A morning in the garden
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.
~ Rachel Carson
Apothecary News: I’m working on the Summer of Love Boxes once again! You can see the descriptions of what will be in them on the website, though they are not available just yet. I will keep you posted when they are. You can also sign up on the product page to be directly notified when it is back in stock.
The whirlwind of spring is slowing to a steadier rhythm now that the warmer (dare I say hot) weather is here. The mosquitos are out in swarms and the heat makes the muscles slow. But it’s also beautiful and the air smells like a fertile womb of floral and musk.
I had conversations with a few people who each mentioned it smells like flowers wherever they go this year. I had noticed this, but I thought maybe the winter had just been long and I had forgotten how alive the air becomes. But no, there’s something more and deeper on the wind this year. Have you felt it too?
My mornings now begin in the garden and evenings end in the garden. There have already been losses and new surprises, as it always goes. Instead of my typical wood chip mulch for the garden, I used straw instead on my annual beds. I was particularly proud of how healthy and vibrant the holy basil was when I planted them in.
Unfortunately, the slugs also thought they were beautiful and before I could even address the issue, the plants had been chewed mostly down to the stem. They then had the zinnias in their sights before I caught it. Luckily this doesn’t always kill holy basil and side shoots are now starting to sprout.
 I didn’t want to try the salt method or eggshells. Actually harming the slugs didn’t feel like the right choice. Slugs provide food for all sorts of worms, birds, insects and mammals and thinking about simply killing them for the sake of the plants made me feel icky.
So, I’ve pivoted to spraying an essential oil blend (called Crooks oil, loosely based on Thieves oil) on the plants every day after watering. The blend contains essential oils of cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary which so far seems to deter the little leaf munchers. I will continue to do this at least until the plants are hopefully large enough to fend for themselves. And next year I plant on going back to a wood chip or leaf mold mulch.
Tending a garden keeps you humble. No matter how many years you do this, no matter how much you learn or connect with the plants, it always has a way of reminding you that we will never know the true mystery of the workings of the earth. It pushes us to not become complacent. The garden is a continual challenge and puzzle that I never want to stop putting together.
But despite the losses, there are also so many gifts. I’m working on getting the Summer of Love Box (coming back by popular demand, note that it is NOT available just yet. I will post updates when it is) together and find myself getting lost in the harvests and the making of medicines.
Summer, maybe more than any other season is so nostalgic. The smells in particular: the smoke of a bonfire, the lilacs, fresh air off of the lake brings us back to childhood when the days were endless and worries were farther away. My goal with creating these boxes is to encourage diving back into those feelings and memories.
One new offering I’m adding to the box this year is The Muse, a flower essence blend for creatives. It often goes that a new formula will whisper at the back of my mind for years before I finally give it a voice and this one is no different, though I am so excited to finally let it sing.
As a writer, artist and herbalist (which often requires just as much creativity!) I’ve found there are so many things that get in the way of the creative process. Outside noise, comparison, self doubt, self criticism, lack of inspiration and any number of other pressures can easily stifle the message we’re meant to deliver. A message that is important and deserves to be heard.
This essence blend softly seeps into the crevices of the subconscious as flower essences do, to loosen those ties and inspire greater purpose and motivation within the creative process. It is a blend of three flowers.Â
Iris was the first flower that whispered its way into the blend. In my mind, iris is the essence of artists. It is a flower made up of the sacred number of three. There are three petals and three sepals, alternating around one another. The petals curve upward and inward, shielding its inner world and fertile ovary, while the sepals curve downward and outward, reaching out to the wider world around it. This captures the essence of the artist. It reflects our desire to commune with the shadows inside of us to transform it into something people on the outside will resonate with, but also to draw inspiration from the outside world to then transform into something that we can mold and meld within us.Â
The petals and sepals float effortlessly around the stem, like a paintbrush waiting to create something new and profound. Within it all, iris essence helps us tap into the deeper realms of creativity both within and without. It helps us see into our own soul’s purpose while also tapping into the greater picture and the cosmos above us. It gives inspiration when we lack and motivation when it feels like too much.
To address all aspects of the creative process, another flower came to light. Columbine, which I planted a few years ago in the garden and is no blooming beautifully in the shade, helps us develop and stay true to our own unique creative identity and voice. It’s so easy to look around at the beautiful work others have created and want to incorporate it into our own. While borrowing inspiration is a potent ingredient for transforming our own thoughts and ideas into something beautiful, leaning onto others too much only damages our own creativity. Columbine brings us back to that place of knowing oneself within the creative process.
Lastly, wild geranium bloomed just as this formula was coming together. And a perfect addition it was, the final piece to the puzzle. Self doubt and criticism is a vicious cycle that can keep us from creating anything at all or prevent us from putting something that should be seen out into the world. Wild geranium harmonizes these feelings with the more important beliefs that we are worthy, that our work needs to be seen, that it is important and someone somewhere will benefit from it.
I say harmonize instead of eliminate because all feelings are useful. Criticizing our own work helps us grow and come up with new ideas and techniques. It makes us work harder. Doubt keeps us humble. But too much of either is damaging. Wild geranium tempers and balances all of these emotions that come up.
Before starting on any creative works for the day, I take a few drops of this essence to get me through the day. It is a gentle guide and support through the waves of creating.Â
Wherever you are, I hope the beauty finds you today. Whatever it is you’re creating, dreaming, doing, may it pour forth with purpose.
Much Love,
Val
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