This red maple tree is significant because it houses nature beings who work in close harmony with humans. The tree is located in Delaware, at the edge of the Winterthur Museum’s Quarry Garden, the last project of H.F. du Pont in his twilight years.

Facing the tree, across a small stream, is  a garden bench. The tree is old now, with all the trunk contortions that maples often have. This tree has many images; skilled nature beings worked with the tree life energy and have told a variety of stories about cooperation between humans and nature in the shaping of this beautiful gem on a garden.

For nature being artists, skill is shown by how detailed the living images are that they sculpt and how smoothly they morph to show nuances of the story being told. Images are parts of other images, none losing their detailed completeness and each seen by shifting focus and position ever so slightly.

A call to come visit

I was strolling along the raised walkway through this area when the nature beings called out to me to come sit with them, to chat and photograph their art work. It took a bit of cajoling on their part because I was tired from several hours of photography, and it took quite a bit of looking to find a way down to visit. But they were insistent that the trip would be worth it – and, wow! was it ever!

It was a beautiful warm February day, the sun had come out, and nature and humans were all happily enjoying the early spring weather. I sat down on the bench, facing the tree, and felt a guardian of place spirit come sit next to me. He was very comfortable, bestowing much positive nature energy upon me so that my tiredness totally disappeared, and he and his friends began showing me their art work. Shown here are just some of the art pieces that have been sculpted into this venerable tree.

Watching the watchers

H.F. du Pont had an excellent relationship with his gardening staff, working with them on this personal favorite project of his – turning an old abandoned quarry into a planned site of great natural beauty. From what the nature beings explained to me, he and his staff enjoyed sitting in this area as they rested from their work.

On one side of the tree the nature beings crafted an image of themselves sitting and companionably conversing with the humans across the stream. You can see one nature being sitting in an arm chair and above one head is the head of another nature being looking towards the quarry garden.

Taking a nap

When you shift your position ever so slightly, and adjust your sight, you see a figure stretched out taking a nap. It looks like the nature beings crafted an image of the energy of the gardeners, taking a lunch break on a warm summer day and stretching out under the tree.

The Staff

This Quarry Garden was a favorite undertaking not only of the humans but also of the nature beings. This is a real life example of the beauty that can be created when the two realms work closely together.

To pay homage to this partnership, the nature artists crafted images representing the staff who worked on this project – nature beings and human beings. One one side there is a tree portal surrounded by nature being images. One the other side is a portal surrounded by human being images. Portals are doorways into various nature realms and are recognizable by the change of bark texture, or absence of bark; you will usually see a visible image of a nature being guardian protecting the gateway.

A red maple carries the energy of success, prosperity and community. Here both humans and nature have been provided with a doorway – a portal – into that universal energy.