Trees, Flowers, Gardening in Dreams

Plants have roots that work their way deep into the dark and fertile earth; their leaves and branches endeavor to reach the sky, the light and the warmth – they are an ideal comparison for the complex workings of the dreamer’s mind, stretching from the dark depths to the spiritual heights. The unconscious mind has its dark places, just like the roots of a plant, which can be nurtured towards the light of understanding. Branches, leaves and flowers are the visible symbols of the mind and can tell of your mental and emotional health.

Trees
Trees in dreams have roots that run deep into one’s emotional landscape, often thought of as symbols of the past, steady growth, age, experience, time and continuity. It is possible when viewing trees in dreams this way to see a small wood as representing the family and a large forest symbolizing the history of one’s society, culture or ethnic group. Roots are a source of wisdom and collective experience, the way you feel about trees in your dreams can be weighed against how you feel about your own roots.

Different kinds of trees can have different symbolic meaning depending on your cultural background; they are often given sacred or political value in different parts of the world. The oak tree is frequently connected with longevity, strength, reliability and resilience; the willow tree with death and enchantment; and the evergreen holly with its bright red berries can be connected with cheer during the long, dark winters.

Some of the people in ancient Britain regarded the tree as a symbol of tribal power and special trees were chosen to make totems, also if they won a battle with a rival tribe they would uproot one of their trees and bury it upside down in the ground as a demonstration of their superiority and dominance. Although these ideas linked with trees are ancient they are still part of many people’s collective consciousness, often reappearing in dreams.

Flowers and Vines
Flowers are usually thought of as beautiful and relaxing; they are also connected with giving and receiving, especially between loved ones. Flower gardens can be a symbol of order over creativity, where wild flowers can represent the beauty of intuition and artistic nature - a deep unhappiness may be represented by dreams of dead flowers. Dreaming of climbing plants may reflect a need to escape a situation, or a feeling of being tangled up in life’s complexities. Climbing plants like honeysuckle, clematis and vines are thought to represent one’s ambitions.

Fruit and Vegetables
Fertility and readiness are associated with ripe and succulent fruit. Because of the Adam and Eve story, many link apples with seduction and temptation; but they can just as easily represent the Fall/Autumn, or the fruitfulness of one’s developing unconscious. If you dream of fruit that is past its ripeness it is said to represent a missed opportunity or a loss of fertility.
You are said to be concerned with nourishment, fullness or abundance if you dream of vegetables; or feel are lacking these things if the vegetables are spoiled or of poor quality. Some dreams may be of a sexual nature, depending on the shape of the vegetable and your feelings in the dream.

Gardening
Dreaming about gardening, and how you felt about gardening in the dream, can reflect the way you feel about your work and career. Just as work can either be enjoyable and fulfilling, so can gardening; but gardening can also be tedious and vice versa. People respond to gardens emotionally and are often uplifted by the many hues displayed in gardens and the way in which they can enrich one’s life; but weeds can choke a garden and distract from its beauty, which may demonstrate a problem with your working life that needs taking care of.