Color in Design

Greetings from my Gardening Couch! It is Sunday morning and Mark and I went to new church. Part of what of the offering was to ask yourself what can I do to serve. Earlier in the morning I was thinking about the blogging series that has been taking shape. And I thought maybe I should just write, you can just pick plants out and put them in the ground. But, I do not do this when designing, I do not feel it is that casual. I feel it is a personal experience that can inspire, uplift and connect one with the Divine:) Trees and plants offer us oxygen, ( this just being one of the offerings)  we in turn can offer them direct attention and gratitude! Part of my service  is to share my experience with nature, to let others know a beautiful landscape is awesome, and yet direct intent and the desire to be more fully who we truly are and connect to the Divine and our own Divinity through gardening in Possible!!!
Now Color~ I hope you found a few colors that you are highly attracted too and perhaps even took notice of colors you prefer to avoid~ This is great information to have, it will help shape your garden design and give you some insights into your soul.
Eastern philosophy has so much information on color and its potential to affect our consciousness. From Hindu to Chinese to Japanese culture color has significant meaning and purpose. I am going to pull from several philosophies to give you a general view! Very Briefly Chakra's are energy centers  or wheels within the body, there are seven major chakras~ I have been working the Chakra system for several years as means of self awareness with a highly gifted lady,  and they are also a part of Yoga, Hinduism and Eastern Philosophy.
RED~associated with the 1st/Root chakra (Hindu), is grounding, stabilizing, promotes trust and balance and harmony, a warming color, increases ones connection to the earth, stimulates the sensory system, liver stimulant, increases red-blood-cell production
ORANGE~ creativity, play, freedom, abundance,joy, creation, sexuality, connected with the 2nd/Sacral chakra, can assist with healing reproductive organs
YELLOW~Stimulates higher intellectual functioning, clear thinking, balanced personal power, 3rd/Solar Plexus chakra, 3rd charka about your identity and who you truly are,
GREEN~ love, purity, soothes the central nervous system, calming, balances mind, body and spirit, 4th/Heart Chakra, unconditional love,
BLUE~ Cooling effect, increase sensitivity, associated with the throat chakra, speaking one's truth, finding your voice, can help with healing issues with throat, neck, mouth,
INDIGO~ connected with the 6th chakra/third eye chakra, stimulates parathyroid glands, color of devotion, intuition, transcendent vision, purposefulness, seeking after truth.
VIOLET~ Stimulates spleen, helps lift anxiety and depression,7th Chakra/Crown
*some color information came from the book Vibrational Medicine by Richard Gerber, M.D.

Weekend for the Trees

This was a fantastic weekend. I know it's not over, but it started so well. Friday morning, Rachel and I took off for Maymont in Richmond, VA. The have some incredible gardens, an old mansion, a carriage house with a collection of old carriages, and more. Our visit was to see the gardens. The Italian garden at the top of the hill was pretty nice, with fountains and columns. But what I REALLY was looking forward to was the Japanese Garden. It was way at the bottom of the hill, and water spilling from the Italian garden actually fed the waterfall in the garden below. What an awesome place. Cypresses, koi, little bridges over the ponds and streams, I can't imagine what it would cost to create this today. If you haven't seen Maymont, set aside a day for a family trip. It's well worth it.
Yesterday was First Landing state park. Usually we go in the Shore Drive side and hike for an hour or so, but we went to 64th st this time. Usually we bike this path so we don't take time to notice all the cool stuff along the water. There are several Loblolly Pines (Pinus Taeda) that have eroded underneath along the water and the root structures are exposed and the trees have actually formed bark on the roots. It's an amazing thing to see. Several Osprey were delivering dinner to their nests, and the afternoon sun seen through the Spanish Moss was amazing.
These are two treats Virginia has for us, one in our own backyard, that cost close to nothing to share with your family. Get yourself and your KIDS outside and enjoy!!

Mark Griffith is a Virginia Certified Horticulturist and a lead designer with Nautilus Garden Designs in Hampton Roads www.nautilusgardendesigns.com