Gardens for the Soul: Designing Outdoor Spaces Using Ancient Symbols, Healing Plants and Feng Shui
Garden designer Woods takes divine forces, feng shui, and geopathic stress into account in her discussion of how to create a space that will energize, replenish, and perhaps even heal the gardener who cares for it. Ancient symbols are used as design elements, coming vividly to life in award-winning photographer John Glover's photographs of gardens graced with mandalas, spiral parterres, labyrinths, and images from tarot and the cabala. When gardening for the soul, a respectful connection to the natural world results in stunning nature tableau juxtaposed with highly refined gardens, many created for English flower shows. While floral color is related to the chakras, the ayurvedic tradition calls upon plants such as mint, basil, and fennel for their medicinal properties. Any reader involved with making a garden will appreciate Woods' sourcebook, which is replete with creative ideas, stunning imagery, and a spiritual focus. Finally, when Woods extends an invitation to ponder the golden mean, it opens up the possibility of a balanced garden plan, as well as a meditative quest for inner harmony.Alice JoyceCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved