I assume most of you are reading this post because you’re already curious about animist gardening. But just in case the idea of animism is new to you, let’s begin by asking: what is animism? Webster has a few different definitions, and the two I’m concerned with in this post are:

“attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects”

and

“belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies”

To me, animism is the understanding that all things, creatures, and places have their own spirit and consciousness. I think there’s a little bit of ambiguity with items made by humans, especially the ones produced in a factory. But I do think even made objects can have a spirit, either from the moment of creation, or through relationship with other beings, depending on the circumstances of that creation. The question of who or what has consciousness is, however, well beyond the scope of my little blog post.

Setting aside that question, what matters for this post is the understanding of nature as alive. The more deeply I work with the land I live on, and the more time I spend getting to know the land around my home, the more pronounced my awareness of the consciousness of all beings becomes. I’ve been a witch for over 20 years, and a gardener for about 16, and I know I’ve only scratched the surface of understanding how the web of life in the garden works. But the plants, stones and animals have taught me a lot over this time, and there are a few things I know for sure. So here, in no particular order, are some of my thoughts on animist gardening.

Sometimes a place chooses you. 

A few years back, when my wife and I were looking for a home to buy, our realtor lined up several houses for us to look at. Neither of us really wanted to look at the last house on the list: from the pictures, it looked kind of awful. But we needed to work fast, because our rental was being sold and we only had a few months to move out. So we looked at every house our realtor suggested, and not only was the last house nicer than it seemed in the photos, but also, the second we walked through the door, wifey and I both felt like we were being hugged. And when we walked outside, the sensation of “you belong here” intensified. The land started tugging on me and I just knew this place wanted me to be here. As if I needed more confirmation, the buying process was freakishly smooth.

The land and the spirits have their own intentions. 

We moved into this house at the beginning of October, and I spent the winter walking around our little quarter acre, feeling the way energies move across the space, and letting myself slowly start to grow new roots here. When spring arrived, I sat on the ground by the tiny, emerging leaves of lemon balm on a sunny afternoon and listened. And the spirits here had a lot to say about what they wanted from me. I understood this place had called out to me because they knew I could hear them, and knew I would do what they wanted me to do. Being claimed by a place is often about what that particular patch of land needs from us: it would be unwise to assume being invited to stay is the same as being given carte blanche to do whatever we want with the land. I believe a place is a being, a person, just as surely as I am, and I have a responsibility to honor the wishes of the land as I garden. Recognizing the agency of the land means we might have to change some of our own plans as we begin interacting with the spirits of place.

It’s not only about humans. 

Plants and non-human animals have value in and of themselves, which has nothing to do with their usefulness to humans. The land belongs to other-than-human people as much as – if not more than – it does to humans. So it’s only right to consider their needs and include features in our gardens that benefit wildlife. That tree we don’t find attractive could be home to wildlife whose habitat elsewhere is threatened. Those pretty ornamentals we want to add to the garden might be harmful to the local ecosystem. That spot we were thinking of building a potting shed might be home to plants who are vital for birds or butterflies. To do right by all the people in our garden, human or not, requires letting go of the idea that we’re the center of our gardening universe. And it requires being willing to compromise on some of our desires for the good of the land and local wildlife.

Faster is rarely better

As a lover of native plant species, I’ve joined many eco-conscious gardening groups and native plant groups. Within these groups, it’s very common for members to hate on invasive species and sometimes even decry all introduced species as villains. I’ve talked a bit about the value of weeds before, but there’s more to this. 

Because in these same groups, I’ve seen many photos of proud home owners who’ve come into a new home, removed every last invasive or introduced species, put down a thick layer of woodchips, and planted a whole slew of tiny, tender, baby native plants. And I know their hearts are in the right place. But there’s a lack of understanding the point of introducing native plants into our landscapes, which is to help heal the ground and benefit wildlife. And while introduced species are often less beneficial to wildlife than native species are, I firmly believe that some plants – even the so called “wrong” plants – are better for wildlife than no plants. (Obviously this depends a bit on where you live! What works for wildlife in the desert, for example, is a complete mystery to me. More on this later.) And the amount of soil disturbance involved in removing all the “bad” plants is devastating to soil tilth, insect life, and micoorganism populations.

