Innholdsfortegnelse for Mindful Gardening i Mindful Gardening

Welcome to Mindful Gardening! With more of us turning to our gardens to find solace in a difficult world, we thought the time was ripe for a special edition dedicated to gardening wellbeing. As evidence of our affection for gardening, data suggests 50 per cent of Australians practise some form of growing things. As we instinctively know, nurturing plants also nurtures us. We look at the science behind this and the case for gardening for your mental health and wellbeing. Gardening also beautifies and greens the planet, helping wildlife in the process. In fact, the premise behind several recent global initiatives (including a collaboration between IKEA and designer Tom Dixon to explore urban gardening solutions) is that gardening can save the world. No wonder so many of us are spending…

Most of us suffer stress and discontent and live for the future and an idealised dream life — a change of fortune, love or merely a break from the daily grind. But, when we get what we want, dissatisfaction often returns. What keeps us from finding happiness? Why ‘be’? According to spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, our natural preoccupation with thinking about the future and mulling over the past creates unhappiness. Tasked with the job of self-preservation, our egoist mind continually processes past information and stimuli in the environment to understand who we are and what to do next. “The mind is essentially a survival machine,” Tolle writes. Unfortunately, the majority of its thoughts are repetitive, useless, negative, dysfunctional and ultimately harmful, he writes. It…

01 Purpose and meaning The high level of dedication and ritual required in growing plants can give our lives a sense of purpose. A form of taking care of something, including ourselves and our family, it mobilises us into regular action. Many gardeners derive further joy from any flow-on enjoyment to their local neighbourhood and passersby. Others share their bounties. Research shows people with a strong sense of purpose and meaning experience less depression and anxiety. 02 Creative expression On our own little patch of turf, we get to splash out creatively, play with colour, form, scent and more. Passionate gardener, blogger and photographer, Chris Condello, eloquently describes the land as his “canvas” and plants and trees as his “medium”. Creativity — which actually engages both our left and right…

Zen garden design remains one of the most popular influences on garden design today. Its aim is to inspire, relax and facilitate mindful contemplation by re-creating the natural landscape and incorporating Buddhist philosophy into design. Try adding some of these core principles of Zen garden design to your own private patch. Simplicity (kanso) Keep your garden pristine, tidy and uncluttered. Also simplify colour schemes. This creates a more serene space and helps rest our minds. Have you ever noticed that the most relaxing ornamental gardens tend to feature just a few plants repeated and fewer different colours? Asymmetry (fukinsei) Adding some irregularity and imperfection to symmetry replicates the balance, harmony and movement of nature. An example is the beauty of a tree leaning slightly to one side or a stone…

Regardless of size, a garden is any deliberately cultivated space for plants to grow. But when our hoped-for oasis is full of sickly or dying plants, pests and problems, it can become a source of stress (and wasted money and effort)! It’s natural to want to focus on the lovely, creative side of gardening. Who wants to wade through the techy science of horticulture when you could be out in the garden, right? However, it’s crucial to understand the denizens of the Kingdom of Plantae and how to live in harmony with them. Think of science as a tool — as essential as a spade and shovel — to assist you on your journey. Your green friends will love you for it — and it will spare you time in…

Fertile, healthy soil contains the correct balance of nutrients, water, air and microbes for plants to thrive. A quality, health-giving soil has the following physical characteristics: • Feels fluffy, moist, loose and crumbly• Allows water, air and roots to infiltrate but doesn’t become waterlogged• Contains large populations of micro-organisms and visible soil biota like earthworms• Plants are resilient to weather fluctuations• Contains a mix of particles in it, especially sand, silt and clay. The terms sand, silt, clay and gravel simply refer to the size of soil particles. Gravel particles are the largest, followed by sand grains. Clay particles (the smallest) followed by silt, are so small they’re not visible to the human eye. A good mix of particle sizes promotes gaps or spaces in the soil to hold the…

Soil micro-organisms aren’t the only life forms with big roles to play in the garden. Every day, scores of tiny (often scorned or barely visible) creatures go about living their lives below and above ground, contributing to the health and balance of our gardens along the way. Earthworms Considered both ploughs and fertilisers of the earth, earthworms burrow and chew through soil, dung and organic material, aerating and improving the structure and fertility of soil as they go. Encourage them in your garden by introducing lots of organic matter and keeping the soil moist and covered, but not waterlogged. Earthworms breathe through their skin and lose 20 per cent of their own body weight each day through castings (the digested remains of their food). These nutrient-rich worm poos are able…

