This was the last part of a dream, with many other things in it, but I can only remember this last part.
It may well be just a left over processing part from the day as is related to very day-to day events or things that I am trying to find out about gardening etc.
I am a very eager, but amateur gardening, who has been 'denied' a garden until up to now. I now have a large garden in need of a lot of replanning and tlc.
I have also been working through a very basic gardening 'course' http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module1/light1.shtml
and digging over my new plot/planting xmas tree/clearing rubble/weeding/testing soil etc.

Anyway, in the dream the well known english gardening expert from this site (Alan Titchmarsh)turned up while I was digging up the garden and I told him I thought my soil was a 'loamy' soil. He replied no, it's not loamy - it's a clay soil and you need to dig all of this peat into it.
(Digging peat into soil is now thought as very destructive to the environment and not exactly politically correct in environmental terms! It's definately not something I'd use and it seemed very contrary to his usual advice)

In reality, the soil testing kit arrived today - so will find out who is right - me or the pseudo gardening bloke! lol

Is this simply about waking thoughts about planning gardening or has it any metaphorical aspect?

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alan titchmarsh is an expert in his field,
so as a gardener,a man of the earth,someone who is in touch with the nature ,(maybe your nature,)
you would expect any advice to be given by him to be sound advice,
you ar slightly suspicious of this advice,
is this a ref to your masculine thing again,maybe the animus ?,
he was also famous for his groundforce series,
creating things of beauty from basics,
turning scrub land into features,
this sounds like what you are doing,starting/creating a garden from scratch,(could be a ref to alchemy)and its spiritual implications,
or as you say it could be the days events,
steve.

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Hi Steve

Yes, I agree with what you said. I have thought a little more about it too and looked at the dream dictionaries on here. If the garden is our creative selves - then a loamy soil ( often seen as one of the 'best' soils for gardens) would be what I was hoping my creative self would be, or working towards this. By the 'expert' saying no it's clay soil - may mean I still have a long way to go to 'shape and mould my creativity or creative self.
I don't understand the peat bit yet though.

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Claire,
Could peat be a pun, a play on words? Or do you know a male or female named Pete or Peter, that has positive masculine and or feminine traits you admire or want to develop in the Self?

Kind regards,
Kathy

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hi claire,
on the subject of peat,
if peat is added to clay soil to help break it up,
to make it more versatile and productive,
and with your own comments,
what would you need to introduce into your own life to become more productive and versatile,?
if anything,
just a thought,
steve.

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But the point is peat is supposed to be a bad thing to add to soil these days and te only peat word association is my abusive brother who is named 'Pete'.
Maybe thats the message of the dream - that I'm saying the soil is 'perfect' or ok, 'complete' but the gardener is saying " No, it's still clay like - you still are shaped by these bad influences from Peat in the past?
Don' t know?

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claire,
kathy may be right with her thoughts on peat being a pun then,
i didn't realize you had a pete in your life,
it does make sense if this is the pete it is refering to,
obviously if you feel adding peat to soil is bad,
then thats the starting point,
from your own words ,there is still work to be done,
your saying its ok,the gardener is saying no it isn't,
but its your associations that count,not ours,
regards steve.

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In my dreams expert (physician. scientist, professor, etc) characters that act in a matter of fact manner often represent an intellectual aspect bringing an issue to consciousness for examination. A purely intellectual evaluation as the basis or foundation for examining an issue with deep emotional currents. Of course, this is as applies to my dreams though there may be a correlation. Did the expert in your dream act in a similar way?

Garden as creative aspect of Self, gardening as developing and nurturing that aspect makes sense. ‘I thought’ could be ego perception, ‘loamy’ being of the creative Self as optimum level of creativity. Loam contains sand and decaying organic material. Clay soil may represent the current creative Self, malleable when moist (water as the unconscious) but hard when fired. This could reference blocking or to wall of the abuse in the unconscious. When this fracture is healed in the Psyche, the creative aspect could then freely draw upon conscious and unconscious to full, and fulfilling, expression with abundant creative energy. Although as you already know and experience, healing itself is a difficult journey.

Kind regards,
Kathy

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Hi Kathy and Steve, yes this seems to make sense.

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Okay after today, I think this dream had/has more to do with guidance/creativity than anything else.
I did the soil test with my garden soil, this morning and it turned out to be alkaline. I then re-did it, thinking the soft drinking water up here, may effect the PH value. I was right, tested with rainwater, the PH was 7 - indicating a neutral soil.
Looking through the plant index today, it recommended digging in peat, manure or compost to change the PH value of the soil. In order to grow some of the plants and vegetables I want to, it would be advisable to dig in peat, compost or manure to raise the acidity of the soil slightly.
Could this dream merely have been a kind of 'forward planning guidance' from an archetypal figure.
I have had dreams in the past that have given guidance, warned or 'remembered' things in the not so distance future, if this makes any sense at all? lol

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Hi Claire,
That makes perfect sense. The dreamer always has the interpretation, it must fit within their context. With your avid focus and enjoyment of gardening the Psyche very well would seek to support this endeavor with positive 'pre' knowledge.

You may find The Cook’s Garden website of interest if you plan to include veggies, herbs and the like.

Kind regards,
Kathy

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Wow thanks Kathy - I'm looking at the website now - it looks like just my thing.

I also think there's a 'loop thing' going on here?
i.e. when I garden, I sow seeds, plant things etc, nuture the soil etc, but by doing this, the action of doing this, reflects back and nutures me too.
It's like a mirror?

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Yes - a loop - the circular expression. What goes on in the Psyche, life activity mirrors such.

Glad you have your garden!

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Hey Clair,If there is anything you do want to know about gardening,Thats my forte.This last year i decided to do what i love,and opened a beautiful nursery.And iam the happiest ever.Digging in the earth never felt so good and revitalizing.

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Sounds wonderful Angelique, like you found your 'bliss'?

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