Garden of Pain

I wanted to create a space in the garden for contemplation of what is painful in life. Gardens to me, sometimes feel like these extra-ordinary , falsely contrived paradises, where everything is prefect, where there are no weeds, and where people walk around smiling. All that is very nice, and I must say that I love going to the Botanical Garden and reveling in it’s perfect beauty.

But my garden is a sacred place, and a place of transition and transformation. Here I honor life in all it’s phases, in all of the seasons, both beautiful and harsh. Here I honor love and joy, pain and sorrow.

I have a special place to meditate and commune with the land spirits and with the Fey, I have a space to celebrate and dance and drum in joy and companionship. I also need a space to experience paid and sorrow, stillness and solitude. This place I have named The Garden of Pain. Here, I leave my pain and failure, my sorrow and my worries.

I walk upon the path through the exceptionally thorny Rosa Rugosas and contemplate that which pains me; I walk the path as the thorny branches of the Locust and Russian Olive reach out and catch my clothing, reminding me to stop and not proceed through so quickly.

Here I leave my tears for the Fey and for the Roses to feed upon.

The beginning

The stones are being placed in the middle of the sanded walkway because I am planning to add a mixed media design around the central walk way, on both sides.

The materials will be in congruent and installed over time as they are discovered or acquired.

Turning the corner was difficult, the large stones had to be cut with the tile saw so the corner could be accomplished.

A gap is left on either side of the cobblestone dry river bed.

On the right, the two sections end 2′ before the dry river bed stones. Eventually, there will be a bridge here to connect the sections while allow-ing overflow from the pond and/or water feature to move through the GoP and into the main dry river bed drainage system.

Red stone is set into the sand in a graceful arch to connect the end of the granite stone walkway with the beginning of the Garden of Pain.

These stepping stones bring you into the Garden of Pain. Some will hop-scotch their way in, while others will spend time walking from Sephira to Sephira.

Looking towards the western end of the GoP

the end of the pave stone, connected to a footer at the gate

Brian built this simple arch way/trellis to support the gate and the Jasmine vine that is planted on either side of the gate.

The western Gate into, or out of, the GoP

Phase 1 complete, more to come.

Welcome dears, Come on in, soak the sand with all your tears,

prick a finger on the thorns, and bring an offering the path adorn.

Tuesday – February 5, 2019. Monday was 60 degrees, but really windy, today it’s a high of 50 degrees and tomorrow is supposed to be maybe 30 degrees tops. So I decided to take advantage of the one moderate day we’re going to have this week, and start on the spring landscaping maintenance.

One of the important things that needs to get done before it warms up too much is tree pruning. So I tackled the Russian Olives and Locusts in the Garden of Pain, with help from my landscape guy, Jester (of Nadurra Gardens https://www.facebook.com/nadurragardens/.)

Garden of Pain, after pruning, looking west

I chose to plant Russian Olives and Locusts in the Garden of Pain for two reasons: 1) they were free; all 6 of the trees in this garden grew from seed on the south berm, probably having come in with the mulch; and 2) they are thorny, really thorny. These two varieties are naturally very large trees, reaching at least 30 x 40′ at maturity. When I transplanted them from the south berm they were about 3′ high. Immediately after planting I cut them in half; three years later I pruned them down by half again, and today I pruned them down to 6′ tall – depending on the tree, that’s 40-60%.

I want the trees in the Garden of Pain to be no taller than 12′, so they will need regular pruning. Here are some pictures of the process, as well as some before and after shots.

Russian Olive, about 17′ tall, brought down to 6′. To prune, I first had Jester saw off the main limbs down to 6′. These limbs were between 2 and 4″ in diameter. This is the hardest part. It hurts me to see it, all that work to grow cut away. It hurts the tree too – they are confused.

But I told these trees when I planted them, that they would always be kept short, and would not be allowed to reach their natural height. I had a conversation with my trees during the pruning process to reassure them that everything will be ok, and that I am not cutting them all the way down or killing them, and that they are valued and loved and serve a special purpose here in the Garden of Pain.

Next you remove any crossing, redundant or water sprouting branches. Crossing means the branch is cross horizontally through the tree branches, rather than outward. Redundant means that there are two branches coming out of the same side of the trunk, growing outward in the same direction, or sitting too close to one another. Water spouts refers to branches that are growing straight up from the outward moving, horizontal branch.

Close up, Russian olive, after interior crossing branches removed

After pruning, 6′ tall.

Garden of Pain, after pruning, Locust #1

Garden of Pain, after pruning, Locust #3

Garden of Pain, after pruning, Locust #2

Russian Olive #1, after pruning (I didn’t get a before picture on this tree – forgot)

Everything in the Garden of Pain is thorny!

Tag: Garden of Pain

It hurts to be short