The Garden of Reflection
The Garden of Reflection
Set in a quiet area beside the Labyrinth in The Aistear park, the Garden of Reflection will be an intentional space inviting us to slow down, to connect with nature, breathe deeply with the elements, and the cycles of life. It is a place to find solace and hope for those dealing with bereavement and loss, and for anyone dealing with the challenges of our daily lives.
It is for everyone who chooses to spend quiet, reflective time in a beautiful natural setting.
The idea is borrowed from the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing - a slow paced practice of sensory immersion in nature.
We will be building a large wooden bench around one of the trees in the garden overlooking the lake, and we will also be planting a carpet of Spring flowering bulbs....we intend to focus on Narcissi, Crocuses, Snakes Head Fritillary, and Cyclamen at this time. We will plant Snowdrops "in the green" in the Spring.
As we head into the darkest time of the year, the planting of the bulbs are our reminder that light follows the dark and that with spring comes renewed Hope.
Work will get started on the garden with a bulb planting meitheal on Sunday 1st November, from 11am - 1pm. All welcome to come and lend a hand. Refreshments provided as a thank you!
Mountshannon Arts will provide a selection of spring bulbs to be planted, (daffodil and crocus), but please feel free to bring along any bulbs to plant too.
Please know you are very welcome to plant a bulb in memory of a loved one. In order to keep the garden as natural as possible, and as this is a community space, we would kindly ask that the flowers be the symbol of remembering loved ones rather than other memorabilia. Thank you for your understanding.
One of our intentions is that in time we can make this space more accessible for the elderly, those using wheelchairs or those who have reduced mobility.
The workshops for making the benches will take place later in November. More details to follow.
This project has been made possible with the generous support of The Lasairfhíona Helping Hand Fund, Derg Credit Union, Mountshannon Community Council, Mountshannon Arts and two private donors.
Two wonderful local artists, Nathalie El Baba, and Ian Kelly will oversee the project.
For more information and if you would like to consider making a donation to this project, please contact Stephen on 0879411150.
