Forcing Forsythia Indoors For Early Spring Blooms

Spring is a time of new beginnings, and this is reflected in the blooms of many plants. I spend more distracted minutes than I care to admit staring out of windows each day hoping for a streak of color in the garden beds to bring life back into the cold and gray landscape of early spring. In my gardens, the first to appear are the purple crocuses, small and delicate. Following behind soon after will be the daffodils - cheerful yellow and white blooms to ring in the season and excellent flowers for your vase. Before long it is a cacophony of blossoms, from tulips with their vibrant colors and delicate blooms to lilac and hyacinths, fragrant flowers that come in a range of colors, from pastels to bright hues, and are a favorite of gardeners and florists alike.

I’ll be the first to admit that winter isn’t the easiest season for me. Living in New England, you’re forced to acclimate to the colder temperatures, but even after a lifetime spent in this northern climate I still struggle with just how long, cold and gray winter can be. My chronic pain is also made worse by colder weather affecting my joints. The only consolation is that spring is all the sweeter for it. You can’t miss what you can’t measure, and winter ensures that I never take the sweetness of spring for granted.

While I love each and every flower that appears, my favorite blooms this time of year are not the ones that poke their way up out of the thawing earth. I find inspiration in the dogwoods, cherry blossoms, magnolia and forsythia (a burst of sunshine) too. These flowering trees and shrubs are a beautiful addition to any spring landscape. But if you’re impatient like me, and the winter was long, you may find yourself wishing there was a way to speed things up a bit and enjoy a bit of spring in your own home. My favorite way to do just that? Take a trip outdoors (bundle up if you must!) and snip off a few of those wayward branches you were meaning to prune anyhow to force those spring bud branches to bloom indoors. This simple little trick is especially gratifying if you live with chronic pain like I do, and just need a quick way to feel connected with nature without putting additional stress on your body. Chronic illness can so easily take away parts of our identity (like being a gardener) if we let it. So I always like to prioritize small activities like this that reinforce my sense of self.

How can you force spring bud branches to bloom inside?

Forcing spring bud branches to bloom inside is a fun and easy process. All you need is a pair of sharp clippers and a container to fill with water and place your cuttings in. Once you’ve gathered your supplies, head outside and look for a branch (or ten) that needs pruning. You can accomplish two tasks in one this way - prune off unwanted branches at the perfect time of year to do so, as well as bring some beautiful flowers indoors!

• Cut branches: Cut branches from deciduous trees or shrubs that have swollen buds, but have not yet started to leaf out. Ideal trees to use are cherry, plum, apple, or forsythia. Cut branches early in the morning while they are still dormant, using sharp pruning shears to make a clean, angled cut. To improve your chances of success, make some small cuts up the ends of the branches as well.

• Hydrate: Place the cut branches in a container of warm water to allow them to hydrate and start absorbing water. You can add some flower food to the water to help extend the life of the blooms, but you don’t have to.

• Condition the branches: Place the container in a cool, dark room for a day or two to help the branches adjust to indoor conditions.

• Warmth and light: Move the container to a warm, bright room with indirect sunlight. This will help to promote the growth and blooming of the flowers.

• Change water regularly: Check the water level in the container daily and change it regularly to prevent the growth of bacteria that could harm the blooms.

• Wait: It may take several days to several weeks for the branches to start blooming, depending on the type of tree and the conditions in your home. Be patient, and enjoy the process of watching the flowers slowly start to appear.

Once the flowers have opened, you can arrange the branches in a vase and enjoy their beauty in your home. If you’re lucky, your branches may even develop roots in the water - you can try planting these outdoors when they are done blooming! Now you’ve pruned your plants, added beauty to your home AND propagated new ones for free. You can probably see why I love this little project so much!

How does forcing blooms work?

Forcing spring bud branches to bloom inside works by manipulating the environmental conditions that the branches experience, in order to encourage them to bloom earlier than they would naturally. By changing the temperature, light, and water conditions that the branches experience, you are effectively tricking the branches into thinking that spring has arrived earlier than it naturally would. This encourages the branches to bloom, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of spring in your home, even if the weather outside is still cold and dreary.

