Tag Archives: garden

Thoughtful Thursday – Book Review

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While on vacation quite a few years ago, I came upon this delightful book by Cicely Mary Barker, “The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies.” I love rhyming poems and fell in love with her beautiful illustrations and magical words.

Cicely Mary Barker was born June 28, 1895 in West Croydon, Surrey England. Because she suffered from epilepsy Cicely was educated at home but she mostly taught herself to draw and paint. Her father was an accomplished artist and encouraged her artistic talent. He enrolled her at Croydon Art Society when she was only 13 years old.

At the age of 16, Cicely had her first work accepted for publication as a set of postcards. From there she devoted her time to painting. Pre-Raphaelites greatly influenced her and she believed in “truth in nature.” Cicely painted from life whenever possible and even enlisted the help of the staff at Kew Gardens to help identify plants. She carefully studied and painted their every detail with great accuracy. The fairies were also painted from life and modelled from the children at her sister’s nursery school. Once the paintings were complete, she then wrote a poem for the illustration.

“The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies,” was first published in 1923 and was well received by all, especially because of the fascination with fairies at the time and her vision of innocence.

Cicely passed away February 16, 1973 in a Worthing Hospital, England at the age of 77. One hundred years after the publication of her book, it continues to delight all.

I highly recommend you check out her site at FlowerFairies.com where you learn more about her and purchase giftware items showcasing her stunning paintings. Copies of this book are available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, however the dust jacket may be different.

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

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Here’s a sample of Cicely’s writing from her book:

Thoughtful Thursday Air Purifying Plants

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Photo by aliona zueva on Pexels.com

The air in our home can be filled with harmful chemicals and pollutants. Even if you take care not to use heavy scented cleaning agents you’re still not safe. The countertops in your kitchen and bathrooms have been known to emit harmful chemicals into the air without you ever noticing. Even installing new flooring, carpets or painting the walls can also pollute the air you breathe.

Luckily there is a simple solution. Certain houseplants are quite efficient air purifiers. Plus they bring lots of good vibes to your home. The next big question is how many plants do you need? The answer is you only need about two (10-12 inch potted) plants per every 100 square feet of space. For example a 13×15 foot room is 195 square feet so you would need 4 small plants to clean the air in that room. Below is a list of some of the best purifying plants for your home.

21 Air Purifying Plants:

  • Aloe Vera
  • Bamboo Palm
  • Boston Fern
  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Dragon Tree
  • English Ivy
  • Ficus
  • Fittonia Frankie
  • Flamingo Lily
  • Golden Pothos
  • Lady Palm
  • Lemon Button Fern
  • Mass Cane / Corn Plant
  • Parlor Palm
  • Peace Lilly
  • Philodendron
  • Red-Edged Dracaena
  • Rubber Tree
  • Snake Plant / Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
  • Spider Plant
  • Wax Begonia

Each of these magnificent natural air purifiers requires different care and lighting so keep that in mind when choosing a plant for your home. Also having living plants in your space has shown to be quite therapeutic in relieving stress, boosting your productivity and overall well being. So add some happiness and good vibes to your home!

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“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” ~Jenny Uglow

Photo by Huy Phan on Pexels.com

For the Love of Outdoors Art Journal

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I came across an old issue of Romantic Homes Magazine and fell in love with some of the images. So I thought it would be fun to cut them out and turn them into a journaling layout.

I started with blank pages where I wrote thank you notes to all of my family members who are no longer here but inspired me on my artistic journey. It felt good to create this journal layout with all that gratitude as the foundation for these pages.

It took a bit of time to finish because there were quite a few layers and I had to be patient and let things dry. I was going to for a romantic and dreamy vibe. And I wanted to pull the viewer into my magical garden. What do you think?

Hope this inspires you create a fun journal layout with some images you love!

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“Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life.” ~Jack Canfield

Thoughtful Thursday Rosemary

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Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

Rosemary, native to the Mediterranean, has been used for centuries as one of the most popular aromatic healing herbs. My dad used to rub rosemary on his arms in the summer to keep mosquitos away. At first I found it hard to believe, but it really did work. When you rub fresh rosemary on your body, it leaves an oily film which is what repels mosquitos.

Rosemary has many uses such as antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, circulatory stimulant, relaxant, plus it also stimulates the brain and enhances memory function and focus to name a few. Not to mention it’s delicious to cook with.

I have two rosemary plants in my garden and I love to rub the leaves and smell the delightful scent. It’s so soothing and calming to the soul. The rosemary plant is pretty easy to grow. Give rosemary a try in your garden and enjoy the benefits of this wonderful plant.

If you would like some ideas on aromatherapy, natural DIY recipes for beauty, personal care, food and overall wellbeing, visit Stephanie Gerber’s site HelloGlow.co. Stephanie is the author of two great books both are available on Amazon, “Hello Glow” and “Essential Glow.” So take good care of yourself, you deserve it!

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“Nature is so smart, it put the medicine inside of food.” ~Uknown