A Tour Of The Path of Life Garden - Windsor VT
The Path of Life Garden was inspired by the Life Of Man – one of Europe’s most famous Japanese gardens, but is less formal and makes use of symbols of many cultures. The path that winds around the 14-acre field, connects 18 installations called “rooms,” each symbolizing an aspect of life -- e.g., birth, union, family, community, ambition, sorrow, contemplation and death. Some features are self-explanatory, while others require thought. Some features are manmade, others natural. Some call for simple viewing while others require participation.
As in life, not everyone experiences every part. Walking from birth to death, a visitor can make choices. “You can opt out of most rooms – skip climbing the hill learning to find the tree of wisdom or not enter into union and family.” says Terry McDonnell, the garden’s builder, “But you can’t skip birth, adventure, creativity and death.” Visitors can also walk along the Connecticut River, taking in the rich ecosystem that includes a bald eagle that shows up around the garden periodically.
Tunnel of Oblivion – Entry to the garden is through a tunnel under the railroad tracks that separate the garden from the industrial park that features the Harpoon Brewery tour and the Simon Pearce glass and pottery factory tours. Rail fans will enjoy seeing many freight trains as well as Amtrak’s Vermonter passing the garden.
Birth - Birth is represented by a stone standing up and arising from a depression – This spring 10 tall “sugar stones” will be placed in a circle around it – looking a bit like an elephant herd – and bringing to mind the idea of being born into a family.
Adventure - From the stone rising out of the ground that represents birth, a visitor enters a maze made up of 800 hemlocks. Symbolizing adolescence – a period of exploration, getting lost and finding the way – the maze is called “Adventure” and offers lots of choices and more than one correct route to get through. The trees that make up the maze are just a few years old but have grown up enough to make the maze challenging.
Hill of Learning - The hill can be climbed using milestones, steps that lead to the top. As with all learning, it takes some effort to get to the goal.
Tree of Wisdom - A white oak that will be planted atop the Hill of Learning in the spring of 2006.
Creativity - A bowl that forms an amphitheater where a stone stage – to be used for performances – may be built in the future. Towering over the amphitheatre is the Band, a sculpture made from wood salvaged from California’s Russian River. This will be the site for this summer’s exhibition of sculpture by Ria Blaas and Herb Ferris.
Hope - is a work in progress. Begun in 2003 it’s a mound with 3 tori gates
Union - Represented by two stones linked through the center hole of an old millstone, showing how we can be separate and yet part of a whole.
Family - Five long flat stones form a circle that represents the family, but it is up to the visitor to decide what the family is. The stones were worked by someone at sometime in the distant past, suggesting ancient stone circles that have been discovered in Vermont.
Community - Like family, community is another circle of stones – but in this case there are far more stones and each is unique and separate. But in making up the circle, they become something new – a united whole.
Solitude - Solitude is not necessarily loneliness. The single trunk lilac tree that represents solitude stands next to Community to underscore the state of being alone.
Ambition - A huge mound that takes substantial effort to climb and achieve the top – or an experience that can be skipped altogether.
Sorrow - The sorrows of mankind are summed up by a Tepee that brings to mind the suffering and sorrow of Native Americans.
Forgiveness - Forgiveness is a work in progress. This year, a circle of 18 bamboo canes will be installed. The canes are large – 50 feet tall and thick at their base and tapering at the top.
Joy - This room has not yet been conceptualized. What does joy mean to you?
Respite - Whether it’s just a short break or complete retirement, the state of resting is represented by a calming waterfall and a hammock. Before you resume your journey you may want to refresh yourself at the picnic table.
Contemplation - A stone Buddha stands near the end of the path. It has a view of much of the path you have just negotiated. As you consider your choices you may want to take a few minutes and solve the stone Labyrinth
Death - Death is represented by a grove of large, gnarled, old dead maples standing together. The texture of the wood reminds you of life, and the strength of the wood remains, but the life is gone. Depending on your beliefs, the path may end here or it may continue at …
Rebirth - cemetery fence enclosing a stand of young trees growing out of the “graves.” From here you can exit through the Gateway to Eternity or begin again at Birth.
When you finally leave the Garden, be sure to jot down any comments you have on the sheets provided at the exit. We love to know what you think, how the garden affects you and what suggestions you might have for the future.
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Path Of Life Garden - Route 5 North, In Windsor VT, The Birthplace of Vermont - Open Year Round - Tel: 802-345-5616
Path Of Life Garden