What plants can you force bloom indoors?

Many deciduous trees and shrubs can be used to force buds to bloom inside, but some work better than others. Here are a few species that are often used for this purpose:

• Forsythia: This is a popular choice for forcing due to its bright yellow flowers that bloom early in the spring and its hardy nature.

• Cherry: Cherry branches have delicate pink or white flowers that are very fragrant and make a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

• Plum: Plum branches produce fragrant, delicate flowers in shades of pink or white.

• Apple: Apple branches have delicate pink or white flowers that are lightly fragrant and make a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

• Magnolia: Magnolia branches have large, fragrant flowers in shades of pink, purple, or white, and make a dramatic statement when displayed indoors.

• Dogwood: Dogwood branches have delicate flowers in shades of pink or white, and are also prized for their attractive bark.

• Quince: Quince branches have fragrant, bright pink flowers that bloom early in the spring, making them a popular choice for forcing.

• Crabapple: Crabapple branches have delicate pink, red, or white flowers that are lightly fragrant and make a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

These are just a few examples of the many species that can be used. Play and experiment with different plants to see what works best for you.

What are the benefits of bringing fresh spring flowers inside?

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that fresh flowers inside can have a positive impact on mental health. Here are a few of the key benefits:

• Boosts mood: Research has shown that flowers can have an immediate impact on mood, making people feel happier and more relaxed, as well as more balanced and centered.

• Improves memory: Studies have found that having fresh flowers in the home can improve memory, particularly in older adults.

• Increases creativity: Flowers have been found to stimulate the mind and increase creativity, making them a great addition to workspaces or creative spaces.

• Provides a connection to nature: Flowers are a reminder of the beauty and abundance of nature, providing a connection to the natural world and promoting feelings of peace and calm.

Bring fresh flowers inside have been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, helping people to feel happier, more relaxed, and more connected to the world around them.

Whether you enjoy having fresh flowers in your home, workspace, or creative space, the mental health benefits are undeniable.

Another benefit of this practice is that it intentionally forces you to spend time outdoors, at a time of year when the rainy spring weather may tempt you to stay cozied up inside. But anyone who has ever gone outdoors after a fresh spring rain shower will tell you there is a certain smell in the air during this time of year that cannot be replicated in summer, fall or winter. Scientists have actually named this phenomenon- “Petrichor” is the term for the unique, earthy smell associated with rain. It is caused by the water from the rain combining with certain compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils in soil.

Even more impressive is the fact that soil contains a natural antidepressant; a microbe in the soil called Mycobacterium vaccae that is confirmed to stimulate serotonin production, leaving you feeling relaxed and happier. When you garden and work the soil, you actually inhale these beneficial bacteria in addition to having topical contact with it, making multiple points of entry for this natural stress reliever to enter your bloodstream. I see this as further proof of what I know intuitively as a gardener; spending time in nature in spring is a uniquely healing experience.

Nature's Therapy: Discover 5 Soothing Herbs for Your Spa Shower Routine

July brings heat waves and sticky summer afternoons,long days spent outside and probably a sunburn or two even among the most sunscreen-conscious among us. For me there is nothing more satisfying after a long day of work in the garden than taking a long herb-infused shower with botanicals picked fresh from the garden.

Adding herbal and aromatherapy elements to your bathing ritual has been a long standing tradition in cultures around the world, but there’s just something extra rewarding about it when you grow those flowers and herbs yourself. So head out to the garden and clip a few sprigs of whatever calls to you - we’ll go over some of the easiest ways to include plants in your shower routine.

Learning about how different herbs can provide different benefits for the skin and body can bring you closer to nature and yourself, as well as offering a ton of ways you can support yourself through a self care ritual not rooted in consumerism (hard to find these days). You’re probably familiar with using fragrant botanicals like eucalyptus and lavender in your spa shower routine, but here’s a few more herbs and flowers you should consider including next time you’re looking for a soothing sensory experience in the shower:

Best herbs for use in a spa shower routine

Peppermint: Peppermint has a cooling and refreshing scent that can help alleviate headaches, improve digestion, and boost energy levels. Sharp and energizing, perfect for hot days.

