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Miriam Carl, Clinical Aromatherapist

Spring Cleaning: Clearing Out the Garden and My Mind

4/22/2018

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​It's been an exceptionally slow Spring here in the Midwest. Based on the weather, it seems like Spring is running several weeks behind schedule. But the plants are resilient; they know how to adapt. They are patient.

Now that the temperatures are in the 40's and 50's, I'm getting back outside. It's time for general garden clean up, bit by bit. Pulling up dead plants, removing leaves, and surveying the landscape. There is some otherwordly weed growing; something tall and tenacious in this garden that I cannot identify, and I am not capable of yanking out. Note to self: Get help with that. It's time to lug out my old shovel and break up the earth a bit. Make it light and airy. After that, I'll add compost and incorporate it into the earth. Then it's time for good topsoil. I say hello to the faithful chives that come up every year in my garden. They're always there first. In an ever changing world, I can rely on my chives.


It's cathartic to clear out the garden...to survey the remains of your past, discard as necessary, and reassess. I think about what worked well last year and what didn't work well. What endeavors flourished and brought joy, and which ones were plucked away by the birds. And while it helps to reflect, I also know: there are no birds in last year's nest. It's a new year. Time to say farewell to the last one. Thank you for the lessons and the memories. What kind of garden do I want this year? What beauty do I want to bring into the world? What you contemplate can actualize. 
​

As a gardener, you receive a lot of advice. Other gardeners make suggestions or insist on what you need to grow or do. This is fine. I just remember that it is my garden. It must be fulfilling to me. I am grateful for this sanctuary and a chance to begin anew. I won't look back too long; I'll go towards the good. And I can't wait to see what gets growing this year.

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Dear Reader,

I would love to hear from you! What are you growing in your garden this year?
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Summer Recipes: Artichokes

6/27/2016

16 Comments

 
I'm excited to introduce you to Myrthe Noordegraaf, our newest guest blogger!
Born Dutch, living French, Myrthe is living a simple life at the beautiful French countryside.

​I hope you enjoy her musings and photography (pictured below ) . . .
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For the first time in my own garden !
Artichokes are beautiful, healthy, easy to cook and a pleasure to eat.
No need to say that it's one of my favorite vegetables.

How to cook​ :
​
Cook or steam them until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.
Cooking : +/- 45 minutes in a large pot of boiling water
Steaming : +/- 15 minutes

How to eat :

​Take one leave at the time, dip it in a vinaigrette (mixture of vinegar, oil, mustard) and eat the little fleshy part. 
Keep on doing this until the leaves become thinner. You can eat them or pull them of.

To reach the heart remove the hairy part (inedible). 
​Put some vinaigrette on the heart and enjoy !

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Bon appétit,

​Myrthe
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"L'Art de vivre is to take time to enjoy small simple things." More than 15 years ago, Myrthe chose France as her home. Today she shares flashes out of her daily life and inspiration with you at www.myrthe.fr
16 Comments

The Alchemical Garden

11/22/2015

10 Comments

 
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Believer or disbeliever,
​No matter who You are,
No matter what Your ambitions
Forget!

Have you heard about the
alchemists?
Forget!

Use Your imagination,
Be attentive.

​Alchemy, as presented in the
garden, is the transformation of
the soul
through grace and initiative 
science. It is presented not
as the "black magic" of old but
as an essential tool of an era
when
being a great scientist also
meant being a great philosopher,
so
intertwined were the two
pursuits.

            

​                    ~ Sign at the Alchemical Garden at
                       Mas de la Brune in Provence, France.

​
I invite you to discover my alchemical, limited edition creation: ​Visions in the Garden 
Featuring Vetiver, Rose, Tomato Leaf, Jasmine, Mimosa Olessance from France, and more.

Spiritual Properties of the Above Essences:
​
  • Vetiver ~ A root oil that aids those who feel too sensitive to outside forces. Instills strength and confidence.
  • Rose ~ A sacred oil that eases grief and sorrow. Enhances your connection to love, creativity, beauty, and the arts. Restores trust and self compassion.
  • Tomato Leaf ~ A rare essence with a wonderful, verdant aroma. Protects from negative influences. Inspires hope, passion, and belief in oneself.
  • Jasmine ~ A voluptuously warm aroma that promotes joy, euphoria, and sensuality. Beautifying and enhances intuition. ​
  • Mimosa ~  Fresh, sparkling, crystalline scent that aides creativity and joy. Associated with protection, purification, and prophetic dreams.

​To bring a touch of grace and transformative magic into your life . . . 
Visions in the Garden.
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The Garden Begins . . .

6/15/2015

4 Comments

 
This year I have set out on planting my first garden. Growing a healing, aromatic garden with a variety of plants for medicine-making was my goal. I also wanted to focus on attracting bees, birds, and butterflies. 

While there are many practical benefits of having a garden, the intangible effects are equally important. The garden feels like a sanctuary; it connects me to a place of joy and wonder.

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Here are my first seedlings! Sunflowers up close and Calendula farther back. Calendula is a flowering herb that I use to make infused oils for soothing skin irritation.
Sunflower and Calendula seedlings
Bee Balm (pictured below) makes a tasty tea that is helpful for colds and indigestion.
It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
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Lemon balm (below, center left) has a pleasant, citrusy flavor and is another great medicinal herb. It contains caffeic and rosmarinic acids which offer antiviral effects. It is a soothing herb that helps ease stress.

Other herbs pictured below include dill, rosemary, chives, sage, and flat leaf parsley. I have a special fondness for sage, enjoying its soft leaves and mysterious scent. It is a wonderfully healing herb that is antimicrobial and excellent for sore throats.
Medicinal herbs. Lemon balm (Melissa), rosemary, chives, sage, flat leaf parsley.
Fresh flowers are food for the soul. Zinnias are easy to grow, bloom all season long, and attract birds and butterflies. I love how robust they are!
Orange Zinnia
"Learn to be an observer in all seasons. Every single day, your garden has something new and wonderful to show you."
Daisy and decorative, metallic mushrooms
I look forward to sharing the journey with you as the garden progresses!
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Gardening & Looking Forward to Spring

1/24/2015

4 Comments

 
Little indoor garden with plants, stones, and gnomes.
My little indoor garden & some gnomes for good luck.

I am new to gardening. I've always loved the idea of it, and "The Secret Garden" is still one of my favorite movies - I think it made a lasting imprint on my heart.

However, I haven't always had the confidence to start gardening. It always seemed a bit intimidating to me. I never had great luck with houseplants, either.

Earlier in 2014, I decided to just give it one more go. I bought the succulent plant on the right side of the above photo, and miracle of miracles - it lived! It has grown so much. This encouraged me to buy a few more plants, including the ones pictured and a few air plants, too. I also planted some daffodil bulbs in Fall, and I am incredibly excited to see them emerge this Spring. They will be yellow, orange, and white. Some of them will be fragrant, too!

I love taking care of my little plants. I like to wake up in the morning and see if they've changed overnight. I like to dream about what I could plant. I believe gardening opens up a whole world of inspiration and possibilities. 

If gardening is something you've been meaning to try, I definitely recommend giving it one more go.

What are you looking forward to seeing in your garden this Spring? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world," he said wisely one day, "but people don't know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen. I am going to try and experiment.” 


―  Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
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