Denise Long, M. Ed. has been a lifelong gardener having grown up on a farm in Nebraska.  She moved to the Northwest United States in 1977 & discovered the wonders of gardening in the lush greenspaces of this area.  Upon retirement from her career in education & after years of informally assisting others in gardening co-creatively, she began offering co-creative gardening workshops & consulting. 

The Garden Doula LLC, incorporated in October, 2004, offers individual consultations, co-creative gardening classes, and essential oil products from a place of love & gratitude for all of nature.  Denise's specialty is garden designs using sacred symbols.  She teaches people to connect to stillness before they garden so they can work with nature respectfully.  

Denise also contributes magazine articles about essential oil use or co-creative gardening and has been published in Natural Awakenings - Portland Edition.  Here is a copy of a recent article:

Lessons from Nature in the Spring

As the light and warmth increases outside, both you & the garden are inspired to move, grow & create.  Humans match plants throughout the seasons.  Similar elements comprise both humans and plants... hydrogen, carbon, minerals, etc.  Plants touches us at various levels of our being.  We can benefit by observing nature's flow & surrendering to it. 

For people and plants, growth in winter has been below the surface.  Well-developed root systems now lead to a growth spurt.  Between the inward time of winter and the active time of summer there is Spring a time of equalizing night & day, and balancing the inward & outward cycles.  Ideas conceived in thought are now aching to manifest.  People usually feel energized this time of year but some gardeners feel frenetic with all they want to do.  We find ease in gardening & life through awareness of what the garden reflects to us.

All Spring we are reminded of the awesome beauty observed in new growth, variations of leaf & flower colors and intoxicating fragrances.  Look beyond the physical beauty; deeper into the nature of things. 

Nature mirrors our internal process and reflects our conscious & unconscious views of the world.  Observe your thoughts and feelings as you garden., i.e.

•            I feel humiliation if the garden doesn't look perfect.  I have to constantly work at it or Ill give up.
•            The bugs I want wont stay & the bad bugs will take over everything.
•            I feel shame & guilt when I dont follow best gardening practices.
•            I am either passive or I want to control everything.

General lessons from Nature include: v     Relating to the creative source does not require language.  Its best done in silence. v     Good boundaries, good roots & a strong immune system are helpful in sustaining life. v     Planting a seed is important to the development of a mature plant. v     Fully be who you are you can only be that. v     We grow in stages.  Be present for today's stage. v     It helps to have patience and a sense of humor!

Your garden reflects a broader process than your personal one.  Your garden is in your backyard, but it lies in a neighborhood, in a region, & on this planet. 

Weeds---The Unpreferred!

We welcome the sprouts of plants we chose and lovingly tended.  Then we notice those weeds!  Gardening is far easier when whats growing is what we want.  Consciously address weeds by looking at the mirror they offer before running for the big guns!  What do weeds represent to you? 

Consider these metaphors:

• Have I intentionally neglected a part of life?
• Have I missed the subtle signals of a future problem
• Is this a plant that I need but would never have chosen?  Try reframing the plants that just show up as having value.  They may be medicinal herbs.
• Can I live with their presence here?  For people requiring perfection in their yards just as they do their personal lives, weeds look like an intolerable blemish. 
• Are weeds flourishing because I have difficulty setting intentions or boundaries? Weeds set boundaries through strong root systems and essential oil chemistry that is effective in warding off disease and insects.  Are weeds reflecting my disbelief in manifesting something desirable?

Plants called weeds often serve neighboring plants by bringing nutrients to the surface.  Consider borrowing a library book to learn about their chemical processes.  You may find your weeds are just what you need!

Spring Nutrition

Individualizing nutrition is key to co-creative gardening.  To make this simpler, ask nature to help you

1.       find the plants that have the same needs for fertilizer at the same time and

2.       how and when to apply a mix of amendments in correct proportions. 

Connect to stillness as you go out the door to garden.  Ask nature what needs attention at this time.  Stock the most commonly needed nutrients (oyster shell flour, rabbit feed pellets, greensand, bone meal, etc.) so you can mix whats needed for todays priority plant group.  Maintain a worm bin so you can draw liquid from it for plants needing a quick fix.  Feeding this way requires trust in the inherent intelligence of nature.  In stillness it is easier to access trust.  Youll find ease in feeding plants by spending a little time every day in the garden.

Attention, devotion, and love provide nutrition just as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus do.  Research this in your own backyard by ignoring one area while lovingly tending another.  Attention is offered through touch, through visually considering a plant, or through silently asking about its needs.

Conscious awareness as you garden will help you see the subtle changes and appreciate its needs.  Minding the soil, touching leaves and blossoms, and checking moisture and lighting conditions facilitates your connection to the spirit of the garden.  When you're distracted with past or future thoughts of work or relationships, its difficult to connect.

Adding Plants Consciously-  The Co-Creative Method 

Results are surprising in a co-created garden where plant choices are shared with nature.  Walk through a garden center and silently ask nature if a plant you like would work well in your garden.  You might think a co-created garden just includes native plants, but your intention to enjoy plants from other parts of the planet is valued.  Early indigenous people carried with them the seed of plants important to their life, importing plants now considered native!  Remember if a plant doesnt usually live under your gardens conditions, respect the plant by providing for its needs.

Preparing for Summer

With conscious attention our gardens can be drought tolerant.  Ask "what would nature do if my intentions were not a factor here".  Help plants develop strong roots and immune systems so they can survive disease, insects and drought.  Reduce evaporation so plants stay hydrated.

Connect to your own garden and ask:

1)       How can I help my plants maintain effective boundaries to resist insects & disease:

     a)       what will provide optimal, individualized nutrition,

     b)      what assistance from organic methods such as essential oils will build their natural immunity?

2)      How can I help my plants obtain moisture:

     a) by using organic amendments or essential oils to develop root systems

     b) by providing efficient watering systems applied directly with appropriate frequency & duration

     c) by reducing competition from unwanted plants through weeding & companion planting?

3)      How can I help desirable plants retain water :

     a)       by mulching,

     b)      with shade cloth,

     c)       by night time watering?

Contemplating the Spring Garden

Take 5 minutes to be still and renew your energy at the end of gardening.   Look at your garden with soft eyes.  Take in each plant & thank it for what it is.  Remember gratitude for the diversity on the planet & for the source of it all.  Recommit to growth & doing your part to serve life.  When finished, be satisfied.

© Denise Long 2005