Rosemary: Rosemary has a woody and earthy scent that can help improve focus and concentration. It can also help boost the immune system and relieve stress. I love using rosemary in the winter, but for summer showers it adds a deep element that can’t be replicated.

Chamomile: Chamomile has a calming and soothing scent that can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also help promote better sleep and alleviate skin irritations. This is my go to for chaotic weeks where work seems like it will never be done.

Lemongrass: Lemongrass has a fresh and citrusy scent that can help uplift the mood and relieve stress and anxiety. It can also help alleviate pain and inflammation in muscles and joints. Chronic pain baddies take note: lemongrass is a hard worker in your herbal medicine cabinet.

Frankincense: Frankincense has a warm and woody scent that can help promote relaxation and spiritual well-being. It can also help boost the immune system and improve respiratory health.

How to Create an Herb-Infused Shower

The options for ways to include herbs in your spa shower routine are practically endless. But here are a few simple methods you can make quickly and easily:

Herbs for Exfoliation

Including herbs in your sugar scrubs can support skin health and boost healthy glow while providing antimicrobial benefits that could help reduce blemish and acne. Smaller flower buds work best for blending into sugar scrubs. My favorites are Rosemary and Lavender for this technique. I would avoid brittle leaves that can break into lots of tiny pieces. To make a sugar scrub, combine 1 cup white or raw sugar with ¼-½ cup carrier oil of choice. I like to use almond or jojoba oil. To this mixture, add approximately a tablespoon of your dried herbs of choice and 15-20 drops of essential oil.

To use your DIY herbal scrub, scoop out a small amount and slowly massage into your skin in a circular motion. Rinse with warm water. Be careful - this can make your tub slippery!

Rinsing with Herbal Tea

An herbal tea shower rinse can make your shower feel like a spa instantly, and all you need is herbs and water. Use soothing chamomile for a relaxing shower after a long day or uplifting lemongrass in your shower rinse when you need to wake up and energize for a busy afternoon. To make an herbal rinse, just steep 2 tablespoons of your herbs of choice in 2 cups of hot water and allow to cool slightly so you don’t burn yourself. Pour over your body slowly at the end of your shower, after rinsing off with your usual soap of choice. Don’t rinse this off! Just pat dry and enjoy the subtle effects for the rest of your day.

Herbs for Aromatherapy

By now, most of us are familiar with the benefits of aromatherapy. This is one of my favorite ways to enhance my shower routine so it really feels like a spa day at home, and one of the longest lasting. In the summer I almost always have a bundle of fresh herbs drying on my shower head, which means I’m almost always enjoying the benefits of aromatherapy in the shower.

There’s a good reason shower aromatherapy is so popular. Botanicals like eucalyptus and peppermint can help alleviate respiratory issues and ease congestion, while the steam from the shower can also help open up the airways and promote better breathing. The use of aromatherapy in the shower can help uplift the mood and improve mental clarity and focus. It can help boost energy levels and promote a sense of positivity and well-being. Overall, aromatherapy in the shower can provide a relaxing and rejuvenating experience that promotes both physical and mental health.

The easiest way to use aromatherapy in the shower is by hanging a simple bundle of botanicals from your shower head using twine. You can also place loose herbs in a cloth sachet and steep this in your tub for a botanical bath with no cleanup necessary. The steam from your shower will release the active fragrance oil compounds in the plants into the air. To reap the benefits of this method, avoid turning on the vent fan in your bathroom if you can so the room can fill with steam (don’t do this often though and make sure you run it when you’re done to avoid mold and mildew buildup on your bathroom walls!)

Maximizing the benefits of the herb-infused shower

Want to go deeper? If you’re in need of a true mental reset, there’s a couple ways you can maximize the benefits of these herbal spa shower techniques

Breath Work

Breath work is a practice that can bring you into the present moment, allowing you to clear your head and fully notice what is happening around you. Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a deep breathing technique that can help reduce stress and anxiety. Here's how to practice it:

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for four seconds.

