Do you like this picture? The enchanted garden behind me is not out in the country somewhere, but instead is a gorgeous little wilderness behind a derelict house in a very suburban part of South Fremantle. It was a corner block, and this wilderness sat behind the house, accessable from the street, unfenced, wild and free. The gorgeously magical and wise peppermint tree was draped in a purple flowered vine and nasturtium. Everything was green, and lush, and breathed. It covered a space perhaps about 8 square metres. And was a beautiful home to birds, insects, reptiles and nature spirits. I passed it almost every day as I walked to the shops.

The house was recently sold, and vandalised. I remember feeling amused that the vandals chose to vandalise an already derelict and vacant property rather then an occupied one, I thought it showed a conscience that what they are doing is ugly.

Today I walked past this house and it was gone. Demolished, a patch of dirt in it’s wake. Oh bye house, I thought to myself and then I did a double take. Where was my wilderness? I turned the pram around and walked back a bit, just to be sure I was in the right spot, that I wasn’t mistaken. The wilderness was gone, the peppermint tree gone, the nature spirits home a crumbly waste of freshly turned dirt imprinted with the tracks of heavy machinery. There was a couple of metres of vine remaining on the neighbouring fence.

I pulled Evie out of her pram and held her, having a moment, mourning for the tree. The tree that was and is no more. Surely, a tree like that would be worth keeping. It makes me wonder what’s going there instead, not apartments ,surely. If I was building a house I’d want to keep that tree in my backyard.

No whoever purchased that land is going to build something, and make some money, and we have one less beautiful tree to look at. One more cleared patch of Earth.

All the air those vine leaves were cleansing, they cleanse no more. All of the love and wisdom that the ancient tree emanated as it stood firmly gounded in the Earth, is gone. That ancient tree.

Although this was one tiny patch of wilderness on a small piece of ‘private’ land, the removal of this wilderness is a mirror or what is happening the world over. We clear space for our homes and agriculture at huge cost to the health of the planet.

The Earth, cannot come second to immediate financial gain, or a bottom line on next years tax return, this is crazy.

I don’t have the solution, but I have faith that our generation, and the next does. I can lead by example, this is all that I can do.

Plants have vibrations that affect the environment physically with clean air, and metaphysically by being pure examples of love and life. Plants bring positivity, peace and serenity to your space. Who doesn’t love a beautiful garden? Or a forrest of rolling hills, or flowers?

Please plant a tree, or acquire a pot plant for your window ledge, and take time to breathe fresh wonderful air. Feel gratitude for life and oxygen.

I love the Earth.