Gardening can be an act of love and a healing endeavor. Creating a garden where love and forgiveness are the focus of reflection takes a lot of thought and planning. The payoff can be great! Imagine having a place nearby that is peaceful and quiet where you can relax and spend time considering life’s important questions. What impact might such reflection have on you and your relationships?
Careful planning can help you create a garden that best reflects the factors that are important to you, and that maximizes the impact of your space.
Some things to consider when planning your garden:
What’s Out There?
Take time to research gardens in your community. Visit local gardens on a tour, or contact your local garden club or horticultural society to find out about garden shows or community gardens of remembrance or reflection. Make notes about what appeals to you when you visit.
What Does It Cost?
Consider your overall budget, and be careful as you make your plans to allocate the budget to include all the elements that are important to you. Do you have experience with gardening? Will you create the garden yourself or enlist the help of friends or a professional? If cost is an issue, consider using a professional for help with design. You may then purchase and plant the garden yourself, in stages or as you can afford it. You may want to share cuttings with other gardeners you know.
Location, Location, Location
Where is your garden? How much sunlight does the space get? Where is the sun over the course of the day? How big is the space? What is the view from the space? Do you want to expand on the view or try to hide it? How much natural noise is there in your space? Do planes fly overhead? Is it located on a busy or quiet street? Is there a natural border to the garden, such as a fence or hedge, or do you need to create a border? What kind of border would you like to create? High hedges? Soft grasses? Trees? A stone wall? What shape is your garden? As you consider the shape, keep in mind the symbolism of particular shapes—a circle signifies continuity and new beginnings, a square or rectangle is grounded, solid, and permanent, and a triangle symbolizes life and procreation.
Let It Flow
The presence of water enriches a garden on many levels. It symbolizes purification and regeneration, reflects light, makes peaceful sounds, feeds birds and fish, and creates beauty. A small pond with lilies and fish or a fountain can also be a focal point for your garden.
A Place to Walk
Some people like to sit in stillness when they reflect; others prefer to walk around. Depending on the size of your space, consider whether you would like to include a maze, labyrinth, or pathways. These can be created with different materials—grasses, hedges, mulch, pebbles, or stones, which also add texture to your garden.
A Place to Sit
What kind of seating will you want—a bench, chair, or grassy knoll? Will it be in the sun or shade? Most people prefer to sit in a shady spot, except on a cool fall or winter day. Is it possible to have seating in both a shady and sunny spot? What will you hear, smell, and see from the seating area?
The Birds and the Bees
Do you want to attract birds, butterflies, and other wildlife? Do you want to deter deer or rabbits? Think about having a birdbath or bird feeder in the garden. Research plants that attract butterflies.
A Focal Point
Many of the world’s finest gardens draw the eye to a focal point. It could be a sculpture, rock, topiary, gate, fountain, tree, or a mass of one type of flower. Consider whether you would like to have something that symbolizes love and forgiveness to you, such as a statue, abstract work of art, stone lantern, or sign as a focal point in your garden. You could also place these items strategically at the end of a pathway or maze, or next to a seating area. You may also want to write words, such as “serenity,” “peace,” “love,” and “forgiveness,” on large stones. Some people like to install wind chimes as a focus and to provide pleasing sounds. You can find a large variety of items by looking at gardening magazines and books and searching on the Internet.