• Hold your breath for four seconds.

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for four seconds.

• Hold your breath for four seconds.

• Repeat steps 2-5 for several minutes, or until you feel calm and relaxed.

Remember to breathe deeply from your diaphragm, rather than shallow breaths from your chest. You can also try visualizing a box or square as you breathe, with each side representing one part of the breathing cycle. With practice, box breathing can become a useful tool to help you manage stress and feel more centered.

Acupressure

Acupressure mats are excellent for relieving joint pain, and if you’re wondering if acupressure for back pain is effective, it is! Two studies were funded by the European Union in 2014. In this study, 97% observed total muscle relaxation, improved posture, and a stronger-feeling spine, 93% observed a total elimination or significant reduction of back pain. But what does this have to do with your shower routine? Acupressure significantly increases the intensity of blood flow in the circulation of the skin and accelerates cell metabolism. Your skin will be bright red for 15-30 minutes after an acupressure session, and a bit hot to the touch as though you’ve already taken a hot shower. You’ll just have to trust me on this one - if you see how my skin looks after using the acupressure mat in this post, you’ll understand why this increase in circulation can improve the intensity and effectiveness of your spa shower experience.

Adding essential oils To Your Shower for extra relaxation and benefits

If you’re experimenting with aromatherapy in the shower using herbs but you’re finding the effect isn’t powerful enough, adding a few drops of essential oil to your herb bundles can dramatically increase the scent and intensity of your aromatherapy shower experience. I always keep a few bottles nearby - orange and lavender are my favorites.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to experiment with different herbs and techniques to find the best fit for your individual needs. The most gratifying thing about herbalism is finding the plants that you personally connect with the most, that resonate with your body's needs, and your list may look very different from mine. I’ve always said if I was a plant, I would be rosemary - it feels like my ultimate plant friend, designed for exactly what I struggle with. But your answer will most likely be different. The herbs I mentioned here are just a few of the hundreds you could grow, harvest and use in your herb infused spa shower routine.

Find these herbs and more by tapping here to visit my favorite online herb shop!

Decorate with Flowers Year Round Using These Tips [Tutorial]

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When winter has settled on our doorstep and blinding white snow fills the field outside my bedroom window, it is easy to forget the thrill of a vibrant bouquet of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. The muted tones of the season lend themselves to quiet reflection, but also a deep sense of emptiness that can set in with no notice if we leave it unchecked.

It is the time of year where Jeff and I find ourselves drowsy and full, disoriented by the lack of sunlight in the afternoons and finding the effort to keep awake to be challenging. But this year, I promised myself, would be different. This year, I would have flowers in winter.

A plan set in motion last March, when I set seeds into soil blocks underneath the grow light in the cold basement. A plan for eternal, dried flower blooms that would last far longer than the warm summer days in which they would stretch and grow and bloom. This is the story of strawflower and statice, poppies and cornflower, aster and lavender. While their scent may fade, the colors we miss so much in deep winter continue on in a vivid show that defies the passage of time.

Best flowers for drying

An endless variety of flower seeds will leave you feeling overwhelmed as you begin to flip through the catalogs and plan which flowers you’d like to grow for drying. However, with a few simple tricks you can easily set your sights on the best flowers to dry for eternal blooms. My first piece of advice is to ensure you receive the Fedco seed catalog each year - in fact, this is the best place to begin all your garden planning, not just flowers. The reason I suggest Fedco over others is twofold - firstly, you’ll be shopping high quality, non-gmo seed from a private source that isn’t just another subsidiary for Monsanto. Second, it is really a misnomer to call the Fedco book a catalog since the vast amount of educational information contained within really qualifies it as more of a book or guide. A free one at that! This is because the folks at Fedco have gone out of their way to provide useful charts and more to help guide you in your seed selection process. One chart in particular will be useful to us now, and that is the chart denoting the different forms and functions of all the flower seeds available for purchase. You’ll find this chart at the very beginning of the flower section. And no, this isn’t an advertisement for Fedco - just an honest recommendation from a fellow gardener who has utilized this tool for years.

