Creating a Sacred Garden by Demetria

This is a small piece about creating three very different fun gardens. These can be easily modified to fit your herbal needs. You can use containers, barrels and hanging pots to bring these gardens into your life no matter where you are.


Creating a Sacred Garden
Gather together 36 rocks; 12 small (about the size of your fist), 12 medium (about the size of your head), and 12 large (about knee height)
Use the length of your body to make the diameter of the circle. So the circle is your length from the center. Span around from that center point.
Place twelve (smallest) stones around the circle like a clock face. Lay with your feet at one rock and your head facing out to mark the second circle. Use the twelve medium stone to mark this second circle like the first.
Repeat with larger stone and larger circle.
You now have four planting zones: inside the first circle, outside the first circle, outside the second circle, and outside the third circle. These represent the four elements of matter, EARTH, WATER, AIR and FIRE.

1.)Inside 1st Circle, Realm of Earth: VALERIAN, LADY SLIPPER, SKULLCAP,WORMWOOD, RUE, PENNYROYAL, LADY'S MANTLE, TANSY .
2.)Outside 1st Circle, Realm of Water: CATNIP, HOPS, BLACK WILLOW, ECHINACEA, BURDOCK, VIOLET,CLEAVERS, CHICKWEED, HORSETAIL, ROSEMARY.
3.)Outside 2nd Circle, Realm of Air: CHAMOMILE, MARIGOLD, YARROW, VERVAIN,LAVENDER,MINTS, HYSSOP .
4.)Outside 3rd Circle, Realm of Fire: St.JOHN'S WORT, BUCKTHORNE, WHITEOAK, WITCH HAZEL, PEPPERS, ALOE, FIREWEED

OR BY SEASON
SPRING- COLTSFOOT, CHERVIL, ANISE, BASIL, SAGE, MINT, GINGER, DANDELION
SUMMER-ANGELICA, BORAGE, BEE BALM, CLOVER, ELDER, MALLOW, PLANTAIN, RUE,
AUTUMN- BURDOCK, CALENDULA, ELECAMPANE, YARROW, ST. JOHN'S WORT
WINTER- ECHINACEA, CORN, FENUGREEK, COSTMARY, CHICKWEED
These are not the growing seasons obviously but the plants spiritual season.

Purpose Patches
These are small gardens with a synergistic purpose.
Purify the Blood and offer tonic healing for the body.
Comfrey, Primrose, Dandelion, Yarrow, Nettle, Peppermint

Digestive Patch
Chamomile, Peppermint, Anise, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Fennel, Caraway.

Liver Patch
Dandelion, Peppermint, Anise, Rosemary, Burdock, Nettle.

PMS
Red Raspberry, Motherwort, Valerian, Lady's Mantle, Sweet Cicely.

This garden is really cool as a spiral.

 In a barrel you can cut holes out of the sides, fill the barrel with earth until you reach the first hole. Or you can cut the barrel in half and use each side.

Into the first hole you place your first plant and so on. Some great herbs to use are full ones like rosemary, lavender, oregano, sage, lemon balm, basil, chamomile, and violet.

You can also make this a theme garden: Savory herbs like Rosemary, Savory, Basil, oregano, tarragon, and thyme.

Soothing Tea Garden using herbs like Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Catnip and Bee Balm.

Or a Medicinal Tonic Garden using Burdock, Red Clover, Yarrow, Calendula, St. Johns Wort and Comfrey. The medicinal herbs listed have uses internally and externally.

Demetria Clark is an herbalist and aromatherapist living in Vermont with her family. Demetria owns Heart of Herbs Herb School www.heartofherbs.com and Goddess Garden Herbs www.demetria.com