Hallowed Ground: The Inspirational Garden

Gardens have always been a source of peace and inner healing. Long before there were sanctuaries and cathedrals there were sacred places outside...

  • Topic: Garden Design
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: design, meditation, Garden Design, gardens, peace, meditation, healing
  • Date: February 2004

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

There’s no doubt about it. Gardens have always been a source of peace and inner healing. Long before there were sanctuaries and cathedrals there were sacred places outside. The revered tree groves of the Druids and the stunning stone circles of the Celts easily come to mind first. But every ancient culture created places of renewal.

I recently finished reading a book called “The Forgotten Desert Mothers” by Laura Swan. We’ve all heard of the desert fathers, but I had no idea there was a tradition of desert mothers. One woman, Macrina, lived in what is now the region of Turkey. Wealthy by birth, she created and headed monasteries for men and women.

In them she made extensive gardens for quiet and meditation. Scholars have determined these gardens were enhanced with arbors of climbing vines.

It’s not hard to picture, and it’s not hard to do. If you already have a garden, I bet it’s a place you can turn for quiet. If you don’t have a garden or want to redo your existing one, why not design an inspirational garden?

Two basic human needs—rest and reflection—become the guiding points in this kind of garden.

  • Rest—We need a relief from the burden of overload—decisions, noise, busyness. We need ways to shut out the world. Creating places to sit is not that hard to do. A few years back someone asked if I wanted a plank of wood. I did and brought it home, stacked up four cinder blocks, two on each end, set the plank across them. It was so simple and it turned into the perfect bench.

What makes it even more special is it’s under a tree. It’s become a place I can go whenever I feel the need for someplace secluded. So a special place for a special chair is all you need.

  • Reflection—It seems impossible to live a life without wondering anything about it. We all know people who do this, rush around with nary a moment for breathing. Yet to find any meaning under all that rushing, we need a place for quiet scrutiny, the kind that helps organize confusion and gives us clarity.

Reflection is often aided by looking at something. In the book “Rooted in the Spirit: Exploring Inspirational Gardens” by Maureen Gilmer, the author suggests interesting objects be installed around the garden for contemplation. Following is a list of garden ornaments.

Ornaments—statues, decorative pots, pedestals, gargoyles, crosses, sundials, Japanese lanterns, masks of the Greenman or the sun and tiles stuck in walls. Also flags, signs placed in the ground with sayings, prayers or koans on them are good things to focus on.

I’ve also found that interesting rock arrangements are not only a pleasure to look at but in moments when I want to stare in order to reflect, they serve me well. And if you really want to play with the metaphor, a small reflection pool is perfect.

You also want an inspirational garden to feel welcoming. Creating interesting pathways, walls and fences is one way to ensure this. And a lovely gate is the perfect metaphor for this too.

Our loud and busy society almost dares us to do any introspection these days. But even if it’s only a small space somewhere outside, the inspirational garden is where you can recover, recuperate and recharge your batteries. And if you create that garden to your very own liking, it can be a place to rekindle serenity as well.