Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No, it’s a…

 As you know, I’ve been giving the garden space in front of Darling Buds a lot of thought. Currently, it is a mess of manky cardboard and determined grass. It is a lumpy bumpy mix of industrial brutalism and Steptoe and Sons scrap yard, and no matter how hard I’ve stared at it, inspiration has failed to strike. Every idea I have tried to impinge on the area has been met with a resounding, ‘Nope!’ and I am pretty sure my Universal spirit companions have been standing there, arms folded across their chests, waiting for me to ‘get’ whatever it is that needs to be done. They’ve probably been rolling their eyes, too, at my current intuitive ineptness.

Until a few days ago, that is. A few days ago, I was watering the veg beds, and thus viewing the space from a different angle when I suddenly thought, ‘A spiral! That’s what Darling Buds needs - a spiral.’ 🌀 Cue trumpet fanfares, cheering and paper streamers! 

It’s a sacred space, you see, my Darling Buds. It is a space of peace, creativity and spirituality. It is a deep breath outwards, a grounding, a lifting and peace central. The words came clearly to me: ‘Start in the centre and work your way outwards. No need to dig it all up, flatten it and go big. Start in the middle with just one centrepiece and go from there.’

Well! I could see it all! A focal point, centre stage, and then a series of round stepping stones travelling in spiral formation, interspersed with gravel and low level perennial planting. I’m thinking thyme, camomile, sea thrift. And when I stepped from Darling Buds this afternoon, I could see myself turning right at the bottom of the steps and walking slowly in an ever decreasing circle towards whatever will be in the centre of the spiral. A sort of Zen meditation thing. 

Now, what to put in the centre? What will be the focal point. I thought, how about an owl? A Earth goddess figure? A hare? A bee? Nope, nope, nope, said the Universal spirit companions. More tutting and sighing and eye rolling. And then…

…a what? A dragonfly??!?

Well, I like a dragonfly as much as the next person. I see the occasional one along the canal. My mum has told me about the huge dragonflies that used to live in the pond at her childhood home. But as a spirit totem? I’ve never given them that sort of thought. And so I looked up the symbolism of the dragonfly, just out of curiosity. And here is what I found:

The dragonfly represents the version of ourselves that comes with maturity. It tells us not to resist change but to embrace new beginnings, to welcome good fortune, be open to our higher self, and to move with balance and stability.

This resonates so strongly with me, I cannot even begin to explain. It ties in with the writing project I’m working on, the research I am doing, the new learning I am undertaking. But a dragonfly as a centre piece. 

(Oh, she’s still resisting, still  arguing, still questioning…🙄)

And then, this very evening as I was preparing dinner…

…a humongous dragonfly the size of my hand flew into the kitchen! It rattled around making a noise like a miniature helicopter. Nell went BERSERK! And just as I was thinking, how am I going to catch this beautiful creature and put it safely outside, it turned in a big circle and took itself safely out through the back door! 

If I needed a sign that my intuition was back on form, then that was it. The search for the centrepiece dragonfly is on! This, maybe?

Or this?

How about this?

Or something in wicker, maybe?

I know where I am going with the garden design for Darling Buds now. Inspiration comes to you in the end as long as you don’t fight it, and just listen.