Create a magical garden that is full of mystery, a quiet special place to meditate and relax, to consider and to contemplateFlowers, plants, herbs have been used and enjoyed by us throughout history as both food and medicine, charms and amulets, as protection, as tokens of love, remembrance and much more. There is nothing quite like being present with nature and creating a Magical and Sacred space in your garden, this is is a meditation in itself.
Myths, folklore and the history of plants abound about their magical, restorative and spiritual properties
All cultures throughout the world have these stories and myths regarding our plants and herbs, whether for healing, symbolic use, flavouring, spells and magic
Just being in a beautiful garden can heal and lift our spirits on a deep emotional level.
Mother Nature, Earth mother provides for us in every way, however, these days in our urban societies where people are sometimes not lucky enough to have a large outside space we can still create a magical area in a small space with a little imagination, even if there is no outside space we can create something beautiful amd magical in a hanging basket or on a windowsill which will bring the healing and joy of nature to us and the space
If you bring joy and healing into your garden, however small that may be, by tending and feeding and watering your precious plants it will be returned to you three times over
Before deciding what you want to plant and working out what is practical in your space you might like to connect with the spirit of your garden
Meditate in your garden or the space you intend to place your plants and imagine you are in the countryside, in a beautiful tranquil spot, birds are singing, the sun is shining, you can hear...what? What fills your heart with peace and joy, what are your favourite flowers, what herbs do you enjoy using, what colours do you love?
Do you hear water tinkling, the sound of windchimes
Sound, fragrance, sight, texture, colour are all important elements for your garden.
The ability to eat some of the plants, herbs etc from your garden would be a wonderful advantage
I have a tiny garden and have old wine boxes with cut and come again lettuce growing in it, pots and pots of herbs, rosemary, sage, thyme, roses, climbers are wodnerful for small spaces if you have a wall or fence to grow them up
Seeds are regarded as lucky charms and talisman, they contain all the information in the tiny object to produce thousands of plants, which is amazing when you think about it.
Bless your seeds before planting, research moon phases, there are powerful times when it is better to plant your seeds
Whenever you cut a plant, thank the Earth and the plant for the gift and offer a blessing, either plant something small where the plant has been, a silver coin is a good offering and offer a little prayer to the plant
Sacred Garden Objects include Fairies, Angels, Buddha, Stones, (regarded as the 'bones of earth')
Create a stone prayer pile in the garden, make wishes, offer blessings etc and each time you do, add a stone, as the pile grows so will the power of the wish and prayer!
You could place stones in symbolic shapes in the garden depending on your beliefs, a spiral shape perhaps or in a mandala shape
Stones in circles or spirals are said to concentrate earth energy, surround precious plants with stones
Create the shape of a Rune with stones, small pebbles or crystals are ideal to do this in a special place in the garden,
Research Runes to find the right one for you
Hag stones (natural stones with a hole right through) are regarded as fairy portals, if you have a tree or woody shrub why not hang these on string and decorate and honour the tree
Add fairy lights to trees, they look beautiful at night and safe outdoor lights are readily available, solar lights are also available and look beautiful too
Crystals in the garden are a wonderful addition and have their own special magic and energy
Amethyst brings in peace and spiritual energy, hematite protection, malachite prosperity
Gardens call out for statues and icons
Your own beliefs will decide which statues and figures you want to add, they should not just be plonked down anywhere however, think about where you feel the statue wants to be, silently consider this and ask your garden who should live there? What do you see?
What calls out to you to be placed in your garden?
Angels ,Fairys, if you love Gothic then Gargoyles and Dragons are for you
Place fairy statues and any female statues near water or in corners with flowering plants, this creates Yin energy
Create yang energy and balance with Male Nature spirits, the Green Man, Pan, Gnomes and Elves for example are best placed peering from bushes and vines, near trees etc,
Fairies are happy in any natural setting, the actual fairy or fiarys you choose will feel right in a particular area and you will almost certainly feel this
You can bless and empower a statue to become an actual spiritual presence in your garden
Spray with a salt and water mix first to clear of any residual energy
At special times of one day, at dawn, at midday, at dusk and at midnight take a glass of wine to the statue and pour a little of the wine over it
Bless it with words of your choice which honour it
Ask that it bless, empower and bring peace and joy to your garden and all that enter it
Light a candle (safely) burn incense and place a flower or an offering at it's feet or on it's head in the final blessing at midnight. In fact do whatever feels right to you, there is no right or wrong way, use your research and instincts to find what is right for your statue and your garden
You can create an elemental garden, a Moon garden, a Sun garden, or in different areas of your garden, North, South East and West can be honoured with plants and objects which correspond with the element
Create A Moon Garden
Design and plant a mysterious and enchanting Moon Garden which tramsforms by the light of the Moon into a place which inspires, where dreams are created and the connection between the Earth and the Moon is a beautiful place of tranquility and real Magic!
Flowering plants might include: Nicotinia -this plants flowers open wide under the moonlight and the scent is exquisite
Night scented Stock flowers look unimpressive during the day but the flowers come to life at night and send out the most delicious fragrance throughout the whole garden
Moonflower-yes this does flower under the Moon!
Certain Day Lilys flowers open at night with gorgeous fragrances including Lemond Custard and Night Beacon day lilys
Include shrubs and plants with silvery foliage to compliment the flowers and light up the night garden
Santolina, Lavender, Wooly Lambs Ears, Moonshine Yarrow are just a few, do a little research and see what you can find
Herbs for a Moon Garden
Herbs from the Artemsia species, of which there are hundreds! Some you may wish to include :Wormwood Silver King, Sweet annie, Silver Mound, are a few named after the Greek Goddess Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt
Place some carefuly chosen statues and objects in your Moon Garden, create a focal point, it should be aesthetically pleasing and
designed to catch the eye. Try a large reflective glass sphere, a small pond, white or silver objects.
Also include shrubs and plants which correspond with the moon, for example Willow, silver leaved shrubs etc.
A well thought out Moon Garden will sparkle and come alive in the moonlight.
We would love to see photos of your gardens so send us some pics and we will publish them on our site
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