The day is overcast and I find myself feeling a bit restless. This is “earthquake season” in California. That time of year when the weather begins to turn. The deep quiet can often be a sign of an earthquake on the way. It’s still dry from the baking heat of Indian summer and the threat of destructive fires surrounds us in this dry land.
When I’m restless, and perhaps a bit melancholy, I find myself wandering around the garden. Just being there I find myself feeling better. More connected, more comfortable even with my odd mood. The chickens were in their nesting boxes and so there weren’t eggs yet to collect. As I spent time over the weekend planting fall vegetables and flowers, I decided to sprinkle some alyssum seeds in a bed that could use some lightening and color.
As I was collecting the soil to pour on top and complete my little project, I noticed the old stump that has been sitting next to the soil pile all summer long. My heart became light as I saw the message that nature had given me. Love. That’s all there is to it.
Whether you are feeling low or overly busy with life, there are many ways that nature will offer her gifts to you.
A few years back, when I was at my Flower Essence certification training in Nevada City, I had an epiphany! I realized that a wonderful way to improve my garden and the benefits for everyone who enjoys it was to plant more of the flowers that I use in my Flower Essence Therapy work with clients.
I already knew that I felt a burst of joy whenever I had Borage blooming in the garden. So, I decided to look around and see what else would do well in my yard. As a flower essence, Borage brings uplifting joy, courage and optimism.
I found quite a number of flowers blooming throughout the year that are useful for Flower Essence Therapy (for more information, go to my website www.SugiHealth.com). Nicotiana is a wonderful helper in the garden for getting rid of insect pests. As a flower essence remedy, Nicotiana or Flowering Tobacco brings heart-centered peace as it gets rid of numbness and offers a deep connection with the Earth.
Echinacea is a well-known herb that is also used as a cut flower. Echinacea flower essence offers recovery from soul-wrenching traumas by restoring the soul’s true self-identity and dignity.
Love Lies Bleeding is an amaranth that is used in the garden as a cut flower and for it’s delicious leaves that serve as a green similar to chard. This flower offers a feeling of compassion for the trials of pain and suffering that we experience. Understanding our own pain gives us the ability for self-love and compassion for everyone.
Some of the usual kitchen herbs that we grow in the garden are also used as beneficial flower essences. For example, Rosemary is helpful for bringing warmth into the physical experience, creating a stronger connection to the body. This is useful for people who are often forgetful, hypoglycemic or spacey.
Sage brings out the inner wisdom that has been received through life experiences, giving us meaning and purpose.
Nasturtiums are a great companion plant for the garden and a tasty addition to salads. These flowers bring us into a healthier balance when the intellectual forces are overused. This over-intellectualizing quality can be cold and disconnected from the emotions. Nasturtium flower essence gives warmth and vitality to this otherwise cold experience.
Another lovely cut flower is the Cosmos. Often found in a whimsical cottage garden, the Cosmos flower is just dancing with joy. Cosmos flower essence brings clarity of expression and ease of spoken communication.
The sunflower is a valuable flower for any garden. It has edible seeds for us to enjoy and brightens everyone’s day. It’s beauty is unlike any other flower. The bees and birds love it equally. In flower essence therapy, the Sunflower brings balance to those with low or inflated self-esteem – often due to an unhealthy relationship with the masculine. A great healer for men and women alike.
Sweet Peas are the darlings of the garden. Also a great cut flower it will give you more blossoms the more you cut it. In the flower essence world, the Sweet Pea helps us to develop a deep commitment to community, to find the place in the world that is “home”.
Bleeding Heart is a gorgeous plant that loves the shade and will make a lovely addition to any garden. It’s beauty shines forth as a flower essence that offers open-heartedness and the ability to love unconditionally. Bleeding heart helps to heal heartache and grief.
Calendula, like Cosmos, brings help to spoken communication. By bringing warmth to our words, Calendula helps to heal relationships, ridding us of argumentative, cutting qualities.
The Iris is a classic beauty in the garden. As a flower essence, Iris inspires us, creatively infusing our souls with vitality and color.
Some new flowers that I will be planting that are from the flower essence repertoire are: Tansy, Self- Heal, Snapdragon, Sticky Monkeyflower, Shasta Daisy, Agrimony, Centaury, Evening Primrose, Chamomile, Goldenrod, Blackberry and others. Hopefully, they will bloom beautifully so I can capture their images to share with you in the summer.
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