A Healing Garden

A healing garden, more about attitude than style, the Unity Garden crosses cultural bounds. The Unity Garden concept was developed by the National Garden Association...

Healing gardens are sought out the world over. All gardens have healing aspects. There is an herb garden. There are hanging gardens. You can have a hidden garden, a secret garden or a meditation garden. There are spiritual gardens, formal gardens, water gardens, and zen gardens.

The Unity Garden was conceived by the American National Garden Association. More an attitude than a garden style, the unity garden concept conceived by the NGA is where you plant a garden that crosses cultural and national bounds. It could be classified as a healing garden. The unity garden is where you plant a row for your neighbors or to give to the poor...

Have you ever heard the old farmer ditty about seeds? Plant one for the farmer; one for the crow; one for the little boy who lives down the row. I learned that as a child and it teaches a valuable life lesson about planning ahead to share with the less fortunate. Of course, it also gives a life lesson about birds eating your seeds!

A unity garden can be when you plant a certain type of tree, flower, or vegetable that represents something special to other people who may be different from you, or have different beliefs and customs.

For example, in my recent article Growing Vegetables Part 2, I mentioned that Okra was brought to the Americas by African slaves during the slave trade. The word gumbo means okra. With the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, your unity garden could incorporate okra in honor of Louisiana, Creoles and Cajuns (who love okra in gumbo - by the way, check out this Cajun gumbo recipe and this Cajun gumbo recipe by Cajun Bob of Desert Gardens) and in honor of Africa.

Thomas Jefferson experimented with plants from all over the world in his bountiful gardens. A unity garden is a healing garden that can speak volumes to your spirit and to your community. Human beings have a deep need to nurture living things and to be productive.

Your unity garden can be your own personal statement about and to your fellow man. It can be spiritual, incorporating planters, designs, statuary, ponds, or seating. It can be multinational. It can be edible and beautiful and soothing to the senses. Do it your way!