This month we will be looking at creating a garden working with the elements. I plan to explore a variety of ways we can work with the elements to create a haven of peace and tranquillity in your garden. We will find out how to create a Faery garden and a garden incorporating the four elements of Air, Water, Fire and Earth. We will also investigate which plants are associated with the various elements.
Creating a Faery garden is a great way to connect and work with the elementals but time and patience is needed to plan it carefully. Faeries can be shy of humans and very protective of nature, so this needs to be taken in to consideration when creating a faery garden. Other aspects to take in to consideration are:
• Use organic methods wherever possible, avoid the use of harsh chemicals.
• Grow wildflowers or create a section as a wild garden area where possible. Faeries are private beings and like to hide amongst tall plants and long grass.
• Why not create a sensory garden by using sound, smell, taste and touch as well as the visual experience in your faery garden.
• Use natural materials to create a place of beauty and to provide natural habitats and food sources for animals, insects and birds.
A Faery garden can be created whether you have a small or large space available. Start by deciding the layout of your garden and what you would like to incorporate. You can purchase several beautiful items for inclusion in a Faery garden nowadays such as:
• Faery doors – these can be positioned up against a tree.
• Faery houses
• Statues
• Wind Chimes
• A seat for meditation
• Gazing ball – a glass sphere. This can be used as a focus for meditation or scrying.
You can also harness your creativity and create some of the following:
• A Rainbow Path
• An altar or shrine
• Some homemade bell chimes
• A Crystal Grotto or A Crystal Faery Rockery
Here are a few ideas to assist you to create some of the above;
Rainbow Path – This can either be a path coming from the faery house or doorway or a path that is incorporated around or within your garden. If you decide to make a small pathway extending from the faery doorway or garden you could use a range of crystal tumble stones to make the path. You can choose these for either their colours or for their healing properties or association with the elements. Some suggestions are rose quartz, citrine, clear quartz, moss or tree agate and amethyst. If you already have a pathway in your garden, why not line the sides with crystals to create a crystal pathway.
Altar or Shrine – This can be a focus for meditation and contemplation within your garden. Decide on where you would like to locate it, maybe in a quiet corner or near a particular plant such as a honeysuckle. You can build this from stones or a piece of wood or just dedicate a section of ground in your garden for this purpose. On it you could place items such as crystals, feathers, herbs, shiny objects and leave an offering such as small shavings of chocolate for the faeries. You may include a small statue of a faery, a picture of your faery guide or something you personally associate with fairies upon your altar.
Homemade bell chimes – you can make these by buying small bells and threading them on to coloured ribbon. Hang these around your garden or from a tree so that the sound can be softly heard when the wind blows them.
Crystal grotto– This can be made by cutting out a hollow from a mound of earth, creating a cave within a water feature or forming a grotto from some wood or natural stone/large rocks. Fill in any gaps with moss and earth. If this is part of a water feature then it looks beautiful to have the water flow into or over the grotto. You can make a centrepiece from a large crystal or piece of stone. Shiny stones or crystals can be embedded in the grotto walls or in a mosaic shape within your grotto for their healing properties or connection with nature.
It is possible to try and attract more faeries to a garden by increasing the number of faerie-friendly flowers such as jasmine, roses, bluebells, honeysuckle, lavender and rosemary. Wild flowers such as daisies, foxgloves, peonies and herbs such as sage, bay and thyme are particularly beneficial for connecting with the faery folk too.
To create a garden associated with the four elements you may want to consider planting according to the compass directions and the elements associated with them as below:
• East – Air – Inspiration and wisdom
• South – Fire – Passion
• West – Water – Stepping or being aware of life’s flow, mediation, creativity
• North – Earth – Stability and security
You may decide to make a medicine wheel as in the Native American tradition to honour the cycles of the seasons and their journey through the elements.
Herbs are a good addition to this kind of garden as they draw on the natural healing properties for the garden. The following may also be beneficial when considering working with your space in this way with the elements:
• Planting according to the moon phases.
• Traditions associated with particular plants or Native American customs.
• Blessing your plants as you plant them to promote healthy growth.
• Language of plants – the meanings that some plants have within your garden: love linked flowers such as lilac.
• Putting a quartz crystal in to your watering can
When watering plants will ensure that the water has a high energy content. Also creating a crystal grid around plant beds will protect the plants and promote healthy plants. Beneficial crystals for this purpose are: moss agate and rose or clear quartz.
Through following some of the above principles and working with the natural elements you can successfully create a haven of contemplation, beauty and peacefulness. This will assist the elemental kingdom to sustain the earth, look after our environment and maintain balance.
Next month, we will be exploring the world of Animal totems and Power Animals and how to work with them. I will also be offering one lucky reader the opportunity to receive a free Animal Oracle reading.
Tina McNaughton
