Healing Gardens

Week 2 reflection:Gardening in a cultural perspective

I've only begun to delve into ethnobotany (which seems to be the study of the relationships between plants, people and culture) and I started this summer by taking a class about European ethnobotany. What stuck out to me was the massive difference between the way that Europeans/Westerners design and utilize their gardens and the methods of the East. The way that western medicine is designed in comparison to Chinese medicine appears to mirror the way that those to two broad cultures view gardening. The classic chinese methods seem to be much more holistic and similar to the native american approach to the land than the western approach. I feel that the West has taken an extremely analytical approach (begginging at the middle ages when the humorial medical system was developed) which includes breaking down the body into very seperate parts that need to be treated seperately. This, to me, mirrors the way that europeans organize their gardens; picture the garden maze design that surrounds medieval castles. Europeans created these gardens that seemed very sterile and completely tamed or controlled by human beings. They are very interesting to look at (and very creative form of art) but overall do not appeal to me whatsoever. I think that most people agree that the beauty of plants growing together in their natural habitat far surpasses a collection of random plants that don't really belong together. There is something about the appearance, smell and energy of a garden whose plants are working together with the natural soil and insects that originated there.

Week 3 reflection: What type of gardens are there?

A garden is a place where insects, animals and/or people can exchange gifts with each other; where we can give and receive in a mutuallty respectfull way. It is a place where you can go to nurture something and in return be nurtured. I believe that most gardens are designed by the soil, decomposers, and insects that exist in that space and that have belonged there since that habitat was created. These types of gardens need the constant care and attention of all the insects that live there as well as animals as time goes on and the food chain begins to grown in that garden. Gradually as human beings find there niche in that garden they become part of the larger organism as a whole and have to take on the responsibility of loving and maintaining the garden as well. The second major type of garden that I think most people associate the word "garden" with would be the human made garden that was designed to thrive only under our constant care. We create gardens that mimic the natural habitats of the area so that over time they can take care of themselves, however if we are to take from those gardens we obviously must make sure that we are always giving back to it and not over exploiting the plants that grow there. It seems that people are much more inclined to take care of a garden that they physically put there, than a garden that already happened to be there. I don't think that many people make this distinction and I find it very ironic that people will spend hours watering, tilling, and planting new plants in there very own gardens while completely ignoring the earth's first-born gardens that are giving so much to the human race.

Week 4 reflection: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Wisdom

Traditional Ecological Knowledge ecompasses the interaction between the different views, morals and teachings that different cultures have and the way that these values directly effect the environment. I feel that it is only an indigenous culture, one that has given birth and grown up in the same space over time that can fully embrace the values behind Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Wisdom (TEKW). How can a culture that developed in foreign territory, such as the European race within the U.S., ride along side with nature without any wisdom and only a spec of knowledge about the land prior to developing there? To me, it doesn't appear that any colonial tribe/race has successfully shifted geographic locations (from one side of the world to the other) without doing tremendous damage to natural environment of that new territory. Why? Because they do not have the TEKW about that space to embrace the fact that it is the way is. These settlers most likely had pleanty of TEKW from where they came from, which is completely usesless on the other side of the continent, country, or world. I think that any time a clan travels drastically away from their home they need to completely reshape their views to fit the new niche that they are entering into. Not to say that they have to change their core morals affecting who they are, but all other cutlural traits have to be looked at. This invovles the type of food that they are accustumed to eating most importantly because it affects the agriculture within the area. I can see the benefits of not only trusting but relying on a culture with a sturdy TEKW relationship to the land prominently in the Pacific Northwest. I am so increadably greatfull to be part of a community that understands and embraces these beliefs and to be living right next to a myriad of indegenous communities that harbor this innate sense of respect for the land. We have a lot to learn from them on a more intimate, "spiritual" level in learning how to communicate with and unerstand our natural environment, as well as on the obvious level of how to turn this disasterous pace of environmental distruction off of it's course.

Week 5 reflection: What purposes to gardens serve?

Gardens are environments in which plants grow and flourish together by protecting and nourishing one another. Their main function is to provide safe place for plants to live and be protected, virtually untouched by influences other than those of the gardener. Gardens in cities unfortunately are effected by lots of pollution as well as by the energy created by having too many people live in too little of a space. I think that these gardens are more often for aesthetic value than for preserving a natural habitat or for growing food. I knew many people with herb gardens when I lived in Chicago, some people grew a few vegetables as well, but these were not vegetables that you would have naturally seen growing in the area before Western influence. They were vegetables introduced by Europeans to this area (other than a few such as corn or some common dandelions and weeds). I think that these were definitely "feel good" gardens, that weren't necessariy making a huge impact on bringing nature back to the area. However, I think that gardening is an important and beautiful way to spend your time and that any garden is better than no garden at all. Having a garden to take care of definitely gives one a sense of accomplishment and is very nourishing for the soul. One major purpose of a garden is in itself to build a relationship with the earth and establish a rhythm to build upon one's interactions with her. It is much harder for human beings to communicate with other life forms becuase we are all caught up in using different apsects of our brains in our daily lives. The part that functions in coordinance with non-human life is rarely ever used now because it isn't needed any more to function in the new world that we have created. Gardens really help to bring one back to using the other part of the brain that relies on communicating with nature to function. I sincerely believe that it is not just a spiritual connection that one makes with plants and other beings that do not speak our language, but a very physical connection as well.

