My family had a garden around our house since I was very little. In hometown, we call it private plot. Apart from house and the yard, there was about 1 acre left. We use the area to cultivate ornamental plants. For example, mei trees, osmanthuses, cherry blossoms, roses, ginkgos , and so on. We lived in Wenjiang District, Chengdu city, according to historical records, there has been a long tradition of cultivating horticultural plants since the Han Dynasty of 2000 years ago. Therefore, it is not surprising that we use our land for planting flowers and trees.
Watching my families and people around wandered in various gardens all day long, I myself joined in too. I claimed some small plots of our garden field for myself to cultivate my own plants, including some seasonal vegetables and flowers collected from different places.
My favorite species were the Impatiens, and I had them with many colors: white, pink, magenta, and bright red. They were very beautiful, and the flowers could be used to dye finger nails. The seeds could also be played to squeeze and make them explode. During summer vacations, the impatiens flowers bloomed prosperously, attracting all kinds of butterflies. I ambushed the butterflies in the field, made them to be specimens, and pasted the specimens for a whole side of wall. I also tried horticultural experiments, attempting to develop red body impatiens by watering them with red ink, because I found their translucent stems would turn red after drinking red color. Unfortunately, all of my test subjects died in the end, probably due to poisoning.
The above story sounds like happy memories.
However, the truth is, my childhood once had been very difficult and chaotic due to adult conflicts, but there was always one easy place existed thanks to the involvement of plants.
Since the day of birth, my life has never been separated from plants. No matter where I stay, I always take care of plants, under whatever conditions, with all kinds of plants.
It’s hard for anyone to say that they have lived half their lives without encountering difficulties. I can’t either. But whenever I am in difficulty, I never be depressed or give up, or even complain, but only feel its weight and positively seek a way out. It’s very similar to a seedling struggling under rock.
When I was a child, I had almost no toys, no books, and no travel. I often stayed by the plants for a long time, feeling them and feeling myself. Nowadays we call this the meditation. I think I may have done enough meditation then, so I gained a peaceful and strong self-awareness early on.
When I grow up and meet more and more people, I saw my differences in the reflection of others. Strong insight and transfer ability, flexible in problem-solving and thinking, able to grasp the essence, positive and optimistic, enjoy challenges, and constantly evolve. Most importantly, I don’t think it’s the world forces me to adopt such a lifestyle, but rather I enjoy it myself.
I believe that this peaceful, positive, and optimistic spirit is nourished by plants. Including insight ability and thinking flexibility, I believe they are also the results from my daily observation of plants and the contemplation for their growth. If you have carefully observed a tree’s growth, you can understand that I am actually living like a tree. Like trees, I have always been enjoying giving.
My living apartment now has a big balcony, almost everyone come will scream out: How can it be like this?
90% of Chinese people would choose to enclose their apartment balcony as an indoor space, but I turned mine into a hanging garden. There are many factors to consider in order to build a garden in air, such as the lighting in every corner (considering the angle and amount of lighting in each season), local temperature, the growth conditions required for each plant, ventilation, biodiversity and interactions, and so on.
In the process of designing and maintaining gardens, I further realized the spiritual value of gardens for people. For example, understanding the characteristics of each plant and whether the growth conditions provided by each location can match, and the compatibility of different plants, is actually management science; Planting seeds at the right time is learning strategic opportunities; Observing the growth of plants and their growth status under different conditions will give you a deeper understanding of what is life. Understanding life is a more meaningful thing, because it allows you to learn how you should live and how others should live, including people around you. Therefore, you would get courage to build yourself and wisdom to handle social relationships, such as how to educate your child.
Many people raise plants or have gardens, but not every garden and every planter can naturally gain enough nourishing energy and inspiration.
A beautiful garden only need a designer knows aesthetics and a rich horticultural market; while a garden with spirit requires a designer who understands the energy of life.
With years of plant companion experiences, I summarized three key points to help you design your own spiritual garden.
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The plants you choose should have vitality that matches your energy
If the plants you choose require careful ministrations to grow well, the energy you put into them will make you feel tired, and its wither would make you feel frustrated. The energy you can obtain from the plants will also be consumed. So if your core is not strong, it’s better to choose robust plants surviving only need watering. Their vibrant vitality will constantly unfold before you, inspire you, encourage you, support you. If you are tough enough and have much energy and time to take care of plants, you can choose a variety of plants for interaction. It’s important to ensure the long-term survival of plants, as continuous observation of their life evolution can provide you deeper injection.
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The plants shouldmeet your spiritual needs
Plants should have as much interaction as possible with humans. Of course, every plant can release beneficial air and showcase its beauty. But interaction here refers more. For example, if you like red, red plants will definitely make you more joyful; If you are sensitive to odors, you can arrange plants releasing your favorite scent; If you prefer harvest, vegetables and fruit trees can work for you; If you enjoy diversity, you can plan plants of different characters; If you appreciate vibrant life, wild flowers and weeds can be considered in your garden to perform natural world; If you try to express a certain spirit, you can choose plants with indicative mind images of your place. It would be happy and energetic to interact with similar taste people, as well as similar character Plants, so that you can get more life messages from plants you can feel.
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Investyour emotions into plants.
Invest your emotions into plants can create deeper connections . As described in the book “The Little Prince”, the rose on the planet of the Little Prince, although it looks the same as thousands of roses in the garden of Earth, only the one that belongs to his planet can touch his heart the most. The plants you purchase with your loved ones, the plants you personally sow or cultivate, and the plants to commemorate a certain moment of your life, can bring you more resonance.
Even if you don’t have big space to keep many plants, if you want to gain energy from them, it’s still well enough to choose a plant that suits you and your living space. No matter you have more or less, this one or that one, the key point is that the plant should be suitable for your current situation.
In famous movie “Leon：The Professional”, killer Leon lived alone, only a plant was his best friend. The plant accompanied him until he met Matilda. After that, wherever they went, Matilda always took this plant for Leon. At the end of the film, Leon sacrificed himself to rescue Matilda. Matilda took care of Leon’s only friend and himself – the potted plant – and planted it into field to grow deep roots. This movie delicately told spiritual relationship between plants and humans.
Read more:
Why and How to Create a Healing Garden
Spiritual Garden Ideas: 16 Simple Ways To Add Tranquility To Your Garden
How to Create a Healing Garden
