The Arbor Garden has a vibration unlike any other at the farm. It is composed of many perennials and flowering shrubs, chosen by the Angels and planted by us. One glory of this garden is its many annual "volunteers." These are Flowers that we did not plant but which arrived at Spirit's behest and, to our great delight, return year after year. The feeling of this garden is one of deep abiding peace and calm. The combination Flower Essence that we make from this garden holds this energy of peace, harmony and oneness, beyond the illusions of loss or separation.
The garden is encircled on three sides by many varieties of lilacs with a mock orange and a coral pink quince heightening the display of color. The garden is open to the south so that anyone sitting under the grape arbor can feel immensely protected and yet glory in the view of the hills surrounding Green Hope Farm. A climbing Yellow Rose of Texas goes up the arch entrance into the garden while the Fairy Rose and the Henry Hudson Rose live next to the goldfish pond. The Flowers and flowering shrubs chosen by the Angels include many sweet-smelling plants such as Stargazer Lilies, a Carol Mackie Daphne and a Viburnum carlesii.
In early spring come the snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. In late May and early June there is a display of peonies, tree peonies and bleeding hearts. A rainbow of blue and purple Bearded Iris play a duet with masses of yellow Cordyalis and an enormous yellow Siberian Iris growing in the goldfish pond.
Later in the summer, the annual volunteers compose a series of bold pictures. A deep purple Larkspur fills much of the garden. Flowers including Sweet William, White Mullein, apricot-colored Bearded Iris and Asiatic Lilies of this same tawny coloring poke their heads through this sea of purple.
Here the Larkspur mixes with a few lingering
pompom poppies and their seed heads.
Feverfew is another exuberant volunteer joined by many others including Pansy, Mallow, California Poppy, Candytuft, Eryngium, Mignonette and Calendula. The Arbor itself is covered in four Fredonia grapes, a Concord grape relative that does better than Concord grapes in our cold climate.
The last grapes of fall
We picnic here as much as possible and come here to read and meditate. If there is a job which can be a moveable feast like plucking the Red Shiso from the dried stalks for processing, the Arbor Garden is where we go to do the job.
What a natural place for our St Francis statue!
He reminds us always to embrace life with complete joy.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Angels have us leave all the seedheads on the plants after they have flowered. This is for energetic reasons, but it gives us many a beautiful sight as well.
Here the seedheads of Lingularia
"Desdemona" capture the light of late fall.
Everything at the farm is a work in progress and so, too, this Web site. I offer these photos of the Arbor Garden, knowing that they do not do justice to its exquisite vibration or display of Flowers. One of my hopes for 2001 is to get more photos of this lovely spot to share with you on this Web site so that you get more than a glimmer of what this garden looks like.