Customer Reviews

Spiritual Gardening: Creating Sacred Space Outdoors

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The design of the book is lovely. The photographs are enticing. The table of contents suggests a valuable and interesting book. But focus of the text, the information content, is excessively historical. If you want to know the spiritual significance attached to certain plants by various spiritual groups, you might like this. If you wish to create a sacred space and seek design help, there are better choices.

It must be said that this is a beautiful book! Photographs, paper, color, layout -- and the text could/would have been, too. But starting on pages 46/47, the text is totally dismembered -- big chunks missing [go from one page to the next mid-sentence and find an entirely different sentence being continued], and big chunks repeated. It made no sense to stumble through the next handful of pages, or try to read beyond: love the photos, but can't keep the book.
None of the other reviewers here mention finding this mess. Are there different printings out there?

Read SPIRITUAL GARDENING by Peg Streep at your own risk. After seeing an excerpt in Oprah's magazine, I purchased and read this exceptional book. It truly changed my life. I will never be the same. It took me outside, introduced me to the place of gardens in history, the value of gardens, the many kinds of gardens, and the love and care of gardens. It inspired me to read magazines on gardening, buy hundreds of dollars worth of gardening books--which I cherish, "delve" into the philosophy of feng shui, evaluate my backyard, enhance my backyard into a garden creation--perennials, benches, statues, chimes, birdfeeders, a gazing ball, and enjoyable dreams of more beauty to come therein. It's a passionate and fun obsesssion! SPIRITUAL GARDENING is my favorite gift to give to those I care about. The book is beautiful. It is full of color photographs of varied gardens. The writing is inspirational and full of memorable garden quotations. It's one of my most valued possessions!

This book covers a broad spectrum of 'spiritual gardens' from the more specific doctrines such as Zen, through to the individual gardeners' interpretation of what makes a garden a spiritual place. I found it to be a very good introduction to the subject and the very beautifull photographs enhance the text extremely well.

Read SPIRITUAL GARDENING by Peg Streep at your own risk. After seeing an excerpt in Oprah's magazine, I purchased and read this exceptional book. It truly changed my life. I will never be the same. It took me outside, introduced me to the place of gardens in history, the value of gardens, the many kinds of gardens, and the love and care of gardens. It inspired me to read magazines on gardening, buy hundreds of dollars worth of gardening books--which I cherish, "delve" into the philosophy of feng shui, evaluate my backyard, enhance my backyard into a garden creation--perennials, benches, statues, chimes, birdfeeders, a gazing ball, and enjoyable dreams of more beauty to come therein. It's a passionate and fun obsesssion! SPIRITUAL GARDENING is my favorite gift to give to those I care about. The book is beautiful. It is full of color photographs of varied gardens. The writing is inspirational and full of memorable garden quotations. It's one of my most valued possessions!

Enhanced with the lush and beautiful photography of John Glover, Spiritual Gardening: Creating Sacred Space Outdoors by Peg Streep is a compendium of horticultural inspirations and contemplative wisdoms with respect to creating a garden that would function as a personal spiritual sanctuary from the cares, concerns, stresses and problems of our daily lives. Not merely a nice thing to look at, an effective spiritual garden would engage all of the senses and connect our minds and hearts to an inner balance of tranquility, aroma, and healing. Drawing upon ancient traditions (including those of Zen Buddhism and Native Americans), Spiritual Gardening will enable anyone to design a very special sanctuary combining earth, wind, light, water, and living plants.

What a joy it was to read this book, to slowly treasure each verbal and pictorial image as they spilled across each page, lending a sense of peace, serenity and beauty to every delicious reading moment! One needs a book like this at times to balance some of the other horrendous reading that *must* be done in order to do the tilting at windmills that must be done to save the earth! But part of saving the Earth is also about getting to know her and appreciate her, and this Spiritual Gardening does with grace and a lush sense of sensuality. Highly recommended for purposes of spiritual healing!

One reviewer said that the book was "excessively historical" but I didn't find that to be true. How much information can you really pack into a book that's only ½ inch thick? Spiritual Gardens was an absolute pleasure to read and not overly detailed as some might suggest. (I would have been happy with more tidbits of knowledge.) The information provided encourages you to begin cultivating a garden that reflects whatever your spiritual inclinations may be. The content primarily focuses on 10 examples of spiritual gardens: Tranquility, Healing, Zen, Gaia, Aromatherapy, Feng Shui, Celtic, Biblical, Saints and Labyrinth Gardens.

Streep doesn't provide strict garden plans rather she guides you to make your own decision about which "plants/trees to select that will fill your garden with meaning; how to work with a spiritual color palette; create a sanctuary filled with the energy of the wind, light and water; develop new ways to view your garden with pathways and gates; discover how to plant for birds, butterflies and other creatures that share our gardens; find ways to celebrate the earth, heavens and cycles of time in your garden."

As others have mentioned, the photographs are stunning!

Having just moved to home with very neglected gardens, I wanted a different approach. This lovely book was perfect.

Very pleased with the book. Find it very insperational and love the pictures. Would RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO MY FRIENDS.