Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Well Watered Garden

The wonderful little book, A Well Watered Garden ~ by Harriet Crosby, was given to me by a dear friend and I thank her for it. It has been a blessing in my life. I believe that God is with me at all times, but I feel Him more when I'm in my gardens or out anywhere in His great creation.


From this book and from reading online I have read that gardens can be a place of healing. Tending our gardens is a way to seek healing from God, to transform pain into a thing of beauty and hope. Caring for a living garden in the midst of pain and sorrow brings a slow, deep, and lasting healing. Our gardens are not another project to be finished on time.


Our gardens are
a special place where we 'slow down', reflect on our life and listen as God speaks to us.


Our gardens are a place of refreshment and rejuvenation.
There are many ways to make our gardens a place to unwind, relax, and take in the beauty that surrounds us and the many blessings that come our way, big or small.


Wind chimes ~ Some tones have a healing effect; calming our minds, relieving stress, awakening our spirits, and improving our concentration level. They are symbolic of harmony and peace, serenity and tranquility.



A place to sit and a table are nice in our gardens. We can rest from our labors and take refreshment from a cool or hot beverage whatever the time of year may be.



A water feature of some sort in our gardens brings a feeling of peace and the sound covers unwelcome noises that may be in our space. Water has relaxing properties.



*** Science has yet to discover exactly how moving water decreases life's craziness, but the growing numbers of believers, like Brown, are beginning to see the light and the peace that these features can offer. The secret might have more to do with intuition and less with real science. Water can connect us to our humanity and allows us to let go of life's annoyances, if only for a moment. "There's something very relaxing about water. Even if you have a still pond without movement, there is just that feeling of serenity," says Linda Wiggen Kraft, owner of Gardens for the Soul in St. Louis. "Water is often an element that is associated with emotions. I think it does help us get in touch with our emotions, especially those which comfort us." ***


For more on this see the link below.
Healing Gardens


Bird baths and feeders add delight to our gardens as the joyous sound of birds and seeing their antics add to the therapeutic qualities of our garden spaces.



Planting flowers and herbs for butterflies adds another dimension to our gardens. These wonderful 'flying flowers' haven't a care in the world.


I want to rest in the loving care of my Creator. I want to stop, listen, see, feel and take in the scents of this life that is all around. I want to feel His loving presence surrounding me.


***


The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;

slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all:

and his tender mercies are over all his works.



Sincerely ~ FlowerLady


6 comments:

Sunday Girl said...

Tag you're it.

Visit The Crafty Corner and read my post about being tagged for instructions on what you need to do.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Just reading your post made me feel quite relaxed and blessed. Thank you!

F Cameron said...

Beautiful thoughts and sentiments...we need more in this world.

When my husband and I retired early, we gave up a lot from the view of many. However, we've gained so much by living simply now. It feels so much better--we feel so much healthier. We sought peace of mind and good health.

Cameron

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

SundayGirl ~ I will check out Crafty Corner.

Have a great day.

FlowerLady

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Good morning Sue ~ Glad the post made you feel relaxed and blessed. You are quite welcome.

FlowerLady

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Cameron ~ Thank you. Yes, the world needs more beautiful thoughts and sentiments.

Congrats to you and your husband for stepping out of the norm and doing what you really wanted to do.

FlowerLady