Promoting the idea of conscious gardening for myself
–it’s an unfolding path–
and the people I work for.
–it’s an unfolding path–
and the people I work for.
Drought tolerant grass captures afternoon sunlight
What do I mean by this? Well, I draw the idea from Buddhism and being awake to experience. This means accepting where one is for what it is. If one lives in the desert, being outside in the summer is full of glaring light, heat, fire ants, and plants that need to defend themselves from hungry animals. Conscious gardening would start with being okay with these realities and working with them, finding the aesthetic among the spines and hidden green.
This is in contrast to much of the Western garden tradition, which tries to recreate an idea of paradise regardless of place and deludes us into thinking that we can disappear into it. One image of this paradise is a perfectly colorful always green and blooming and fruiting landscape without bugs, hot sun, sharp winds, cold shade or irritation of any sort. This is the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” idea applied to your backyard, but the idea is a delusion. In fact, people who pursue this dream through their gardening do harm to local ecosystems, destroy the sense of place, and mask the history of where they are.
Through conscious gardening we show our ability to coexist on this planet with its other inhabitants. Gardening thus becomes a vehicle to understand ourselves better, and in the process develop an increasing appreciation for where we are and what we do.
This is in contrast to much of the Western garden tradition, which tries to recreate an idea of paradise regardless of place and deludes us into thinking that we can disappear into it. One image of this paradise is a perfectly colorful always green and blooming and fruiting landscape without bugs, hot sun, sharp winds, cold shade or irritation of any sort. This is the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” idea applied to your backyard, but the idea is a delusion. In fact, people who pursue this dream through their gardening do harm to local ecosystems, destroy the sense of place, and mask the history of where they are.
Through conscious gardening we show our ability to coexist on this planet with its other inhabitants. Gardening thus becomes a vehicle to understand ourselves better, and in the process develop an increasing appreciation for where we are and what we do.
– Dennis Selder, Blue Rose Gardening