Aromatic projects in process: a final micro micro batch of hyacinth enfleurage ; handmade violet leaf absolute; tazetta narcissus enfleurage; a couple of “dry” enfleurage with raw materials and hyacinth and salted hyacinths.

What dried nettles should look like when you buy them: whole leaf, green to forest green/black. As soon as the leaves are chopped, they begin to lose their oomph. And nettles is one with a lot of “ oomph” to give to tired adrenals, weak skin, hair, nails and blood, and so much more. Nettles heals the soil it grows from, makes a dandy fermented “ tea” for garden plants, is used for one of the Biodynamic preps.

The Spring flowers are pretty, but ticks are ‘on the grass, alas!’ I live in very high Lyme and other tick- borne disease region, and though Lyme got ahold of me elsewhere 25 years ago, moving to Virginia gave me another dose or two. While I never took antibiotics and just worked holistically to strengthen myself and remediate the debilitating symptoms, gardening and being outside ...my great joy... began to be a frightening experience. Until I developed this insect repellent which is highly effective against ticks. If you use it assiduously, that is. My partner and I work primarily outdoors, in waist and shoulder high plants, in the woods, on the ground, with confidence. My customers love this product too, as protection from mosquitos, gnats, walnut husk flies and other biting winged creatures . There are none of the typical ingredients found in other natural sprays, no geranium, cedar, lemongrass or eucalyptus, as I found them ineffectual for most mosquitoes, also ticks, which are technically not insects, but arachnids. As this product is based on a synergy of plants, including an in house distillation, only a finite amount is available each season. However, in addition to this organic alcohol and hydrosol based spray, soon there will be an oil based spray available. I like to apply the oil based one on the skin, in areas where perspiration happens most, then spray hard to reach areas with the aqueous based product for all day protection. If you don’t do any hard work outdoors, using just one or the other form is this repellant usually suffices.

Slowly I’ve been allowing the processing of my trip to NYC in its own time, no forcing. I walk away from forces of forcing, in fact, in myself or others. What a thing, then, to be back in the city I lived a good chunk of my life, after 23 years away, a city full of overstrong energies in almost every direction. But I was going for a reason: to complete my training in Dien Chan Zone with @mirrormedicine, and it was so worth it. There is so much I want to say about DCZ and then, I also don’t want to say anything about it. I’d like you to experience it, instead. Healing work is not new to me, it’s been a conscious path of self participation and offering to others for 30 years, so I’ve learned some things. One of them is feeling energy and intention. The moment I felt Dien Chan Zone, its goodness and freedom, very humanly embodied through a network of love, I knew it was something special. It is accessible, non-invasive, subtle and profound. The women in the class were beautiful, eager, kind... so many bright lights.. wish there’d been more time to engage with all them. My cup is full, my door is open.

Abuzz from all the energies of NYC, and going for 48 hours on an hour & a half of sleep. Coming home to bees buzzing and gathering around me as I wobbled out of the car , hundreds of birds and frogs and flowers above my head in the trees, below, under my feet and everywhere in between. My ears were ringing as my system self-purged the city cacophony. The gardens are pulsing with scent, color and music. The first thing that called to me? To rest in this violet light awhile.

This time of year is like a magical elixir of life, with fresh plants, sweet air and hopeful, busy birds & animals preparing for offspring. Though it’s hard to tear myself away, heading off to NYC tomorrow for a few days, to complete something special, staying with friends and getting a dose... after all these years ..of NYC’s unique potion.

It’s pouring outside, and no glorious garden day for me! But I can hear the birds singing happily and there are flowers indoors to delight. These teeny flowers pack a powerhouse of scent. From bottom left: daphne odora, viola, galanthus elwesii, muscari armeniacum, Pieris japonica, viola odorata Governor Herrick, species jonquilla, hyacinth, primula vulgaris, viola Pink Halo.

Show me your compost! ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ To grow flowers attractive to fairies, ( see last post) one must make compost. Especially one could learn how to make Biodynamic compost with the special preparations . It’s not just compost.. it initiates a whole new world.✨

Bouquet des fées.

While there are pansies and violas sprouting from seed in the cold frame, I couldn’t pass up these beauties at our local small nursery, owned by a lovely couple. The seed-sown ones will become edibles, these bought ones are just to admire, smell and press for packages. Are you fond of old fashioned flowers, too?