested in that list:

I acknowledged each of them for their work – past, present, and future. I stated my intention to pay attention to them as we move forward. It made me realize, once again, the huge presence of life connected to just this little patch of land. I felt respect.

Then I made a list of the kinds of “actions” I’ll be taking as we co-create. This list is a bit different than my previous gardening list.

There may be more, but for now, this is plenty. I gives me a feel for what I’ll be doing in addition to my physical actions. Fun stuff.

I did receive information about next steps and an idea that we’ll be scattering a bunch of pots and rocks among the plantings. I also get that I’ll be paying careful attention to water – both the water itself and the way it’s applied – ie, no hose in this garden.

My last step is to write this blog – a real web log of what’s happening. Just another great day in the garden!

This time, Nature has proposed an all-or-nothing gardening adventure on our 25′x30′ fenced plot. That means, I surrender – Nature runs the show. Our idea is for me to experience and understand the new paradigm at a new level. I can ask all the questions I like, but it’s Nature’s Way or no way for this garden.

We started yesterday. Nature had me drawing the entry gate and fence, and adding a single clay pot to the right of the gate. Today, I put the correct pot in the indicated spot and leveled it. That’s it.

I also received the following message, which I’m happy to pass along to you:

A Sacred Garden is any place where Nature and humans co-exist in conscious connection.

Conscious connection means deliberate harmony and balance.

When communication is alive and Spirits unite with a common purpose all interactions result in abundant growth. When you reach out to Nature Spirits they respond in ways you cannot fathom.

We invite all humans to join with us in creating Sacred Space.

I am not alone. I’m surrounded by beings just like me – plants of my type and other types – living together  - touching – moving together in the breeze.

Bugs are all around me. Ants and beetles and lady bugs crawl around and over me – bees dance in my flowers – some bugs are very tiny – some are very large.

My roots spread into the ground. There, they interact with millions of micro-organisms – a very alive and active group – living all around me, on me, and inside me. Worms and other creatures are here too.

My life is active and exciting – always changing – always growing. I’m in constant contact with all beings around me. We work together as one to foster life and to experience life deeply.

My world is beautiful in its harmony. I am powerful in my world because so much depends on me. At the same time, I depend on everything around me too. This feels powerful to me as well, because I feel the power that comes from being so deeply connected to all life.

My life is fleeting in form but ever expanding through my reproduction and everlasting as spirit.

I’m saying this so you will remember next time you call me “weed,” or try to kill me, or step on me. I am just like you my friend. Please treat me as you would treat yourself or your loved one. In return, I offer my life to be helpful to you.

• There is only one active ingredient in plant medicine – friendship. A plant spirit heals a patient as a favor to its friend-in-dreaming, the doctor.

• Shamans make friends of the spirits of nature and call upon them for help with everyday affairs.

• Plants have spirit… spirit is the strongest medicine. Spirit can heal the deepest reaches of the heart and soul.

• Nearly every culture on earth, except our own, respects dream learning as true learning.

• The key to this method is to get into the dream state of consciousness, keeping in mind what it is that you wish to learn or accomplish. The way you get into the dream state is incidental.

• “Am I making this up?” This is the question, the monster, faced by every Westerner who ventures into the world of dreams. There is only one way to subdue this monster – put the dream to the test and see if it works. If the magic of the wind tree can heal people, does it really matter whether I am making it up?

• It seems that plant spirit medicine keeps practicing me. • “Of course I will help you. My brothers and sisters will help you also. We are very happy to do this. In fact, we have been waiting for two hundred years for someone to ask us for this kind of help. We can do nothing unless we are asked.”

• If for a moment we could forget the quest for comfort and ask plants to help us find joy, richness and significance in life, is there any reason to suppose they would not share those qualities with us just as they have shared everything else?

• All things enjoy ecstatic union with nature.

• The most remarkable thing in this story is that the patient entered a “different state of consciousness.” This new consciousness enabled him to find healing in his dreams. It enabled him to re-enter the magical connection with nature that he had had in his youth. Inside that magic, life was once again worth living, and his body responded by rallying to fight his disease.

• Healing is not about whether you die. Healing is about how fully you live.

• Plant spirit medicine does not diagnose or treat illness.

• The practitioner of plant spirit medicine, in assessing which plants to use with a given person, pays no attention whatsoever to any symptoms that person may have.

• I felt he was there to give me something I needed.

• Some people are sensitive to these experiences and communicate them well. Others are less sensitive, less articulate. Many people probably never tell me about them because they don’t want me to think they are crazy. Nevertheless, I have heard many of these stories, and I now believe that everyone who is touched by the plant spirits gets some taste of magic and union with nature.

• Plants wish us well in every way. They can provide not only for our physical needs, but also for our heart and soul. They are perfectly willing to bring us into the blessings of their union with nature. But, as the plantain spirit told me, they can do nothing unless they are asked. I would add that we have to know the right questions and the right way to ask them.

• “Local herbs are not ten times stronger, not a hundred times stronger. Local herbs are one thousand times stronger than exotic ones!” Professor Worsley

• The connection with nature is exhilarating and beautiful, but it is not a luxury. Connection with nature is health; health is life. Without it we shrivel and die. With it we prosper. This is because we are nature, we are made of dirt, rain, sunshine, minerals, and gasses. How we relate to the landscape within is how we relate to the landscape without.

