sage advice
A N ATO M Y L E S S O N
Path to Enlightenment PATHWAYS THAT TWIST AND TURN REPRESENT life’s journey.A circular labyrinth, combined with a Native American medicine wheel, suggests different directions in life. Flowing water represents ever-present, continuous change; a still pool allows reflection. This garden near Detroit, created by designer JeffreyWhite of Detroit-based AguaFina Gardens & Imports, reflects the owner’s interest in different spiritual beliefs, including those of Native Americans. The space, roughly 4,000 square feet, was reclaimed from a wild corner of the garden in fall 2005. It includes a meditation mound formed from an antique well capstone, a dry riverbed and several symbolic stones.The client walks in the gardens every day, following a route designed to represent the complex twists and turns of life’s journey. The sinuously curving paths were created largely on the ground, some using the traditional stake and string to create a perfect radius. Others needed an individual touch— “feeling by foot” as White says, to create a comfortable walk.—JF
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The labyrinth/medicine wheel is laid out in sandstone reclaimed from the original garden, with winding paths picked out in gravel and springy moss.
G E O R G E D Z A H R I S TO S ( 2 )
For further information on AguaFina Gardens & Imports, call 248-7380500 or 888-738-0599 or see www.aguafina.com.
GROUND DETAILS
SYMBOL IN STONE
SPECIAL SPACE
Hand-selected glacial boulders provide informal steps to the top of the mound.The firmly packed moss, laid on raised berms of soil, makes a beautifully molded floorscape.
The standing stone is actually a piece of petrified wood. Chosen for its shape and stature, it was placed at a tight, sloping turn on the path to suggest the obstacles encountered in life.
The atmosphere of the garden is reinforced by a subtle separation from the rest of the property.The slope and a grouping of ‘Green Gem’ boxwoods offer solitude.
Nature is a labyrinth in which the very haste you move with will make you lose your way—F R A N C I S
BACON