Matt's Description of a Healing, Serenity Garden

Matt Berger was my high school intern for a season...and now he is a sophomore studying landscape architecture at University of  Rhode Island.  He is a remarkable young man - check out his blog " Doubling Your Summer Money for Young Adults"  ... He even created a college scholarship fund for any student from his high school that exhibits a passion for environmental awareness! He funds it with his earnings as a landscaper in the summer.

He wrote this as a message to me, describing his vision of a serenity garden, and I would like to share it with you.

Montauk Daisies

Jan, after listening to your talk show, I was thinking about "Serenity in the Garden" and what it makes  me think of. So I sat down, and wrote ...the first things that came to me...

When you walk into a garden [designed for serenity], you feel a sort of energy. A fusion between relaxation and excitement.

...Your first rush of energy is usually captured at the entrance way...As you leave the stressful world that we all share, and enter into the garden of thoughts, dreams, and peace, you become the feather floating in mid-air....

a garden for healing - j.johnsen

You look down and appreciate as the ladybug sits on the plant's leaf, you notice the bee's pollinating the magical wild flowers, and the the squirrel keeping an eye on you as it cracks open a fresh acorn.

Rock Garden - J.Johnsen

This is the feeling of Serenity.

You become one with earth as you sit on that rock, which is perfectly situated between that ground covering of moss and the tall zebra striped grass. You feel ... its slightly vibrating rush of intensity ...

Dry Stream garden - J Johnsen

As the rock takes you in ... it forms a relationship with you. It allows you into its very diverse environment. You are now an accepted being in this garden. Whenever you enter, you will know that you are in your ...room of comfort, peace, and of course, serenity.

This is the feeling of Serenity in the Garden.

Matt, I don't think Alan Watts could have said that any better! (Now, go look up Alan Watts.)

Thank you for that wonderful description.