Garden Design

Garden Design
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 Jeffrey White 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 garden 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