The spiral of life: create your own healing spiral garden.

Spirals, flowing inward and outward at the same time, have been carved into walls, prehistoric rock and graves throughout human history. These double spirals have been interpreted as symbols of death, birth and rebirth and are found in shell growth, snail shells, sunflowers, daisies, comfrey florets, galaxies, the whorls of our fingertips, water movements, behavioral patterns and even in our own DNA. As history proves, spiral patterns can empower the energy-creating ability, of symbols in our lives.

Walking the spiral path means you will never repeat yourself, you are reminded that life is movement and change. The spiral path will present you with opportunities to evolve and transform. Women in our society are bombarded with stress and often multitask at a hummingbird's pace. Busy making a living and caring for our children, family and friends, it can be difficult to find the time to care for ourselves. Combining women's herbs with the spiral design helps us to remember that energy moves in spirals, what comes up must come down, and we have to remember to love ourselves first. It seems more than fitting that women's herbs be planted in a spiral.

Benefits of the Herbal Spiral Garden:

Besides its potent symbolism and helpful energy, an herbal spiral with it many practical benefits. The herbal spiral makes efficient use of planting and vertical space, allowing you to plant more than you would in standard garden rows. The shape of the herbal spiral, as it extends upward, provides a diversity of microclimates: a sunny and shade side, a wet and dry zone. That way, a variety of herbs, each with their own special needs can thrive in this garden. For instance, the center and the top levels are the driest and most well drained, making it good for many culinary and Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and artemisia. These herbs also benefit from the stones lining the outer walls of the spiral, which serve as heat sinks through the day, releasing heat at night into the soil. The lower levels of the spiral provide niches for growing herbs that can tolerate moisture. Pennyroyal, chamomile, lemon balm and clover like this microclimate. Add salad greens and edible flowers like nasturtium and pansy. They will not only provide you will nutritious salads and edible garnishes, but will fill out your spiral while other herbs grow and will nurture beneficial insect populations. All these conditions work together to create higher productivity, in a small compact space, while remaining beautiful, as well as easy to water, maintain and harvest.

How to Build a Women's Herbal Spiral

Step One: Sighting and Layout

To site the spiral, take into consideration your daily traffic patterns. Place the spiral where you will be most likely to walk by on a daily basis to enjoy, maintain and harvest your herbs. After finding this site, locate the axis of the garden and place the spiral in the middle. The spiral pictured is nine feet in diameter, but yours can be whatever you have space for.

Step Two: Lay the First Level

Dig out a small footer, about one inch deep, and lay the first level of stone. The footer will help stabilize the first stone course. When laying the stone, be sure to stagger joints. This keeps the wall integrity strong.

Step Three: Add Soil (Soil and compost mixture)

Add soil into first level and begin laying the second level. Add soil as needed. Fill in each level with soil, before building the next level: stone is conserved this way. Keep adding layers of stone and soil until you can curve the spiral around and into the garden. creating a circular, or spiral pattern.

Step Four: Add Stepping Stones

After all levels are built and filled with soil, strategically place stepping-stones so that access can be easily attained to the upper levels.

Step Five: Plant and Celebrate!

Plant, starting at the top of the spiral, according to the plants growing preference. Don't forget to customize your spiral and herb choices according to your specific medicinal and culinary needs, and have fun!

Material List & Estimated Local Cost:

Stone--1 Ton--$110.00, * Soil--2 Yards--$ 60.00 Mushroom Compost--1 Yard- $45, Herbs--$100.00

NOTE: 1.5 yards of the soil and mushroom compost mixture were left over after spiral was complete.

A Cornucopia of Women's Herbs

Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera): Part Used: Root. Tincture, Tea, Decoction or the powdered, dried root in milk or mixed into foods. It is an energy building sexual tonic and aphrodisiac. Treats sexual exhaustion, dysfunction and infertility. It is also a sedative to the nerves, a nutritive and rejuvenating tonic. Useful for treating tiredness, lack of concentration and headache.

Chamomile (Matriceria retutita): Part Used: Flowers. Tincture or Tea. Known for its calming effect on smooth muscle tissue, chamomile is a popular remedy for PMS symptoms. This gentle sedative can also be used for insomnia and back pain. Taken after an evening meal, it will improve digestion.

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris): Part Used: Leaves, Flowers and Stems. Tincture or Tea. Invigorates and tones female sexual organs. Pregnancy and postpartum tonic, treats excess menstrual bleeding,, and moods swings associated with menopause.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium): Part Used: Leaves. Tea. A uterine stimulant, it has been traditionally used to promote menstrual flow. Its crushed leaves can be rubbed on the skin as mosquito repellent. Externally, the essential oil can be used as an antiseptic. Not to be used during pregnancy.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense): Part Used: Young blossoms and their associated leaves. Tincture or Tea. Red Clover has been shown to help decrease hot flashes and to help minimize menstrual cramps by balancing the body's estrogen levels. Cancer preventative, regulates blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Helps maintain healthy skin, bones, arteries and promotes youthfulness. Not to be used during pregnancy.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): Part Used: Leaf and Budding Tops. Tincture or Tea. Relieves PMS symptoms and mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Also promotes restful sleep and strengthens urinary organs.

Vervain (Verbena officinalis): Part Used: Leaves and Buds. Tincture or Tea. Sedative properties. Used to treat painful or irregular menses. It can also help increase the flow of a mother's milk. Not to be used during pregnancy.

Sources: NCSHH--Traditional Herbalist Program, Richo Chech: Making Plant Medicine and J.T. Garrett: Cherokee Herbal.

Lauri Newman is a Gardener, Ecological Landscape Designer, student of herbalism at NCSHH and creator of Farm Girl Garden Designs. Contact her for your garden, landscape design and installation needs at: [e-mail], [phone] or visit her website at www.Farmgirlgardendesigns.

Donita Allen is a student of herbalism at NCSHH and graphic designer. Contact her for your graphic design needs at 828-253-4817 or 562-212-5235.