Circular gardening and mandala gardens
Gardeners, developing the ecological direction of plant growing, have found out that plants feel better on oval or round beds: they intensively develop and increase leaf mass, improve their valuable properties and qualities, and in addition become less susceptible to diseases and less damaged by pests. The circle is a mystical symbol of holy places and places intended for public gatherings. The middle of the circle is a symbol of inexhaustible power, affecting the overall growth and development. A group of Scottish gardeners uses old church plans that regard round beds as special force fields that stimulate the development of herbal cultures.
Especially impressive is the ecological farming in the round shaped Mandala gardens. Man-dala with circular figures in ancient Indian and Buddhist cultures symbolized the mystical connection of all living things with the universe, the cosmos.
Concentration, healing and growth determine the life rhythm of Mandala. If the body can draw its own energy, enclosed in the surrounding nature and coming from outer space, it is able to self-medicate, develop further and improve. In the center of Mandala, there is always a place for meditation and relief of inner tension. In this place, the development of a single rhythm of man and the universe takes place in the trapping, perception and transformation of cosmic energy, which leads to the "cosmization" of consciousness, helping it overcome stress, negative feelings,
morbid conditions. From the place of meditation, the axes( paths) diverge, symbolizing the four directions of the world. The garden is surrounded by a hedge of high comfrey plants, Jerusalem artichoke, rhubarb and other crops planted from the outside of the circle. In the very circle, various herbs are planted in the beds so that the cross of the paths enclosed in the circle is viewed. Since such a combination of leading systems strongly affects the soil, medicinal, aromatic herbs and herbs should have the greatest concentration of energy, biologically active and medicinal substances.
Mandala has many similar meanings - "circle", "disk", "wheel", "ring", "country", "space".This is one of the main sacred symbols in Buddhist mythology, having a deep ritual meaning. The most universal interpretation of Mandala as a model of the universe, "Maps of the cosmos."The outer circle denotes the whole universe in its inseparable integrity, delineates its boundaries, its limits in space. A cross or square inscribed in a circle models the main directions, the spatial cosmic coordinates of the universe. The center of Mandala is the point of the center of cosmic energy, a place where the depths of the subconscious and spirit are comprehended. It is there that it is best to indulge in meditation. It is in the center of Mandala that a single vital universal rhythm is set, the micro- and macrocosmic communities are united. The idea of Mandala lies at the heart of some modern theories in medicine, psychotherapy and art.
Mandala has its own color symbology, oriented to the sides of the world: north - green, east - white, south - yellow, west - red. The center of Mandala corresponds to a blue color. You can try to embody the color symbology by picking flowering medicinal plants and herbs to color the flowers and leaves.
Mulching soil acquires special additional meaning when cultivating crops in Mandala Gardens: it is assumed that mulch improves the connection of plants with the energy field of the Earth and creates an active layer that accumulates vital positive energy of soil for the development of plants.