Imagine a garden with nowhere to sit and soak up the vibes or no path to wander along. Such built features add functionality. As elements of design, they’re also creative expressions, allowing us to artistically shape our gardens to our individual tastes. Well-placed benches, trickling fountains and other features enhance mindful moments in the garden. Here are some ideas to consider for your own space. Sensory paths Luring us into the next moment, paths are a key part of any garden. They can be as plain or fanciful as you wish. Paving materials include brick, stone, pebble, mulch, gravel, mosaics, grass, wood and more. Paths don’t have to be straight and boring. They can be winding and flowing, circular, elevated, stepped and more. Geometric and other patterns Pattern can be…

Breathe in the moment. Breathe out toxic thoughts and stress. Connect to yourself. Pick up your teapot and strainer or plunger. Slowly pour the hot tea into your cup, straining out any herbs. Focus on the angle of your wrist, the motion of your hand as you calmly pour the liquid. Pay attention to the sound and sight of the tea flowing and filling the cup, any steam rising, the aroma and colour. Imagine your cares dissipating like the steam, your worries lightening like the teapot. Slowly lift your cup and move it to your mouth, feeling the action in your arm. Enjoy the cup’s warmth in your hands. Feel the touch of the cup against your lips. Taste the layers of flavour. Feel the warm liquid in your mouth,…

• Take a relaxing walk around your garden (yard, balcony or whatever space you have) with your gardening notebook and pen. Study the site. Mindfully, make a simple outline drawing of your garden. If you’ve already created a diagram of your garden, stick on a new tracing page to work on.• Mark the north, south, east and west on your diagram.• Focus your senses on the feel of different spots. Observe what areas get light, deep shade, dappled shade and part shade. Where does water and wind tend to flow in your garden? Mark the direction of these on your plan. For this you’ll need to make observations at different parts of the day and in different weather conditions.• Give names to the different microclimates of your garden, such as…

Step 1: Research and select your site • Study and know the needs of your new plant for sunlight, space and so on.• Select a suitable spot. Step 2: Choose an amenable time to plant • To give your plant the best chance to adapt, avoid planting in extreme heat, in the middle of a drought or any extreme weather conditions. Before a rainy spell is a good time. Step 3: Prepare the soil • Work in lots of organic material such as compost and rotted, decayed manure. If you’re able, try to do this well in advance — weeks or even months before planting.• Test the soil pH. Make any adjustments. Step 4: Dig a hole • Make this roughly the depth of the pot but as wide as…

Journalling is a therapeutic way to pinpoint and process problems or dream with abandon. Keep a garden journal to record observations, track issues and solutions and dream about your ideal garden. Observation and recording are key elements of gardening. They help us learn what works and plan future strategies. Record keeping can take many forms. You can make illustrations, draw diagrams and create charts. Photographs are particularly useful. Set up easy systems of finding these and attach notes to your photos. • Preferably give yourself at least half an hour for journalling. This gives you time to get into the flow, lose yourself in the activity and make progress on an idea.• Make this an activity that engages and invigorates all your senses. Use beautiful paper and pens. Enjoy an…

Set up your own figurative spiritual path Decide on a walkable section of your garden such as a stretch of lawn or existing path. If needed, remove obstacles and trim back foliage to create a more open passage. Install pathing stones. Include some that are bigger or smaller than the rest or placed slightly off course. Use objects along the path to mark key points in your symbolic journey and add interest. These might include specific trees, plants or flowers of interest, rocks, rune stones, prayer cards, bridges, arches, water features, crystals, small statues, plaques — whatever inspires and works for you. A vista or small but pleasing view can also be a special stopping place. If you like, name parts of the journey — such as the ‘pool of…

