The Herban Corner - Floral Awakening

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The Herban Corner - Floral Awakening

by Karen Hegre

 

Embrace the miracle of spring's renewal...let it take you

along a garden

path that leads to awakening. Surround yourself with

fragrant,

pastel-hued flowers! Rejoice with the scent, hue and

texture of flowers.

I absolutely love this time of the year! Tomorrow is the

first day of

spring and to me the following says it best:

" Tis like the birthday of the world,

When earth was born in bloom;

The light is made of many dyes,

The air is all perfume;

There's crimson buds,

and white and blue...

The very rainbow showers

Have turned to blossoms where they fell,

And sown the earth with flowers. "

~ Thomas Hoods

 

Awaken your senses by surrounding yourself with a bouquet

of floral

accents. Freshen the air with jasmine perfume, sip a

blend of

floral-flavored tea and enjoy the scent of a jasmine

topiary.

 

Are you having 'spring guests'? Delight them, or

yourself, with a basket

of fluffy towels scented with a linen spray. Be aware of

Nature's beauty

and indulge yourself with fragrant flowers...Her most

precious perfumes.

 

To make visitors, and yourself, feel very special, leave

a basket

brimming with plush towels in the bathroom. Enclose a

bottle of jasmine

linen spray to freshen and scent the towels. To make the

spray, simply

add 6 drops jasmine essential oil to four ounces

distilled water. Pour

the mixture into a spray bottle and tuck into the basket

of towels. Add

a sprig of fresh jasmine, if available. The spray also

makes a

wonderful, effective room freshener.

 

Jasmine in a Jar:

To one cup boiling water, add four packages unflavored

gelatin and two

tablespoons salt. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.

Add 15 drops

jasmine oil and one drop food coloring. Pour into a jar

and cover with

plastic wrap; let set overnight. Remove plastic, place a

doily over jar

and set on table to use as an air freshener. The scent

will last for

about two weeks.

 

Jasmine Eau De Toilette:

For a beautifully scented toilette water, pour the

following ingredients

into a glass bottle and shake well; Three fourths cup

citrus-flavored

vodka, one fourth cup orange blossom water and six drops

jasmine

essential oil. Allow to steep for one week before use.

This eau de

toilette is deliciously fragrant and pleasant to use.

White Stars Topiary:

Entwined in an imaginative shape, a jasmine vine creates

a perfect

topiary. Place the jasmine plant in a terra-cotta pot and

insert the

round wire topiary form....gently wrap vine around the

wire until it's

covered completely. Water well and trim occasionally,

shaping as you go.

 

Jasmine Tea:

Enjoy a delicious tea blend made with one cup black tea

leaves and two

cups fresh jasmine flowers. Scoop a one inch layer of tea

leaves into a

jar; place a one inch layer of jasmine flowers on top.

Alternate layers

until all ingredients are used. Secure lid on jar; let

jasmine permeate

tea leaves for a few days, then remove flowers from loose

tea by hand.

To use, add one teaspoon tea to one cup hot water; let

steep a few

minutes.

 

Jasmine essential oil has an exotic fragrance, making it

a popular

choice for perfumes and colognes. Because of its

softening effect, the

oil is often found in skin-care products. Jasmine oil is

used to relieve

depression, tension, fear and listlessness.

 

About the author:

Karen is a master gardener specializing in herbs and a crafter.

She and her husband have

a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, plus 'Fairy Gardens' where

the children can learn about different herbs and hear

Karen read a story about the Garden

Fairies and Flowers.

 

<http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/>

http://www.OldFashionedLiving.com

 

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“Fortunately

art is a community effort - a small but select community living in a

spiritualized world endeavoring to interpret the wars and the solitudes of the

flesh.”

 

-Allen Ginsberg

 

 

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http://confessionsofacraftaholic.blogspot.com/

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