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Gardens as Sacred Spaces
 Gardens and gardening are an important part of my life. For me, a garden is a sacred space; a space to grow as well as a place to 'be'. I grew up without a garden, but learned many years later that my maternal grandfather and great grandfather were both keen gardeners. Maybe their affinity with the earth and interest in growing passed down the family line in some way! My first real experience of growing and learning about plants happened as an Environmental Science student in Northumberland. This experience opened up new worlds and I became quietly interested not only in growing lots of different plants but also in finding out more about their medicinal and healing properties. Following a car accident in 1996, I was guided to learn more about true healing. Gates began to open. One particular opening occured when I began training as a Bach Therapist with the Dr. Edward Bach Foundation in Oxfordshire. Dr. Bach developed a complete system of healing based on the energies of specific plants and flowers. He was interested in the cause of illness and considered a person's emotional outlook to be the most significant factor in helping clients restore their health and wellbeing. The photographs and accompanying commentaries reflect my love of gardening as an important aspect of my own life journey and my continuing interest in the healing properties and powers of plants.
For about 5 years on and off I took 'time out' from an 'over-busy' life, learning to meditate and relax in a Buddhist community near York. Here I managed to get 'back to the garden' after spending such a long time wearing myself out on bullshit avenue. I worked alone in the grounds, often in silence, except for the wind through the trees and the birdsong. In helping to restore a large but neglected walled garden, I became involved in a transformation project. So much clearing out was so long overdue! There were many hours of digging, weeding and uprooting. Even more time was spent planting the newly prepared space. The gardens and grounds extend for acres and are a complete haven of peace, well worth a visit.
Here in the photo, I' m engaged in one of my favourite horticultural pursuits, composting! This is an easy, green and energy efficient way to dispose of all those kitchen vegetable peelings and other biodegradable waste materials from home. In time, a garden will reap the benefit of all the nutrients added to the soil through the addition of grass cuttings, eggshells, fruit and veg peelings. When I'm composting I'm always reminded of the time spent with the Buddhist community and also the transient nature of this precious lifetime on the earth. When we compost we have living proof that new beginnings always arise from all those endings. |  | |  | | | | The Garden of Dr Edward Bach and The Bach Flower Remedies
Down in deepest Berkshire in England, near Wallingford lies the tiny village of Sotwell. It was here, in the spring of 1934 that Dr. Edward Bach took a small house called Mount Vernon. Nora Weeks, his companion and devoted assistant said how much he enjoyed the peace and beauty of the village after his many travels around the country searching for healing plants and flowers. Dr. Bach wrote the second edition of his book 'The Twelve Healers and Seven Helpers' at this time and became really busy with his work on remedies derived from plants and flowers.
He spent a lot of quiet time in his garden at Mount Vernon which helped him regain his strength after his long travels and searching. At first he was not really known in the village and preferred this way of being as a contrast to his work as a busy and highly regarded physician in London. Years later his patients began visiting him in large numbers at Sotwell and he continued to correspond with some of his patients in London, helping them with the remedies.
The year before I trained to become a Bach practitioner I had the good fortune to visit Mount Vernon one summer morning. It was an unforgettable experience. The house and garden are very special places with an energy all of their own. In his book, the 'Bach Flower Gardener', Stefan Ball writes "The search for harmony in our houses, and above all in our gardens, is a reflection of the search for balance within ourselves". | | | | | | | Monet's Garden Giverny
Carole and I visited Monet's garden at Giverny a few years ago one very warm August day. The gardens are a living memorial to an outstanding artist. Monet's house remains as it was when he lived and painted here, a structure of beauty painted in greens, blues and yellows. He lived at Giverny from 1883 until 1926, painting in and around his house and garden. Although the house and grounds become busy with tourists in the summer months, there are always quiet places 'off the beaten track', just waiting to be discovered. Monet's love of flowers and his fascination with light and water create pallettes of sacred spaces around these gardens of enchantment..
The Japanese bridge over the lily pond is one of the sacred spaces at Giverny. Bridges are structures of human intervention which connect one place to another. In crossing a bridge, we choose to move from where we are to where we want to be. The journey through life is filled with many different kinds of bridges to be crossed. Sometimes we hesitate as staying put is often easier than crossing over and moving to a new place. Even when we are crossing we may not even be aware we are doing so. But when we are ready, we cross a threshold into a new space, moving from somewhere known to somewhere that's not so safe and familiar. In time and possibly without even realising it, we have made a move to the other side. And the other side is a very different place. Standing on the bridge that August afternoon, I recall the coolness of the breeze under the willow shade and the deep still water of the pond mirroring everything around me, including the bridge. It was a perfect place to pause and reflect on how my my life was going at that time. Needless to say, the other side was calling me loud and clear that day and so I surrendered to the moment and crossed.
My 'initiation' into Reiki healing 11 years ago represented a crossing, although I don't think I understood it then. Now this lovely memory only makes me smile. I continue to be thankful, losing count of all the blessings and love that Reiki has brought into my life since that time. I hope to share my understanding and love of Reiki with others now in my work as a practitioner and Reiki Master /Teacher.
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Herb Sales for MS
From about 1998, for a period of 5 years, I grew herbs in our allotment. Herbs are a big interest, especially their fascinating histories and medicinal / healing properties. I love the idea that for every health imbalance or dis-ease, there's a plant growing somewhere in the world that can alleviate the problem. With the help of my family, herb sales were held each summer for a favourite charity, the Hartlepool MS Resource Centre. This was a self help group set up for families affected by Multiple Sclerosis.
My youngest brother Peter was diagnosed with MS in his early thirties. After he left this life, the memory of his courage was the catalyst and inspiration for the herb sales. Preparations for these events usually began 12 months beforehand and by March, our back yard in Croft would be completely taken over by potted up herbs of every description! Once the warmer weather arrived, balmy aromas from the plants would drift into our home through the opened upstairs windows, filling the rooms with scents of lavender, pineapple sage, lemon thyme and mints of every variety. Nine years on, we've now a permanent herb garden at the western end of the allotment. In 2010 everything continues to thrive and grow! | | | |
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