It’s better for wildlife and the soil to take our time. We can introduce beneficial plants in empty spaces in the garden, giving them time to get established as we get to know the land and the plants who already live there. Then, in cooperation with the land, begin to shift the garden away from problematic species toward beneficial species a little bit at a time, making sure to maintain ample cover for birds and small animals, and safe spaces for insects to shelter in inclement weather. Many native plant species take a few years to flourish, so they won’t immediately provide benefits to a large number of species. By taking our time, we avoid creating a temporary wasteland where birds and insects can’t thrive. Nature doesn’t rush, and neither should we.

Just because it doesn’t move doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. 

For many of us, it’s easy to look at animals and care about their well being. They’re cute. They scamper. Their aliveness and personality is easy to read. Plants can be more subtle, but their growth and various qualities like scent, flowers, or taste, helps us appreciate them as living beings. But sometimes it’s not as obvious that the stones and soil are alive and have their own consciousness and desires. It seems like moving that rock, or digging up that soil, might not be such a big deal. And it’s true that soil is often amenable to being manipulated, and most stones are too. But I’ve come to understand that moving a stone still changes things. A stone influences the ground beneath it, the flow of energy around it – both tangible energy like wind and sunlight, and intangible energy that flows everywhere and is easily influenced by many factors. Not to mention stones and decomposing wood provide shelter for insects and other small creatures.

This doesn’t mean we should never dig a hole or move a stone. But it does mean we should do everything with attention and consideration. For one thing, it’s just good manners to check in with your space before making changes. For another, consulting with the land, the stones, the plants before making changes can lead to better results. Stones and soil are wise. They understand patterns we might not be able to perceive. They have relationships with the creatures and energies around them. A few minutes to confer with them will help you establish a better relationship with your garden and might end up saving you from making poor decisions that could lead to problems in the garden down the road. 

But Michelle, you might be thinking, what if I can’t HEAR them yet? What if I know all these things are alive, but I don’t know how to talk to them yet?

Not being able to hear the voices of non-humans – or not being able to understand what you hear – is pretty common. The communication is subtle and sometimes confusing, and it can take a lot of time and practice to get to the point where you can read the land. If that’s where you find yourself, don’t worry: you can still work WITH and FOR the land. I have two recommendations about where to start.

Research

Learn about native species of plants, animal, and insects in your area. Learn as much as you can about their needs for food, shelter, and water, and try to figure out how to incorporate some of those components into your garden. Let providing the needs of local wildlife be an offering you make to the land. Learn about the impact various gardening practices have on wildlife and the local ecosystem, including the life of the soil. A few helpful resources for research:

Bringing Nature Home, and Nature’s Best Hope, both by Douglas Tallamy, discuss ways suburban and urban yards and gardens could be beneficial to wildlife.

The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson focuses on landscaping and ornamental gardening with animals in mind.

The Wildlife Friendly Gardener by Tammy Hartung focuses on growing food while getting along with wildlife.

The Native Plant Finder helps you find plants native to your zip code which provide food and shelter for a variety of butterfly larvae:

State university extension services often have resources for gardeners and home owners on protecting native pollinators, water conservation, etc. A quick internet search for your state university’s extension service should lead you to loads of useful, free information.

Do divination

I put divination AFTER research for a reason. Before we can do divination, we need to know a little bit about our options. The more we understand the variables, the better our questions will be, which helps us get clearer answers. In decision making, if we can focus in on a yes/no question, we can be confident in the answers we receive. So we begin with learning about soil health, wildlife, and resource conservation, then use divination to help us make choices, like where to place the various components of the garden. Any divination method can work, so choose one you feel comfortable working with.

These two methods alone can get you started doing right by the land and those you share it with. But I also recommend continuing to spend time just sitting, watching, and listening to the land around you as often as possible. Pay attention to the thoughts that pop into your head, to the way plants and animals move and shift, and to the way your own body feels at different times, and in the company of different features of the land. Over time you will most likely begin to receive information from the spirits around you. And you can use divination to confirm the information you receive, thereby strengthening your intuition and growing more confident in your perceptions. And as you listen to and work WITH the land, you will form a mutually beneficial relationship that will bring you more satisfaction than you can imagine.

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