Reflection week 6: Some thoughts on the past few weeks, readings, and reflection on what is a garden

Within the past week I have been paying a lot of attention to how my perception of Native Americans have been changing. The combination of watching the documentaries on subiyay, visiting Merilee's garden, reading "The Blanket of the Earth" and the other book on closed reserve in the library about how Native American's have shaped their environment (I have to find the name of the book) have given me very diverse and well-rounded viewpoints. I feel that I am no longer looking at their culture through one lense, but through the stories, actions and historical knowledge of many different cultures. I have come to understand that while most Native Americans tribes connect in that they share a mutual understanding and closeness with nature, they have very different practices of celebrating and respecting the earth. The myriad of different ways that clans have historically shaped their environment and tended to it like a garden is truly amazing. Every clan has a unique settup that usually involves a medicine man, or a tribal leader that people love and respect and know will hold things together and be faithful to mother nature. I think that some tribes share mutual stories of the tree people and other plant and animal spirits, but everyone has their own unique story to bring to the table. This reminds me of what Bruce subiyay said about teaching everyone a little bit differently. He gave the example of tree tapping and how important it is for children to learn somewhat different takes on the process so that when they are alone together they can put their heads together and use the unique knowledge inside of every one of them to solve any problem. I can see how the traditions and stories that indigenous peoples have are teaching very important lessons about life and love and respect through different scenarious and backgrounds. It is important for different clans to have unique stories so that they are teaching different and usuful aspects of these similar fundamental values.

I see the gardens that indigenous people have shaped from the wild forest as being the most spectactular gardens in the world. They are beautiful, prosperious, self-sustaining and all the while nourishing and holding up the simplest species on the food-chain to the most complex. Without gardeners, full of soul, love, and the desire to understand the world, these gardens would surely dissipate. The wild, untamed forest has a beauty that is completely unshakable and and in an of itself. There is just no comparable feeling to creeping through a place that is completely un-touched by human-kind. However, once touched by the human hand it can also turn into the most magnificent garden, that contains it's own sense of life and spirit. I think that what a person feels when walking through the mountains where not one single person is living contrast immensely with what is felt from walking through the woods up and down the coast that have been burned, pruned and harvested by indigenous peoples.  (I would venture to say that it is probably not as obvious as it used to be because many of their practices have been banned for years.)  But what they have in common, to me, is that they emit the essence of nature and humility to every living thing that takes part it it.

Reflection week 7: Why do gardeners garden?

I find it really interesting that some native Americans believe that creating a personal garden (or any at all) from native plants is wrong.  Any plant that naturally grows there should not be taken out and put into one's own garden.  I would really love to explore this idea more. I am also interested in some herbolist's views on wildcrafting.  Some believe that wildcrafting a plant will lead you to create stronger medicine than using a plant that you "babied" in your own garden.  The plant that was found growing in the wild is believed to be stronger because it had to grow and survive on it's own.  I'm torn between these two beliefs.  I would think that a plant that you planted and nurtured would have some of your love and power to grow from.  This, I believe, could also create wonderful medicine especialy for personal uses or for other family members and friends.  My main reasoning behind this is that the people who you are closely connected to will benefit from medicine that had your energy incorporated into it's growth process.  I think that most people who choose to garden have an intense feeling of connectedness with the earth that leads them to want to heal it, baby it and nurture it.  People that make their own medicine from their gardens probably like the feeling of using plants that they put their heart and soul into growing. 

Week 8: Are there good gardens and bad gardens?

I have witnessed some pretty awful gardens as well as very beautiful and well-cared for ones.  I think that gardens built up on synthetic fertilizers and non self-pollinating seeds that damage the environment would be among the first types of gardens to qualify as "bad."  Often I realize that people are completely ignorant to the fact that these types of gardens are doing more damage to the environment that good.  Another type of garden that I would definitely consider unhealthy would be the mass produced farm that is over-working the soil in extreme measures.  Either organic or non-organic, this type of garden is hurting that environment as well.  On moral grounds I believe that this type of garden is bad as well because it is non-sustainable and is fully dependent on capitalism to thrive and does much to promote it.  Gardens that fall into the category of "good" would include small organic farm gardens, personal medicinal gardens made up of non-synthetic fertilizers and mostly native plants (if outside), or medicinal gardens with non-native plants in a greenhouse, as well as aesthetically pleasing gardens that are made up of ethical materials.