Garden Labyrinth

This seven circuit classical hedge labyrinth with enlarged centre, was designed and constructed by
my dad, Fred Wieler in the beautiful gardens, (a labyrinth in it's self) of Hagal Farm - a holistic retreat centre and our family home. Hagal Farm is nestled on the slopes of the Maughanaclea mountains, in the picturesque Mealagh valley near Bantry, in West Cork.

The gardens at Hagal Farm spared out over about four acres, making up a number of different gardens, each with its own character. (but this is another story for another post, sometime in the future) From the car park, little blue sign can be found with the symbol of the labyrinth, pointing down a winding path through some of the wilder gardens. As you wind your way through the gardens, more of the same signs keep you on the right path, to the entrance.

The Labyrinth’s hedges are Lonicera (Lonicera nitida) and was all planted from cuttings approximately five years ago. To walk the labyrinth is about a 360 meter round trip and takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

An ancient piece of local bog Oak makes up the sculptural centre piece.

Summer Shot

Lonicera makes a great hedge, it is easily planted from cuttings and is fast growing. However there is an obvious drawback with this too, it being that, it needs regular trimming. I made the mistake of offering to cut it once, with a hedge streamer, it’s quite a lot of maintenance.

Another big job is mowing the grass, there's no short cuts so when you get to the centre and your mowing is complete, you get to push the mower all the ways around back out again. But it's worth it, and for some people it’s even a pleasure!

The Labyrinth in its second year growing.

Winter Shot

The labyrinth's creator, inspecting the hedges

Video of a swift walk through the Labyrinth

What are labyrinths

'A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

This labyrinth carving 'Hollywood Stone' found lying face down in a grassy lane near the village of Hollywood in County Wicklow, dates back to around the sixth century.

A labyrinth is an archetype with which we can have a direct experience. We can walk it. It is a metaphor for life's journey. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to "That Which Is Within." '

Labyrinths and mazes have often been confused. When most people hear of a labyrinth they think of a maze. A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns, and blind alleys. It is a left brain task that requires logical, sequential, analytical activity to find the correct path into the maze and out.
A labyrinth has only one path. It is universal. The way in is the way out. There are no blind alleys. The path leads you on a circuitous path to the center and out again.

For all those who wish to see more Irish labyrinths or fancy to walk one, this one and many more around the country can be found on Labyrinths Ireland http://www.labyrinthireland.com/irish.html


And for those of you who are reading this from abroad, you can find labyrinths from all over the world on the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator. http://labyrinthlocator.com/

 Below are a few other living labyrinths from around the world

Living Willow Structures

I am currently looking into organising a weekend workshop in live willow structures in West Cork, which has inspired me to write a post on the topic. I have always liked the ides of willow structures and am looking forward to the opportunity of creating one.

Willow has been highly valued since ancient times. The Celts considered it sacred. It has been used medicinally, as a dye plant, to make charcoal and as a timber. In more recent times, as we strive for green alternatives willow is undergoing a renaissance. One of its new uses is to create living willow structures.

Living willow has long been used for fencing. Once developed it makes a very strong and affective barrier for animals, because when willows are planted close to one another and twined together they will actually graft into one another.

Live willow fences are still used in today’s gardens and can be a unique feature in any garden. Long un-rooted willow cuttings (whips) can be used to make these functional and attractive structures/barriers in the garden that will grow and develop throughout the years. For example, woven screens, arbours or bowers over seats, arches, tunnels, children's play domes (which could be interconnected with tunnels if you have the space), and then you could use them to support climbing plants such as roses, honeysuckle, golden hop or clematis.

Any variety with sufficient growth can be used but the faster growing varieties that produce long straight whips are best especially for larger structures. Viminalis varieties are probably the most suitable but others can be used for varying stem colour/leaf/catkin interest within the structure.

In Germany there is a company called Sanfte Strukturen, here they bring living willow structures to an entirely new level. Here is an example of one of there projects.

The Auer World Palace was built in March / April 1998 with 300 volunteers from all over the world.

Marcel Kalberer was assisted by builders, architects and artists, who guide the many different volunteers through the construction of the palace.

While the construction was a social event, the Palace itself would soon be used as a center for community festivities. The full moon events for example are already legendary and have drawn more than 80,000 visitors from near and far. Every event has its own character due to changing cultural activities and light installations.

As the first Living Willow Palace it became a very welcome and necessary tourist attraction in the sleepy countryside between Weimar and Naumburg.

If anyone would be interested in doing a weekend course in living willow structures in the West Cork, please do let me know.

Good news at last, The Snowdrops are up!

So good news, the first snowdrops are up! And you know what that means, it is officially the end of winter……Well according to Irish folklore anyway.

In Irish folklore it is said that when the snowdrop is seen it is the end of winter and the start of spring.

It is amazing to think that anything can grow in the garden after the hard freeze we just experienced, but isn't it great to see something so beautiful and delicate pierce its way through the ground and lift our spirits.

The Snowdrop is now a familiar wildflower in Ireland, however it actually originated from central and eastern Europe. The Latin name for Snowdrop Galanthus literally means "milk-white flowers" arising from the fact that the snowdrop plant looks like three drops of milk hanging from a stem.

The flower grows to an average height of 15cm with three inner and 3 outer petals. It closes its petals at night and opens them in the morning to attract insects. Insects help to pollinate the flower allowing it to reproduce. Snowdrops like to grow in a moist soil with plenty of humus. They do not like hot, dry positions preferring part shade. Snowdrops can be seen in early spring and can be found at the moment beginning to peek up from its wintry sleep. Snowdrops grow from a hardy bulb just like daffodils and the crocus. There are almost 20 different types of snowdrop, all are white, however they differ in size and shading.

An interesting fact is that the little snowdrop has been linked to important medicine that could help in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Galantamine, a medicine used today to treat Alzheimer's disease, occurs naturally in several members of the amaryllis family (snowdrop; narcissus; daffodil). This important medicine was first discovered in the innocent Snowdrop.

Winter Pruning

The growth of plants is at its lowest during the month of December, but that does not mean the garden is inactive. Below the surface, there is a lot going on ... bulbs pushing their noses ever nearer the surface, trees and shrubs making new roots in moist soil, earthworms making compost from leaf litter, and you, looking ahead and making plans!

Now is the time to lift and divide those perennial plants that may have outgrown their space or maybe they aren’t flowering as well as they should be due to overcrowding. Shrubs and trees that are in the wrong place and were screaming to be moved earlier in the year can all be moved during this dormant season.

The late dormant season is best for most pruning. Pruning in late winter, just before spring growth starts, leaves fresh wounds exposed for only a short length of time before new growth begins the wound sealing process. Another advantage of dormant pruning is that it’s easier to make pruning decisions without leaves obscuring plant branch structure. Pruning at the proper time can avoid certain disease and physiological problems.