The Garden Awakening: Designs to nurture our land and ourselves

I gave this book to a friend for her birthday,and both of us found it a beautifully created and creative window into new ways of gardening and seeing nature.It is deeply embedded in a Celtic spiritual world view,whilst still having very well researched practical information about soil types,plants,design...its Mary`s very personal journey with life,land and our root connection to land,but still offers an open path to each gardener`s own inner/outer adventures.Top class and fun!

I absolutely loved this book. Everyone involved in the production of this book should be very proud of themselves. It was just what I wanted having moved into a house with a blank canvas of a garden and a brook running along side. It is my intention to be a good guardian of the land we have been lucky enough to be living on and will be using the advise given in wonderful book to nurture and work with nature. Will be a book I return to many times. Lovely quality and heart warming illustrations.

This is a book about designing gardens that are beautiful, radiant with life, bursting with energy, in harmony with the Earth.[1] Mary Reynolds has discovered through her work as garden and landscape designer that gardens can become very special if we invite Nature to express her true self in these spaces, and then work to heal the land and ourselves.[2] We are mirrors for the land and it is a mirror for us, so healing the the land leads us towards our own restoration, back to our true selves. If we allow the light to shine on all the dark places in our lives and have the courage to face ourselves, then recovery and growth will take place. Healing involves looking at the whole picture. We cannot solve a problem by resolving the physical level alone.[3]. We also need to find and correct the underlying causes of physical symptoms, whether conscious or unconscious.[4] Mary Reynolds shows how using an integrated living systems approach removes our incessant war on Nature.[5] We can force a child to be someone they don't want to be, but only with the consequences of unhappiness and retreat. We can, on the other hand, gently discover who the child is, and who they want to be. Every piece of land is the same this child. By listening carefully and allowing the land to become an extension of ourselves, we can interpret its energy and enable it to emerge through a creative collaborative process.[6] Mary Reynolds uses the word co-creation when referring to her approach. Co-creation means that we are building our gardens hand in hand with Nature as a partner. It is based on the acknowledgment that Nature is a real, present, and conscious living entity. Her method of garden design is intuitive. The most important part is establishing a mutually beneficial relationship.[7] Mary Reynolds has, for the purpose of the book, distilled her design system into five basic elements: 1. The tool of intention.[8] 2. Selecting areas to hold specific intentions.[9] 3. Designing with the patterns and shapes of Nature.[10] 4. The power of symbols and imagery.[11] 5. Putting the design on paper.[12] Our thoughts, emotions, and intentions are a form of energy. If we focus our energy in a particular direction, we will be propelled there. Using intention allows us to communicate directly with our land.[13] The aim is to create spaces that feel right, spaces that appeal to the heart rather than just the intellect.[14] The patterns in Nature form a language we can feel rather than understand.[15]. We know when we have proper relationships because it feels right, it has resonance. Practice makes it easier to recognize this resonant feeling. Like any other skill, it takes time and effort to develop this skill.[16] Mary Reynolds emphasizes that the only way to make a sustainable garden system to work is to collaborate with Nature. Fighting against Nature is just plain silly. If we are to treat the land as a living body, we must think in those terms.[17] This book is a treasure map for finding our way back to the truth of who we are as living beings. The directions are simple, the methods are intuitive [18] The book is beautifully illustrated by Ruth Evans. This is literally one of the most beautiful books I've read. Reading the book is a nurturing experience in itself. Notes: [1] Mary Reynolds, The Garden Awakening: Designs to Nurture Our Land and Ourselves (Green Books, 2016), p.42. [2] Ibid., pp.13--14. [3] Ibid., p.22. [4] Ibid., p.24. [5] Ibid., p.39. [6] Ibid., p.44. [7] Ibid., p.45. [8] Ibid., pp.46--60. [9] Ibid., pp.61--71. [10] Ibid., pp.71--79. [11] Ibid., pp.79--92. [12] Ibid., pp.93--119. [13] Ibid., p.46. [14] Ibid., p.71. [15] Ibid., p.74 [16] Ibid., p.75. [17] Ibid., p.212. [18] Ibid., p.259.

I cannot speak highly enough about this book. Bought as a gift to myself I had high expectations and was not disappointed. I read it from cover to cover, and then again. Mary Reynolds offers a wealth of practical advice, but much more than that she generously shares with the reader her passion for the land. Complimented by such beautiful design and illustrations, it will certainly be a book I re-read for years to come. From gardeners to nature lovers, this is a wonderful book for everyone.

This is a very magical garden design book and very was to read. It is enjoyable in itself as a beautiful and wistful book. This book will not give designs for instant effect gardens as all of the designs need time (years) to evolve, nor does it give much practical advice about gardening so it’s not for beginners! There is a good reference section at the back for deeper learning and resources such as where to buy edible mushroom spores. As a reference book for firing the imagination and providing inspiration I haven’t seen much better than this but it won’t teach you how to garden!

This a exactly what I have been looking for. The book speaks to my heart and I have enjoyed it so much. There are beautiful illustrations in there and so much useful practical information that it'll be a book that will stay with me for a long time. Thanks V

This is the first book review that I have ever written but feel the need. I love this book! For years have been gardening but feeling that I'm not doing it quite right, I have contemplated over many situations and still haven't found the way to go forward in any book or website so have acted on a deep intuition. I haven't always got it right and after reading this book I now know why - the next level is to trust yourself. As much as I would like to share this book I also don't want to let go of it so I'll be purchasing this again. Thank you Mary for sharing.

This is an important book on many levels. It manages to combine so many strands - spirit, planetary and human health and how it is all linked, supported with very useful advice. For those already steeped in this way of being and for beginners alike, it supports a way of thinking and being in the world that is sadly lacking in many aspects of our world. For years, I had considered myself an inadequate, lazy gardener as I generally let nature do its thing, planting randomly and preferring a wilder approach. I now see this differently, in part thanks to this book.

This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. The drawings are beautiful works of art and information in the book is inspiring. I highly recommend for art lovers and gardeners.

海外発送で心配しましたが、包装もきれいでちゃんと届きました。 すべて英語で読めなかったのですが、挿絵がかわいくて よかったです。

Jeder, der einen Garten hat oder anlegen will, sei dieses wundervolle Buch ans Herz gelegt. Es ist kein Ratgeber im klassischen Sinne, eher eine Einladung sich jenseits von Bewässerungssystemen und Rasenkantenschneider mal mit dem Thema Garten als Wohlfühlort zu beschäftigen. Dabei geht es auch bewusst in spirituelle Richtungen, aber ohne übermässig esotherisch zu werden. Wer damit nichts anfangen kann, hat trotzdem etwas von dem Buch, da die Gartengestaltung mit praktischen Beispielen gezeigt wird Auch Rezepte für natürliche Düngung in Form von Jauchen etc. bieten einen anwendbaren Mehrwert. Wer eher wissen will, wie man Tomaten ausgeizt oder Beete bepflanzt sollte sich ein anderes Buch kaufen.

I love this book. The author shows us the way to connect ourselves with nature, to respect, observe, learn of and take care of the peace of land we are in. We are part of the nature, Let's be with Here, Let's honor her, Let's give her the space to show us the way !

This is the most beautiful book I've ever seen. It's truly so lovely! Aside from the esthetics it is so fantastic. The info and the messages are so profound. I love her holistic approach. A beautiful connection to nature and a must read!