It’ll make more sense once you have the chart in front of you, but there will be a column ticked off just for those flowers which dry well. This is an excellent place to begin making a list of all the possibilities before you do further research.

Don’t want to wait for the catalog to arrive? Here’s what I grew in 2022 for my dried flower garden:

Lavender

A favorite for many reasons, lavender is one of the few dried flowers which will retain its pleasant fragrance after drying. I have lavender bunches from a year ago that still smell incredible if you give them a quick squeeze to release the essential oils within. Known for its calming effects on the nervous system, lavender is an incredibly therapeutic plant to grow. Being a woody shrub however, it is also one of the more difficult ones to grow from seed on this list. You’ll want to do research on how this Mediterranean plant will fare in your own climate, and learn the best pruning techniques to keep it in tip-top shape. Once dried, the delicate purple flowers will make an excellent addition to any arrangement. I like to keep bunches of lavender on my bedroom windowsill.

Strawflower

This eternal bloom is a must for flower crowns and wreaths of all sizes. Strawflower has a long growing season and produce a huge amount of stems. We were picking strawflower all the way up to our first frost. The trick with cutting strawflower to dry is to cut at just the right stage of blooming - too early and the bud won’t open enough as it dries, too late and the blossom will open so far once it has dried that it will be barely recognizable, almost turning inside-out. To time it right, cut when the stem is no longer very wobbly when shaken and only 2-3 bracts of petals are open. This way, as the bloom dries the petals can expand outwards but still leave the very center intact and slightly closed. Strawflower is fun to tuck within an arrangement, but due to the stems tending to dry with bends and curves it is easier to use shorter pieces within a circular craft.

Statice

The variety of color within the purple family you can achieve with statice is remarkable. From our plot, we harvested rich magenta, pale pink, deep amethyst, bright white and even butter yellow blooms. Somehow all of these shades complimented each other perfectly, and made creating an arrangement simple. The long stems go rigid with drying, standing perfectly upright and straight for a large vase arrangement. The tiny individual blossoms are compact and generous, making for a full bouquet. But the best part of statice is in it’s longevity; I had fellow gardeners tell me they have bouquets of dried statice that were ten years old and still preserved their beautiful coloring. 

Poppies

Fresh poppies are notoriously difficult as a cut flower - picked at the wrong moment, they “shatter” in the vase, dropping all their petals dramatically within hours. Truthfully, I was only ever able to get the timing right a couple of times last season - they must be picked in the early morning hours, just after blooming, and immediately placed in water. Their stems also leak an unforgiving bright yellow sap that will permanently stain your favorite gardening clothes without a care (ask me how I know). So I found poppies to be best enjoyed fresh in the garden itself, however, the dried seed pods that begin to pop up as the blooms die off in late summer lend themselves to drying very well. The unique shape and neutral brown coloring of these pods means they will look right at home in most arrangements.

Cornflower

They don’t call it cornflower blue for nothing! These small but delightful blue wildflowers will grow with abandon anywhere you can think to spread them. Like their friend the strawflower, they too require careful timing in cutting to dry in order to preserve their coloring and structure. If you are wondering why your dried cornflower has faded or the petals seem to shed just about everywhere, it’s probably because you picked the bloom too late. Cornflower dries best when it is picked just before the bloom fully opens. These small delicate flowers can be tucked in a crown, a small bud vase or bunched together for a wall sash. They tend to be overpowered in arrangements using multiple other flowers, so let these blooms stand on their own if possible.

New England Aster

The wild child of the group, my tiny pink New England Aster flowers offer an autumn finale in the garden, jumping up out of seemingly nothing and taking over for a few short weeks. Each stem branches out with clusters of inch wide blossoms that dry to a deep magenta pink. Though a bit unruly in a vase, I have a soft spot for their unkempt nature and deep coloring with pinks that last through the whole winter season. Easy to grow and requiring no upkeep, they are certainly a worthwhile addition to any garden for the benefits given to pollinators in search of late season food alone.

