Garden Sanctuaries posts are dedicated to the process of making creative garden spaces in which to commune with nature, in which to experience the intertwining of nature and spirit. Our goals are to restore and enhance wildlife habitat while providing places for healing through sitting, walking, meditating, singing, dancing, and celebrating. There is a story about the creation of our Pollinator Garden and a photo gallery of the butterflies and skippers who have come to visit. There is a description of our Moss Garden Sanctuary and a gallery of images of this favorite contemplative space. In this section you will also find an Inventory of the native flora and fauna of our Forest Garden, which contains a lot of information about the plants and their pollinators. Our gardens are certified as wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, as native plant conservation gardens by the North Carolina Native Plant Society, and as Platinum Level Bird Friendly Habitat by Audubon. We host gatherings here in the garden sanctuaries to celebrate the changing seasons. The gardens are open, by appointment, for learning about native plants and enjoying the wildlife of the two small ponds.
Several years ago we restored the bottomland forest of our semi-rural acre with plants rescued from development, and we continue to add native plants from the wonderfully increasing numbers of native plant nurseries. We now live with well over 250 … Continued
Happily the rains subside. Mud turtle crossing the yard to the swollen creek stops stock still. Distracted, I turn away for a moment. Turning back, he’s gone. Two pipevine swallowtails, turquoise flashing against black, sipping the last of the … Continued
When a section of our small restored forest had to be removed in order to replace the aging septic system, we took this opportunity to begin creating a pollinator garden of mostly native flowers on the now sunny slope. We … Continued
It has been a year since our beloved friend Mary Barakha died, and the beautiful garden sprite she had created that hung in the little spirit-house we made for it in the Moss Garden, had gotten weathered. It seemed a … Continued
Here are photos of our Moss Garden in Spring, Summer, and Winter including the Earth Shrine, Quartz Spiral, Puzzle Stones, Radiating Steps, Mandala-Making Area, and Spirit House.
The moss garden is a place of healing. If I’m tired and do some moss-weeding I feel rejuvenated. I call it “bending to the green” and feel like I’m bathing in green endorphins. Lying on the soft bed of moss … Continued
We are excited that all these butterflies and skippers have been visiting the flowers in our newly created Pollinator Garden in Chapel Hill, North Carolina!