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Category: Gardens of Spirit

Your Own Garden of Eden

Your Own Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden

When God became the first gardener after creating the earth and heavens he noted that ‘no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, he had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.’

The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden and made all kinds of trees sprout from the soil, every tree that was desirable to look at and good for food. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard. So God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’

‘In the beginning’ of your gardening career you can access a large body of knowledge via media or if you are fortunate from experienced gardeners. All the experience will acknowledge the effect of the ‘tree of life’ or more prosaically the eventual death of trees and plants – reading Genesis may explain why. We know even long lived plants such as Ginko, Bristle Pines and Wollomia have a finite life although they will outlast generations of gardeners yet to come.

What can we Learn from The Garden of Eden

  • Gardens are a long term proposition. It possible that in the hands of a well meaning gardener they can lead to the Elysian Fields noted in ancient Greece.
  • God noticed there was ‘no rain’ and no cultivation of the ground so there are the initial couple of key jobs for any gardener.
  • With the concept of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ being in the middle of the orchard you may think the evil part included rot and pestilence. So a third task for gardeners is to maintain a clean healthy utopian garden.
  • Adam needed help in the garden or was Eve the primary gardener as it is in my Arcadia.
  • The garden of Eden should have ‘dominion over the fish of the sea (or garden pond?) and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’. A manifesto for an environmentally friendly approach to gardening.
  • The original biblical garden was planted in the east of Eden but there are few limits to where a modern garden can be situated nor what you can try to grow.

 

Gardens with Spirit – G.Tips New Venture

Gardens with Spirit – G.Tips New Venture

Nature is both constant and changing in that it is always with us but seldom remains static. In times of stress, poor health and personal pressure aspects of nature are there to fall back on. Meditation and mindfulness have grown in popularity and profile in recent year but the benefits of a garden have been acknowledged for centuries. Gardeners Tips is opening a new category within our pages to look at different types  of garden, our  relationships with nature and a spiritual approach to show how each  constructively helps.

New Venture

  • Over the last 10 years G. Tips has provided 2100+ pages of pictures, tips and sometimes idiosyncratic comment. We are not about to change the formula too drastically but hope the themed approach to new posts will be constructive.
  • There is a cathartic result for the author when a post is completed, published and even better when it is read. For those who garden or consider nature in almost any form we hope they derive health benefits and peace of mind. So for the next decade we hope G.Tips lives on as do all the precious plants in your gardens.
  • Tomorrow the first of our new posts will go back to the beginning and the Garden of Eden.

Just to break the ice and get going here is a short list of publications on the subject of ‘spirit’ that are available via at amazon.

Book Cover

Gardens of the Spirit 2019 Calendar: Japanese Garden Photography

A good photograph can lighten up your day and I have enjoyed various calendars over the years. You do not need to opt for an expensive version you can get as much satisfaction out of a DIY calendar. Do you remember the calendars we used to make at school with a small pad of monthly dates to stick at the bottom of a photograph or picture cut from a magazine. Good pictures and images invoke memory and can boost your spirit.

Book Cover

Contemplation may be at the heart of a spiritually orientated garden. Certainly it will involve landscapes and the ability to look and see. As the blurb on ‘Landscape as Spirit’ sets out:-

‘principles of Oriental and Western garden design to make bold and original statements in his landscapes. Mosko explains how to deploy the materials of the garden so that their arrangement reflects the contemplative mind. The chief paradigm he uses is the mandala, a symbolic picture of the ideal world used in some form in many of the world’s cultures. Rocks, streams, plants, paths, and structures of the garden each take their place in the mandala as one of its five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. The means to produce a balance of these elements is the mind conditioned by meditation and a clear understanding of its own nature. Inner harmony is expressed as outer beauty.’

Book CoverSanctuary is one of the most basic human emotional need. We all need somewhere to retreat too when the need arises. Jessie Bloom’s book recognises this and adds:-

‘traditional plant wisdom to help readers find a deeper connection to the outdoor space they already have – no matter the size. Equal parts inspirational and practical, this engaging guide includes tips on designing a healing space, plant profiles for 50 sacred plants’

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Herbs and Herbals

Herbs and Herbals

If you feel Herbie, the plants not the films, then sniff out the comments below:

Herbie the Love Bug
Herbie the Love Bug

Herb & Herbal Groupings

  • Culinary herbs for use in kitchens
  • Medicinal herbs, ancient and modern the basis of many drugs and remedies.
  • Vegetable herbs like onions and garlic.
  • Flowering and decorative herbs.
  • Spices and other plants at home in a herb bed.

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