The peaceful garden
A small, private sanctuary---as near as the backyard---is not a modern concept. Ground considered as almost sacred is an idea hundreds of years old in Britain, and extends thousands of years in ancient Roman, Greek and Asian cultures, and is mentioned in the Bible: "...blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." Does this Spark an idea?
Garden in the Ruins
Garden ruins
Imagine ruins rising from grasses, multicolored bricks, flaky and old. It is not a real wall, but a simple construction of aged bricks and mortar in a small length of wall, partly collapsed, only a foot in height in some places, perhaps 4 feet at its tallest. A wrought-iron bench stands in a cove of the wall, shielded from wind. Near at hand is an old sun dial on an iron stand. Ivy grows on the brick wall, and creeps up toward the face of the sun dial. A ring of ornamental trees grows about this place of antiquity, and it is a muffled place of quiet, where the wind rushing through the leaves of the trees is louder than the cacophonous sounds of modern traffic a block away--a small portion of precious peace stolen from the claws of modern stress.
Herbs and Flowers
Crimson clover
Plant wildflowers and herbs such as oregano and lavender along the edges of your garden. Not only will there be a surprising, delightful splash of sensory stimulation, colorful and aromatic, but herbal medicine is close at hand. Sow white clover in patches of the lawn, and crimson clover all about the garden periphery. Clover is a prolific plant that produces beautiful blossoms while providing exciting hunts for four-leaf clovers.
Simple Zen Garden Peace
Zen garden
Create a "Zen garden" in an out-of-the-way place in your backyard, sheltered from the wind and in full light of the sun. Create a shallow ditch, 6 inches deep, 5 feet in length and 4 feet wide, and fill this with white beach sand. Surround this sand pit with smooth river rocks--large, flat and black. Smooth the sand with a wooden rake, creating slow, sensuous undulations, allowing the mind to float free of stress. Form designs and intricate patterns, all without plan; make this sanctuary a simple place for the simple exercise of body and spirit.
Soothing Sounds of Nature
Gentles tones
Create a water fountain with fish pond on one side of your garden, and hang chimes in a secluded area which is rarely touched by wind. Release the harmonious unity of wind and water. Add bird feeders and baths to ensure the music of visiting birds.
Enchanted Garden Accroutrements
Garden whimsy
Strings of colorful yet subtle garden lights open the garden to evening serenity. Place solar-powered lights about the edges of the garden and on either end of a comfortable garden bench.
A pebbled path, a virtual labyrinth without walls, is easy to install and provides a way to move a visitor from focal points to places of beauty, and eventually leads to one or more places to sit and contemplate.
Tags: from wind, sand with, your garden