“One of the most common mistakes of beginner gardeners is situating plants in places where they don’t receive adequate sunlight.”Clive Blazey, of The Diggers Club. Most plants (there are some rare exceptions) need sunlight in order to survive, grow, develop and reproduce. Here’s some of the key roles light plays in the life of plants. • Production of energy for the plant through photosynthesis. (Plants absorb electromagnetic radiation from the sun and take in carbon dioxide and oxygen from the air plus water via their roots to create glucose, which they store and use for their growth. Glucose is basically a compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.)• Seed germination• Leaf development• Blossoming…

What’s in a breath? Air isn’t just … er, gasp … air. A mix of gases, it’s mostly composed of nitrogen and oxygen and tiny amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, argon plus water vapour, pollutants and dusts. Seasonal variation affects air. Warmer air holds more moisture. The amount of water vapour in the air is known as ‘humidity’. How plants use air • Carbon: this is the key ingredient in all living things. Plants obtain their carbon from the air. The equivalent of human mouths, plants have tiny holes under their leaves (stomata) that open and close as needed, absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen.• Oxygen: plants produce and keep some oxygen through photosynthesis. However, roots, seeds and other parts of the plant that don’t photosynthesise…

01 Rise early and greet the day. 01 Ideally, if you can, water in the early morning. This helps prepare plants for the day. There’s also less evaporation and it gives opportunity for the leaves to dry off. 02 Use a soaker hose rather than 02 a sprinkler or jet stream (a soaker hose releases water slowly and reduces run-off and evaporation). For tiny seeds use a spray bottle. For indoor plants use a small watering can or similar. 03 Apply water slowly and 03mindfully. Tune into the flowing and energising qualities of water. 04 Direct water at the soil, not at 04foliage. Plants mostly absorb water through their roots. Wet foliage can also make plants more susceptible to mildew and other diseases. In some situations, watering the foliage is…

STEP 1 Make a lump in your fist Scrape up a small handful of garden soil. Pick out any stones and gravel. Add a bit of water and mix it in till the soil is moist (but not wet). Squeeze and roll it to try and form a lump. Work out your soil type based on the following: Sandy soil • Predominantly sand particles• Won’t hold together, may form a cast then fall apart.• Feels gritty and loose and you can feel individual grains. Loamy soil • A mix of sand, silt and clay.• Will hold together.• Feels spongy and silky. Clay soil • Mainly clay particles.• Will hold together and more so than loam.• Feels smooth and elastic. STEP 2 Water and watch Water some soil in your garden…

• Put together your compost with whatever you have roughly in the ratios and method described above, but add extra coarser materials like straw to your pile. Leave it to brew.• Over time, if you like, add fresh materials to the top of your pile and harvest the finished product from the bottom.• You can also use this method to make a new no-dig planting bed by creating the compost in the intended place. “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”RUMI…

Get out a notebook or a piece of paper and coloured pencils, pens or textas and some sheets of tracing paper. Sit somewhere comfortable in the garden. Make this a relaxing, focused exercise combining the calming mindfulness benefits of drawing and the garden. Visualise the garden you want. Imagine the sounds, scents, colours and images that resonate with you. Also focus on the purpose of your garden. Is it a relaxing place to sit with family and friends? A place to de-stress and find tranquillity from the world? Do you want sunlight or shade? Is your main purpose food growing? Create a drawing of your existing space. Ideally you should draw it to scale, but initially, and to keep your mind flowing meditatively, you might do a rough drawing based…

Why a wildlife garden? Who hasn’t known the joy of spotting wildlife? It turns out it’s a profound relationship grounded deep in our ancestral roots. Eco-psychologists attribute this pleasure to biophilia (affiliation with the natural world). Animals soothe the innate loneliness of our species, Richard Louv suggests in his latest book: Our wild calling. How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives — and Save Theirs. Without them, he says, we experience “species loneliness” (a term coined by Michael McGinnis in 1993). It describes our yearning for our lost shared ecosystem and companionship with the kingdom of animals within the creation story. It’s this sense of loss that supports wildlife tourism and zoos. It’s why The Jungle Book, Tarzan and Dr Doolittle have become such classics and why we collectively…

