Shamanic Gardening

March 1, 2013

"All is One, One is All" is the main slogan from this primer on approaching your gardening with a spiritual attitude. Miller, a founder of the Shamballa Institute, covers a lot of New Age territory, reflecting her own wide-ranging interests and studies. Unfortunately the results appear as though some basic organic gardening tips, a smattering of historical garden practices, a few New Age ceremonies, a dollop of Native American spiritual beliefs, and some feng shui were mixed in a blender and spilled out in a stream of consciousness. While this is an attractive book with design appeal and good intention, there are much better and more organized reads on organic and sustainable garden practices (anything by Elliot Coleman), gardening with feng shui (Minnie S. Kansman's Spirit Gardens: Rekindling Our Nature Connection), working with garden devas (Thea Summer Deer's Wisdom of the Plant Devas: Herbal Medicine for a New Earth), or on nature spirits (Jamie Wood & Lisa Steinke's The Faerie's Guide to Green Magick from the Garden). VERDICT Although the how-to section on creating plant essences and the 100 pages of notes on edible plants are highlights, readers who select this book based on its strong title may be disappointed.--Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States Lib., Portland, OR

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