Miller “Lovely and wise, is a practical, Shamanic Gardening inspiring guide for creating a relationship with nature that doesn’t require anything but heart and intention.” — Randi Ragan, Founder, GreenBliss EcoSpa S Here’s a practical history of sustainable gardening: h Shamanic Use the techniques created by the a Japanese, Pueblo Indians, George m Washington, and Thomas Jefferson to create a magical home garden that Gardening delights your senses, nourishes your a soul, and inspires you daily. n i Author Melinda Joy Miller is a feng shui master c and Keeper of the Medicine Wheel teachings of the Senecas. She has been practicing and teaching permaculture techniques and shamanic G healing for over thirty years. a “Melinda Joy Miller’s new book is chock-full of everything you want to know r about gardening. There are the essential how-to’s, tips on what to plant and the nutritional value of specific herbs. I felt, after reading it, that I’d spent an d afternoon with a wise friend who had brought me the secrets of nature.” —Susie Arnett, Curriculum Developer, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies e “Shamanic Gardening is a treasure that combines the practical with the spiri- n tual, reminding us that our gardens are alive on many levels. Melinda’s passion for the healing power of plants and connection to the earth is infectious. I look i forward to introducing Shamanic Gardening to our community garden!” n —Tara Radzinski, Sustainable Solutions Corporation Timeless Techniques for the g $19.95 Modern Sustainable Garden www.processmediainc.com Design by Lissi Erwin/Splendid Corp. Melinda Joy Miller Gardening / Metaphysics ShamanicGardening_cvrwrap_final.indd 1 10/11/12 6:16 PM Shamanic Gardening Shamanic Gardening Timeless Techniques for the Modern Sustainable Garden Melinda Joy Miller To my father, my daughter Kim, my husband Bob, all the gardeners and shamans throughout the ages and all those who have kept the ancient teachings alive. Shamanic Gardening © 2012 by Melinda Joy Miller All rights reserved. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Process Media 1240 W. Sims Way Suite 124 Port Townsend, WA  98368 processmediainc.com Design by Lissi Erwin / SplendidCorp. Illustrations by Jess Rotter Additional Illustrations by Lissi Erwin (p.100, 103) Borders used or adapted from Art Nouveau Typographic Ornaments, Selected and Arranged by Dan X. Solo from the Solotype Archive. (Dover, 1982) Typeset in Stempel Schneidler, Calvert, and Rockwell Italic. Photo Credits: p. 19 Stefano Geminiani / p. 22 Jeff Dement / p. 36 Tommaso79 / p. 47 Jelen80 / p. 49 Constantin Opris / p. 50 Elena Elisseeva / p. 51 Fallsview / p. 53 Maria Demopoulos and John Tanzer / p. 55 Michael Truchon / p. 63 Sikth; Tetiana Kovalenko / p. 64, 86 Sandy Taylor / p. 146 Deb22 / p. 149 Jim Cottingham / p. 151 Graceholder / p. 154 Elenathewise / p. 156 Derejeb Contents: Introduction....................1 A Garden’s Gift to Life....................7 Chapter 1: Shamanic Gardening in Ancient Cultures....................9 Chapter 2: Gardening with Intent....................33 Chapter 3: It Starts with Soil....................57 Chapter 4: Planting for High-Nutrition Food....................73 Chapter 5: Planting for Health....................89 Chapter 6: Gardening for Romance and Sensuality....................105 Chapter 7: Feng Shui in the Garden....................135 Chapter 8: The Circle of Life....................159 Glossary....................184 Resources....................191 Bibliography....................194 High-Nutrition Edibles....................197 Companion Planting....................303 Garden Notes....................317 Introduction A shaman is one who walks in two worlds: one seen easily by everyone, another seen with the senses of the heart, deep recesses of the mind, and within the collective spiritual consciousness. 2 SHAMANIC GARDENING My inspiration for gardening and for writing this book comes from childhood memories I wish to preserve. I want to recapture the intense feelings of joy felt from the sight of butterflies, hearing the songs of birds or walking in green meadows filled with beautiful flowers. I had the good fortune of growing up with a natural abundance of food that came from our family’s land. My father was an environmentalist who loved to plant tree crops. A past presi- dent of the American Nut Growers Association, he grew walnut, hickory, chestnut, plum, apricot, mulberry, apple and pear trees, which supplied a generous variety of great food. Along the edges of woods and pastures, Dad planted blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries and boysenberries. Next to a regular selection of vegetables were currants and gooseberry bushes with additional stands of asparagus and rhubarb. This diet of fresh, homegrown food provided a magnetic energy of vitality that sustains my well-being today. We are what we eat. A regular diet of foods that are rich in vita- mins, minerals and protein contributes to a long life, charged with energy and strength. Today, scientists from many disci- plines are searching the planet for high-nutritional edibles, while indigenous people from the rainforests of Africa, Asia and South America are sharing their ancient knowledge of native plants with traditional uses. Introduction 3