The Makings of a Solstice Garden

I read about solstice gardens and directional gardens in the Farmer’s Almanac and instantly fell in love with the solstice garden!

What is a Solstice Garden? 

Well, a calendar/rock garden that denotes a garden calendar. How it works is the shadow of a tall stationary object is cast on other small stationary objects on the solstices and equinoxes of the calendar year, also you can put rock markers on special days of the year like birthdays and anniversaries.  

Getting Started:

My 90 year old Grandmother “Nanny Jean” was woman of the year for Beta Sigma Phi. The ceremony was held at a tea room/craft and antique mall in Lindsay Oklahoma. While waiting on the program to start I did some browsing. I found a great iron trellis with a pink ball on the top of it, I had to have it, it was perfect!

I placed it around my property and watched the noontime shadows on days I was not at work and decided on a general place I wanted to put in my special garden. In December I finalized my plans I found the terraces permanent location. I also made sure the corners of my square trellis is directional noting true north at one corner, I used a compass for this step. I also decorated a temporary rock to mark the winter solstice 2012 at high noon. I hope to find something prettier in the future.

Now I know what you’re thinking and it’s not true!! Until I started reflecting on this garden this very day I did not realize that I placed the rock at high noon on the end date of the Mayan Calendar and on the day our sun is aligned with the center of our Milky Way…. but now that I do realize that it makes this whole thing so cool!

So… What’s Next:

Well the spring equinox of course.  Now that I have marked to winter solstice and my trellis has marked it’s longest shadow to be recorded I have a general idea of the area my rock garden must have. I did not lay down any landscaping material first, and I will likely need it so I will have to do that next and create the border rocks around my shadow casting area and I really would like to find a few really cute things for marking each important date of the year. I once decorated a pot for my mother and I purchased a metal garden spike with a wire and glass butterfly on it. I would love to use something like this for family birthdays.

I promise to keep this updated each calendar addition until complete!

Misty Dawn