• In addition to dreaming and psychotropic substances, there is a third way of learning how to heal the spirit – the way of pilgrimage. Some locations are the home of tutelary spirits, and under the right circumstances a visit to one of these sacred sites can bring about a spiritual transformation.

• There are many ways to perform spiritual pilgrimage.

• The idea is to put yourself in a difficult or dangerous situation with no recourse other than the spiritual power you are courting.

• I think it is quite ethical to use the abandoned power places of tribal people. In fact, the spirits of such places are often lonely for human attention, since they achieve their own greatness by conferring greatness upon their devotees. One can use the dreaming method to contact the spirits of these places and ask how they would like to be approached.

• Pilgrimage is unreliable. You can do everything right according to the book and nothing may happen. If something does happen, you never know what it might be. We approach the spirits with some request only to find they have something else in mind for us. On the other hand, pilgrimage has this advantage: if you ever receive the grace of a spirit on one of these outings, your life will never be the same again.

• For a healer, the purpose of both pilgrimage and dreaming is to acquire medicine for the spirit. Spirit medicine comes from spirit itself; we don’t control it or even understand it. Humility is the way.

• If spirit ever asks you to do something to help someone, do it. If you do, a miracle will happen. If you don’t, you will spend the rest of your life wondering, “Am I making this up?”

• Complete honesty
• Love – all work flows from a loving attitude
• Trust
• Work hard to fulfill agreements
• Joy – keep a joyful heart
• Observe – look carefully – see into
• Adding unto – for mutual benefit
• Life – honor all life
• Obey Gaia – the final word
• Harvest – for sustainability

All organisms, in fact, possess mechanisms to ‘fine tune’ their internal electromagnetic dial in order to enhance the signals they receive. As the signal is fine tuned, it gets stronger, and more and more background noise entrains to the signal, making it stronger still. This process is so powerful that a weak signal’s strength can be increased ten thousand times.  - Stephen Harrod Buhner

I like reading these words. They tell a story about how we pluck information from the air and about how our communication with other life forms and spirits grows stronger with practice. Thanks Stephen!

I’ve settled on the metaphor of a cell phone to help describe what dowsing is. Stephen’s words take it much further.

First, we’re not talking about a small range of signals receivable by a cell phone – we can receive all signals across a very broad spectrum. Like our cell phone frequencies, these frequencies carry information. The number of frequencies carrying information is HUGE!

Which could add up to a lot of background noise and static – sound like your daily life? – if we weren’t able to tune in to specific frequencies to pull specific information we need or want.

How cool is it that the more we narrow our tuning, the more the background noise cooperates with us to amplify our intended target information?

Suddenly the idea of picking up a message from your dog while you’re off on vacation doesn’t seem that far fetched. Connecting with your deceased parent doesn’t either. With intention, focus, and practice, we’re able to attract exactly the information we seek.

We’re simply built that way.

First, life on the planet is simply not possible for us without plants.

We’ve learned a lot about plants and nature. We’ve had to in order to survive. Through it all, plants have provided the raw materials that serve as the source for our comfort.

In developing the planet, we’ve created some fantastic gardens, from the hanging gardens of Babylon to Central Park. Meanwhile, Nature has produced Amazon rain forests and Yellowstone Park.

Finally, the moment humans build anything, Nature begins to renovate or deconstruct it. Within a week after a new sidewalk is poured, a blade of grass sprouts in a crack somewhere, signally the beginning of the end for this bit of human creation.

The faster we throw stuff up, the faster Nature takes it down.

During most of our history, our idea has been to master Nature – to bend her to our service. For thousands of years we’ve developed new ideas to win the war against Nature. Even if we do somehow succeed in taming Nature, it looks like we’ll destroy the planet and ourselves in the process.

Is there a better way?

There’s much talk these days about substituting collaboration for competition as the basis for relationships between humans. I suggest we do the same for the foundation of our relationship with Nature.

In these lessons, we’ll explore ways to do just that.

My personal experience demonstrates that when I cooperate with Nature, my garden is more beautiful, my harvest is more bountiful, my work is lighter and more joyful, and I spend less time and money. Such a deal!

I hope you’ll join me in venturing together into this new relationship!

The Lessons

The idea of the Learning Lessons is to build our cooperative relationship with Nature through new knowledge and practice.

Each lesson is broken into short parts, providing information building on the last lesson, and giving you a framework for thinking about Nature and your relationship. Each lesson includes at least one practical exercise to move your relationship forward.

You’ll notice that you already know and practice some of the ideas provided. My belief is that your interest in these lessons indicates you’re growing more aware of the relationship with Nature that’s always been there between you. You see, Nature has been speaking to you all along. Perhaps you’ve heard this voice consciously – perhaps unconsciously. You’ve reached that point where you yearn for more.

So, the lessons are more than a cook book for baking up a great garden. By opening yourself to a deeper relationship with Nature, both you and Nature will be changed. That’s a sacred thing – a spiritual thing – between the two of you. The lessons honor that.

The lessons are practical in the sense that Nature, who guides my writing, and I are both eager that you should succeed quickly and regularly in ways you can observe. That’s what kept me motivated along this path and I reckon it will work with you too.

I think that’s about all we need to say in setting up your success. It is my hope that you create and allow a joyful relationship with every plant you encounter