NATURE


HONOURING THE LAND AT HOME So… how do you create this in your own garden sanctuary? Have you added something that gives your spirit a lift in your own backyard or have you ideas for something that conveys this feeling? I think it can be done quite simply,


especially with a little lateral thinking… In my garden in Margaret River, Western Australia, I made a spiral of granite stones to encompass the widening of a sawdust path around a young Jacaranda tree. It was loosely based on the shape of the nautilus shell, which is similar to the golden spiral, numerically expressed in the golden ratio of 1:1618… or ‘phi’ in mathematical terminology. My simple interpretation of this was to trace an arc that was as far around the tree as it was away from the tree to make a wide and satisfying spiral. It was very simple to do, and with that


38 MARCH | APRIL 2018


//WHEN PONDERING A NEW DESIGN I OFTEN


ASK MYSELF, “WHAT DOES THE LAND WANT ME TO DO?//


stretch of imagination, it allowed me to incorporate a symbol of one of the building blocks of the universe. Using sawdust for paths provides


the additional pleasure of being very soft to walk on, with the air pockets between the fine strands of timber tending to absorb your footfall so there is a gentle bounce back with each step. The desire to capture the elusive


‘spirit of place’ is a rigorous but rewarding exercise as it requires a focusing of the mind and the senses to the awareness of the subtler realms,


to explore and experiment, to play. Why do we strive for this connection to nature? I can think of several reasons: one is that it gives us a break from our incessant mind-chatter, another is that this pause between thoughts when we are ‘being’ rather than thinking or doing is where our power lies, as we are open to the secrets of the universe. When pondering a new design I often ask myself, “What does the land want me to do?” – and hope I can hear the response. l


Connect with other readers & comment on this article at www.livingnow.com.au


Alex Hawthorne is a landscape architect and Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner who specialises in designing healing landscapes and


helping people reconnect with their spirits through a connection with nature.


SAWDUST PATH AROUND JACARANDA TREE BASED ON NAUTILUS SHELL IN MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA


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