There are bible gardens, which aim to have every plant mentioned in the bible.  There are victorian gardens.  Herb gardens.  White flower gardens.  Black flower gardens.  Carniverous plant gardens. 


I've been thinking what goes into a freethought garden?  Somehow I keep thinking it's like my garden, which is a hodgepodge of everything.  But that doesn't make it any different from any other.


I don't know.  Darwin studied orchids.  Not practical in most yards.  There are plants that grew among dinosaurs - horsetail, monkey puzzle, cycads, fern trees, ginkgo.  Again, not to practical in most yours.*


Thoughts?  I googled but didn't come up with anything.

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Replies to This Discussion

Sunflowers would be good - as they follow the sun, produce seeds that birds and people eat. They stand tall and add light to the world.

Michael R. Mills, Always a joy!

nice reply!

Sentient, I love theme gardens. When I did the major redesign in 1996, I followed the Native American tradition of wheel of the year: 

east, morning, baby, spring, plant, learn, color yellow, air, to be, me, 

south, mid-day, adult, summer, tend, work, color red, fire, to do, body, 

west, evening, elder, autumn, harvest, preserve, color blue, water, to belong, you,    

north, night, degeneration, decompose, contemplation, regenerate, color white, soil, to form, mind, 

center, infinity, repeat, unity, renew, cycles, prism, elements, to transcend, complete

where the center point crosses east to west is me + you = we, 

where the center point crosses south to north is body + mind = praexis (action + thought)

My friend had a Shakespeare garden with poems he wrote that mentioned the plant. 

Another friend had a English garden. 

Of course I can't forget the Japanese style and Zen, which I don't particularly care to maintain, but enjoy the tranquility. 

Have fun!

Joan, the wheel of the year sounds wonderful and very meaningful!  Very thoughtful!

I second that wheel of the year.

Thinking about this some more, a freethought garden should include not-following-the-rules. 

It should evolve. 

It should include a progression of change and adaptation. 

The freethought garden should include diversity of species, hybrids, genetic and chromosomal changes that provide new insights and new directions. 

There should be multi-purpose plants, such as plants that are ornamental as well as fruitful.

The gardener should be independent in source or plants and materials.

The garden should pay it forward - plants or produce from the garden should inspire others, and lead to their own freethought gardening.

The freethought gardener should feel free to utilize plants, seeds, starts, grafts, divisions, bulbs, from any source or individual, near or far.  They should not be dependent on a particular source, however.  Diversity is inspired.

The freethought gardener tinkers, with ideas, plants, tools, seed saving, hybridization, concepts, adaptations, and resources.

The freethought gardener thinks ahead, enriching the soil for the next generation, and propagating plants for friends, families, and people to come.  The freethought gardener plants a tree whose shade they may never enjoy, but someone later might. 

A freethought gardener may know they story of some of their plants.  That may be the plants' origins, their name, the person or place where it came from to this garden, or the plant's original provenance. 

A freethought garden contains lessons in evolution, biology, and inspiration to thought.

Im making this up as I go along.  It still sounds a lot like what I'm doing anyway :-)

Sounds like a perfect way to develop a freethought garden; just enough theme upon which to create an environment that welcomes, refreshes, and renews. Growing soil as well as selecting things that thrive in your climate makes it strong, even as it provides a tranquil place of pleasure.  

I love your descriptions for the gardener in the freethought garden. Just lovely Sentient.

I thought of a sundial - I made one for a science project in 8th grade for the Science Fair and I won 1st place. I was thinking that would be lovely in your Freethought Garden.




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