The Garden

I wanted to start this blog so that I can record my thoughts and ideas on my growing garden, my interest in herbal medicine and aromatherapy. I have hit a stressful time in my life...kinda all at once! I plan to make sure that my enchanted botanicals help me deal with the stress!

My only daughter has completed her college career and has moved to Sweden to be with the love of her life! My elderly parents have made the very difficult decision to move into assisted living...after my 90 year old father fell and broke his hip.

The good news is that my parents are moving to my location in southern Indiana from Ohio...so that I no longer have to drive up and down the interstate to take care of their needs. The bad news is (and that's not much!) that I am responsible for finding a place and coordinating the move...so this blog is how I am going to use the garden and all its gifts to help me as I move into this new era.

My first problem...began shortly after the phone call...that my dad fell and broke his hip. I am having trouble sleeping at night...so of course I reached for my favorite essential oil.....lavender. If you are having trouble sleeping ....before you reach for the pills...try some drops of lavender oil on your pillow case.

Good lavender oil will not stain clothing or sheets. If the oil is 100% pure and not cut with any carrier oil...you should never see a stain. If you do...then you know that your quality of oil is sub-par.

There are a few things to look for when shopping for high quality essential oils. First of all, purchase from a reputable dealer that you can trust. Oils are like fine wine....they may smell different depending on the region of the world...where the plant grow. I have had several different lavender oils distilled from different regions and they all smelled slightly different. Make sure you know your dealer so that you are purchasing the best quality of oil that you can afford.

I'm off to see if I can purchase some lavender augustifolio....down the road a greenhouse had some on clearance. This true or common lavender is easy to grow (likes sandy soils)...and I think I am going to need a lot for the upcoming year. I have been able to winter over my existing lavender...but it never hurts to add more! I weeded my lavender bed last night..so now I have some room.

I think I should dry some lavender flowers and sew up some eye pillows...for relaxation! Thankfully my daughter 'failed' to take her sewing machine with her to Sweden!