Gardens hold so much mystery and meaning for me. I treasure memories of my mother, an English woman, teaching me the names of local flowers and vegetation as I grew alongside them. Gardens became enchanting fairylands where tiny winged residents giggled as they hid amidst the leafy foliage. As I grew older and learned firsthand the satisfaction of growing vegetable and herb gardens, they came to represent the very wellspring from which the human race draws its vitality and sustenance. When gardens are approached in a spirit of honour and appreciation, they become a canvas upon which our species can interact with nature in a mutually beneficial relationship – one that is based in respect for life itself. 

When approached from a standpoint of my ongoing love of psychology and self-actualization, for me gardens become a metaphor for all that I hold dear in relation to concepts around personal and spiritual growth. From a seed, a plant grows into full abundance and splendor, producing and releasing seeds that bloom and ultimately perish, only to repeat the cycle in an ongoing march of life. So too, do we bloom in physicality, spirit and abundance, only to pave the way for those who follow in our footsteps.