When it came time to think about the garden this year, lo’ and behold the bindweed had completely taken over my raised-bed gardens. The master gardener, Joan, I had out to help advise me suggested we cover those beds with weed barrier and leave them for a year. Bindweed is VERY hard to get rid of!
This is my first year to try a garden in this climate and at this altitude since moving here in the spring of ’08, so everything is new to me. But given the current state of the economy, plus the fact that my daughter and her husband are relocating in the area from England so are present to help, all things point to “GO” for having our own healthy home grown produce this year.
But alas, what to do? With the “real” garden under wraps, how to proceed?
Joan suggested we make use of the large area adjacent to the garden — an area the previous owner had put down weed barrier and wood chips on and used for her toddler’s playscape. It seemed like a perfect solution, though a lot of work, and we had Joan to help guide us through the ins and outs of when and what to plant, what soil amendments were necessary, and how to water adequately in this high desert environment.
So I got quiet and began tuning into the garden spirits and devic energies of not only the entire area but those attached to my bit of land as well. I needed their help in coming up with a plan and a layout. Somehow I could not picture straight lines in this big square area — it just didn’t feel right — and I guess I was right on because what they showed me was a lovely spiral design that we could create therein. Although the spiral was to be very simple, and not at all like a labyrinth, it would create and hold energy in such a way as to benefit the plants and micro-organisms in the garden.
Upon reflection, I of course realized that the spiral has shown up in native cultures on all continents in petroglyphs and other forms and has many meanings. In one nearby ruin it is found, for instance, for the following purpose:
At Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, early native Americans used the spiral design (in conjunction with well placed vertical slab rocks), to measure the progression of the moon through its cycles.
I feel the nature spirits have led us, like their prescribed spiral will, into a beautiful and magical gardening journey, and I hope they will help co-create a bounteous source of nutritious sustenance.
Today I will walk the spiral and give thanks with smoke from sage.
We are very excited!
(If you would like to understand more about co-creative gardening, simply Google for it or check out the fascinating information here: http://www.altnature.com/thegarden/page2.html, especially the links to Perelandra and The Findhorn Community.)
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