Gardens of creation

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By Catherine Chambers — educational writer

Explore how different religions use outside space to express their beliefs

Teaching religion through garden design and creation is a great way of pulling together faith in general, religious themes and morals. Teaching and developing projects around Islamic, Buddhist, Medieval Christian and other gardens can be very cross-curricular, too. Geography, history, maths, science and literacy can all contribute. Whether your projects centre around drawing, creating designs, painting and collage-making, or actually making indoor or outdoor gardens, you will find that designs and principles laid out by different faiths provide a great focus and stimulus.

How can you start?

Further information

Some references to gardens and nature in the Qu’ran can be found in Surahs 47, 53, 2.25, 2.41, 69.23.
Japanese Zen Buddhist gardens: www.columbia.edu/itc/ealac/V3613/ryoanji/ryoanji.htm
Gardening for schools www.organicgardening.org.uk/schools_organic_network