Stewards of the Land
As Stewards of the Land we recognize our responsibility to reduce our use of the Earth’s naturalresources, the land, air, water and biodiversity. Making green choices in our day-to-day life canbe complicated. That’s why we provide specific resources and services that are based on the ideaof low-impact living and sustainability.
Sustainable Landscaping
Sustainable Landscaping is a holistic and organic type of landscaping that mixes gardening practices with regenerative techniques to create and maintain gardens for all the inhabitants of the earth. Gardens are created to conserve water and help amend the soil. Companion plants are used in vegetable gardens to add nutrients back into the soil. Shrubs that provide food to the wildlife are installed among the flowers, thus creating a sense of harmony between people, wildlife and the land.
Principals of Sustainable Landscaping
- Growing nutritious and healthy food: Building vegetable gardens, planting fruit bearing plants, medicine wheel herb gardens
- Planting native species
- Xeriscaping: Installing plants that conserve of water
- Creating wildlife habitats
- Using regenerative methods: (Using, reusing, recycling resources) — Compost building, Rainwater harvesting in barrels and tanks, Bioregionalism (using existing onsite materials first)
- Utilizing organic techniques – amending naturally to create Healthy Soil
- Thanking the creator, the land, the sky and the plants on a daily basis
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Producing not only enough food for you, but also enough for neighbors
Compost bin made from pallets
Vegetable & Fruit Bearing Gardens
Reflections of Nature has designed, installed, and currently maintains gardens at client’s homes throughout the Hudson Valley. Our clients save money and invest in their family’s health with a garden by Reflections of Nature. We construct a variety of Vegetable Gardens, in ground or raised planter beds. We can equip the garden with an automatic irrigation system, which can utilize both rain water and household water.
All of our gardens are planted using proven and sustainable techniques. Below are examples of 4 feet by 4 feet gardens during construction and after planting.
- The wood for the sides of each planter is either from locust or cedar trees and the sides are attached to wooden posts. We used no pressure treated material.
- Chicken wire is installed on the bottoms of each planter.
- Filter fabric is stapled to the wooden walls and draped over the chicken wire.
- An organic soil mix is added to each box.
- Seeds can be sowed and then covered with plastic.
- Plants can also be installed directly into the soil and covered with a dome net that is staked down.
Berry Borders
We can also plant borders of berry bushes. Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Elderberries, Currants and Gooseberries are some of the examples.
Medicine Wheel Gardens
Medicine Wheel Gardens are based on the Native American Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life.
The Medicine Wheel can take many different forms. It can be an artwork such as artifact or painting, or it can be a physical construction on the land.
Movement in the Medicine Wheel and in Native American ceremonies is circular, and typically in a clockwise, or “sun-wise” direction. This helps to align with the forces ofNature, such as gravity and the rising and setting of the Sun.
It is constructed by laying 16 stones in a circle, there is a stone placed in the North and South directions as well as the East and West, these are the gatekeepers. A Creator stone is placed in the center, along with Earth Mother, Father Sun and Grandmother Moon. Each direction’s Gatekeeper are the Golden Eagle in the East, the Coyote in the South; the Bear in the West; and the White Buffalo in the North. The American Indian Medicine wheel was an ancient way of creating sacred space and calling forth the healing energies of nature
Wildlife Habitats
Habitat is a combination of food, water, shelter/cover, and space arranged to meet the needs of wildlife. All animals need cover to travel, rest, breed, feed, and nest. They need a safe way to travel to get food and water. Even a small yard can be landscaped to attract birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and small animals. Trees, shrubs, and other plants provide shelter and food for wildlife.
Plant Health Care – Physical & Energetic
Each healing session is uniquely tailored to the individual plant or tree. First we look at the plant or tree and then determine procedure for the healing.
Physical Health Care
- Pruning out dead wood, branches or hazardous vines that could cause damage to the plant.
- Adding a natural compost tea or organic fertilizer.
- Deep root feeding of the plant with organic natural root stimulators.
Energetic Health Care
When the physical adjustments are completed, plant energetic healing is engaged with Reiki techniques. Reiki is an energy technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Here at Reflections of Nature, Reiki is utilized by directing energy for healing into the spirit of the plant with gentle touch techniques on the plant and the soil around the plant. Using a variety of timeless ancient techniques, such as drumming, feather clearing and smudging we will help the plant to heal, blossom and promote growth. It is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through all life and is what keeps everything alive. If plant’s “life force energy” is low, then it is more likely to be stressed, with wilted/dead leaves or decaying bark.
Blessings for Home & Property
A blessing is a series of techniques that release old, unneeded energies and brings in a sense of peace and happiness into a space. This can be done for a house, apartment, place of business, or piece of property.
This process can be accomplish in the following ways:
- Smudging – Burning a Blend of Sacred Herbs to cleanse the air and energy of a space. Smudging releases old energy that has accumulated over time and can remove the “heavy” feeling that can exist in a space. Create a more welcoming and comfortable environment in your home or property. Cleanse old energy that has been left from past events or people. Enable the energies of health, prosperity, and happiness to flow more freely in your home or property.
- Sound Clearing a Space by using a drum or singing bowls to clear the energies.
- Feather Clearing – Using sweeping and brushing strokes of feathers to bless the space.