Dedicate time and space for yourself and know it’s important to do so. Lie down with your back on the ground in the garden, or inside the house surrounded by your plants. Connect to the earth (or visually to the greenery around you). Listen to the sounds around you. Focus on slowing your breathing. Listen to your thoughts without judgement. Explore your feelings. Name them. Allow them to be rather than try to suppress them. Direct love and nurture to yourself. Bring attention back to each breath. Slow your vibration to the slow healing vibrations of the nature around you. Absorb the healing and restorative energies of the earth, the sunlight and plants. Know that when things get overwhelming, the laws of nature override all things. All troubles shall pass…

Research (including a 2019–2020 trial by Lower Farm in the UK) shows no-dig beds have more productive vegetable harvests than the same vegetables grown in traditional beds created by digging and tilling. Along with being easier on the body, there’s a lot to love about them. They avoid disturbing or harming the soil’s ecology, including beneficial organisms and earthworms. They provide an instant rich supply of organic material that will break down and feed the plant and the surrounding soil — particularly useful if you’re planting into less-than-ideal soil. They can also be shaped how you like. Work through these steps to create your own fabulous ‘no-dig’ bed. Follow these steps • Decide on your site and a shape you’d like for your bed, such as rectangular, round or oval.•…

Spring tasks in the garden ◻ Fertilise plants and apply fresh compost ◻ Mulch soil well in preparation for summer ◻ Sow and plant summer vegetables and annuals ◻ Put up supports like trellises and stakes ◻ Plant new trees, shrubs and plants(if you’re in a cool climate with cooler summers) ◻ Re-pot pot plants with new soil…

Autumn tasks in the garden ◻ Train and tie up climbing vines and branches ◻ Harvest temperate-season fruits and store or preserve excess for winter ◻ Prepare beds for planting of any fruiting trees, shrubs, perennials and roses ◻ Prune spent summer-flowering perennials ◻ Deadhead spent flower heads. Save any seeds you want ◻ Divide and replant perennials after flowering ◻ Transplant anything that needs moving (transplant autumn-flowering plants in early spring) ◻ Plant new trees, shrubs and plants (if you’re in a warm climate with hot summers)…

Learn from the masters Throughout history, culture and spirituality have shaped how we design and use gardens. Far from a radical or new idea, ancient cultures have been creating and using gardens for meditative and spiritual purposes for centuries. Why not grab a few ideas from the masters? • Chinese gardens, for example, reflect Buddhism, Confucianism or Daoism and the ancient art of Feng Shui. Symbolic of another universe and rich with references to philosophical meanings (associated with spiritual portals, paths, mountains and more), they were built to be a microcosm of nature and entry to another world. Main features include water, rock, circular moon gates, wandering paths, bamboo, lotus, waterlily and bold red bridges.• Persian paradise gardens were originally symbols of divine order and an earthly paradise. Precise geometrical…

Walking in nature promotes mindfulness by bringing our focus to our body, breath and the natural environment. It’s a great way to release stress, anxiety, overwhelming emotions and sluggishness. Use it as a way to end the day and detach and detox from work stress or as a mini break from the chair and screen. It can also reinvigorate focus and attention and provide time for reflection. If your green space is indoors, practise a bout of yoga, tai chi or similar with your plants. Walk to the starting point of your journey. Perhaps give your journey a name, such as ‘acceptance’ or ‘peace’. Stand tall with your feet apart Feel the stretch in your muscles, the straightness of your back, the soles of your feet against the solid ground.…

01 Get to know your garden Study your garden and the movement and pattern of light and shade over the day. In a notebook, record or sketch the zones that are mostly sunny, partly sunny, mostly shady and dense shade. 02 Understand the seasons In summer the sun is higher in the sky, more intense and direct and of longer duration over the day than winter. In winter the sun’s angle is lower, which makes sunlight less intense. Therefore, it’s possible to find that some plants getting too much sun in summer may suddenly thrive in winter, and vice versa. Understand seasonal changes when siting plants and shade. 03 Know your plants’ light preferences Plants have adapted to survive all over the planet in varying ecosystems with differing amounts and…

The many roles of H2O One of the most vital substances on earth, water is life-sustaining. Plants need water for the following: • Shape and structure• Growth and development• Transportation of nutrients and glucose• Plant energy (water is one of the ingredients used for photosynthesis)• A habitat for aquatic plants. The transparency of water allows aquatic plants to receive sunlight• Temperature regulation. Plants can reduce their temperature by transpiration (the plant equivalent of perspiration)• Seed germination• Water’s neutral pH of 7 (neither acidic nor alkaline) makes it perfect for plants Getting the balance right A lot of plant problems boil down to incorrect watering. We’ve all seen a droopy, wilting plant. But, over the long haul, insufficient water can slow the growth of the plant, make it more vulnerable to…

As vital as air, sunlight and water, soil is the wellspring of thousands of edible plant food species for us and the animal kingdom. If soil suffers an imbalance of elements, so do we. From cracked clays and rich, black volcanic loams to the bedding of permafrost or streams, the soils of Earth are very diverse. In natural forest systems, soils are enriched by leaves and other debris, animal faeces and the dead bodies of creatures returning to the soil and decomposing under the action of micro-organisms. In organic gardens, the idea is to foster a similar ‘natural’ process and keep sustaining the soil through composting and other nutrient recycling and soil regenerating measures. The secret life of soil There’s a lot going on in a dull-looking chunk of soil.…

01 Neighbourhood tour Take a leisurely walk around your neighbourhood with a notepad and a camera such as that on your phone. Take note of all the interesting plants you see. What is growing well? Do you see any plants not doing so well? Do you notice any common patterns? Does anything catch your eye that you’d like to grow? You can glean a lot from this quick exercise. 02 Investigate your microclimates Ramble around your garden. Using your senses, locate any microclimates, such as warm sunny areas, damp fertile shady spots, cool pools of air, dry sandy exposed sites and so on. Even an indoor garden has microclimates. 03 Look up your rainfall Go online to the Bureau of Meteorology site and look up the seasonal rainfall and weather…

01 Walk around and analyse your garden. What do you feel, see, hear and smell? Is there anything to taste? Note different temperature zones, wind tunnels, warmth and sunlight. 02 Decide where you want a sensory zone. Do you want to focus on a small, select space where you can sit or walk, several areas or the whole garden? 03 Study the area you’ve chosen. What is working for your senses and what detracts? 04 Jot down a list of scents, sounds, textures, tastes and visual stimuli you enjoy. 05 Now write down some ideas of how to transform the space. What might you add, mask or change?…

Along with their delicious culinary uses and key flavour signatures in so many dishes, herbs have a vast historical association with cultural, spiritual, healing and ritual practices and are used in teas and traditional herbal medicine. Many also offer attractive flowers, scented foliage and pleasant aromas. Herbs come in different forms and shapes including groundcovers, small plants, woody bushes and shrubs. A few plants used as herbs (like eucalyptus and bay leaves) are trees — although botanically speaking, true herbs lack a woody stem or trunk. Some, like rosemary, can be usefully shaped into hedges or into topiary. As if this wasn’t enough, many contain high levels of volatile oils that repel insects and contribute to essential oil products. Herbs like chives and borage have pretty flowers that attract bees.…

What you’ll need • A kid’s plastic pool (at least 30cm deep, the deeper the better). Ideally it should have a flat bottom and a shallower edge• Gravel or pebbles and/or washed sand• Aquatic plants• Land plants• Rocks, logs, sticks or tree branches Eight steps to your own watery oasis 01 Choose a spot for your pond in a space away from falling leaves. If you’re in a hot climate, ideally locate it so that the pond gets shade for two-thirds of the day; in a cold climate it needs more sun. The smaller your pond, the more affected it will be by temperature fluctuations. If you’re able, position the pond where it can receive regular rainwater top-ups. 02 Dig out the soil roughly corresponding to the size of your…

Summer tasks in the garden ◻ Top up mulches beneath plants ◻ Shade heat-vulnerable plants ◻ Monitor soil moisture levels and water more regularly, especially new plantings ◻ Protect ripening fruit from birds, fruit flies and possums ◻ Deadhead spent flower heads from spring and save any seeds you want ◻ Monitor plants for pests and fungal diseases ◻ Weed more regularly…

Winter tasks in the garden ◻ Trim and remove dead foliage and leaves and compost (or chop and drop where they are) ◻ Prune flowering trees, shrubs and vines ◻ Prune dormant berries ◻ Add lots of organic material to the soil for spring ◻ Protect frost-sensitive plants ◻ Evaluate how your garden is progressing and any changes you might make ◻ Plan your spring garden…