Goldenrod

This list wouldn’t be complete without the admirable goldenrod. Often confused for its allergy-causing lookalike, ragweed, goldenrod isn’t the reason for your autumn sniffle session. In fact, goldenrod has many medicinal benefits - but that’s another story for another time. Goldenrod’s showy, small yellow blooms are arranged in rich clusters that droop delightfully.

How to preserve dried flowers

Preserving dried flowers is one of the easiest ways to extend your garden season. The most important step begins with ascertaining the best moment to pick your flower based on the breed. After picking, most flowers (aside from larger blooms like sunflowers and roses) may be dried in a similar fashion - tied with string, hung upside down in a cool dry place. The amount of time needed to dry will vary depending on how hot and dry your climate is in that moment and the amount of water within each stem and bloom - thicker stems such as strawflower taking a few weeks to dry while thinner plants such as cornflower drying in just a few days.

How long do dried flowers last

Dried flowers should last anywhere from 3-6 months, with some varieties such as lavender and statice holding their color for a year or more. It’s important to note too that “last” is relative here - since they are dried, they are unlikely to mold or go “bad”, so if you continue to enjoy the look of your dried flowers past their prime, by all means keep them around!

How to store dried flowers

When not in use, it is best to store dried flowers in brown paper bags or cardboard boxes in a cool, dry place.

What to do with dried flowers

With a little imagination, the options are endless. But here are a few of my favorite ways to use dried flowers:

• Door wreaths

• Candle wreaths

• Crowns

• Attached to a barrette

• Displayed in a vase, crock, pitcher or other container

• Bunches on a windowsill

• Bunches hung on a wall

• Bunches tied to your shower head

• Suspended within a glass bottle sealed with a cork

• Flatted between two pieces of glass in a frame

• Cooking - check to be sure they are edible

• Drawer sachets - best for more fragrant blooms

• Potpourri

• Blended into hand poured candles

• Blended into handmade paper

• Blended into teas and herbal steams

Where to buy dried flowers

If you aren’t ready to grow your own flowers for drying, I recommend searching on Etsy for flower growers near you who offer the types of blooms you are looking for.

What varieties will you be growing this year? Comment and let me know!

7 Tips to Survive a Long Winter[Nature Activities]

How to Survive a Long Winter

Winter is a fleeting season for some, but long here in the Northeast. Long enough to require that we adapt and find space in our routines for signals that pass the time, as well as ways to enjoy it for what it is.

New England winters force us to turn inward, to find ways to slog through the darkest days, to connect with nature when that connection is scarce.⁠

They feel like crunchy snow underfoot, stinging wind on your cheek, and the numbing cold in your fingertips, and sound like the patter of sleet on the windows, slush under car tires, and crackling fires.⁠

There is a hush in the air with the sound of insects and busy birds gone from the land, for the time being.

I can smell the snow on the air, and see it building in the dense shapes of the clouds above.⁠

Snow clouds always look a little bit different than regular clouds. There's a slight glow within the deep gray of them that promises nights when snow muffles the sounds outside, ice coats the roof and we say "winter is here" tucked in and insulated from the chill, mugs full of hot chocolate.⁠

Living in a place where winter is the longest season of our year when I don’t particularly love winter has come with its challenges.

My arthritis always is worse during the winter months, leaving me struggling more often with pain and fatigue that limits my ability to enjoy many activities.

I’ve had to find new ways to pass the time - simple, small things that make the winter more enjoyable without pushing myself. But in a way winter has taught me an important lesson; it really is the little things which matter most, which bring us the most light and joy on our darkest days.

We forget this easily, living in a fast paced and unforgiving world that is constantly telling us we need more more more to be happy. Winter does not play this game. Winter knows that pausing and stepping back forces us to focus on the things that really matter in our lives.

We truly begin to absorb the lessons of slow living when winter arrives to wrap us in her embrace.

With winter being so long, finding ways to pass the time and survive this cold and grey season is essential. Here are my top tips for small ways to survive the long winter this year:

#1 Let’s Get Cozy: Snuggle Up

There are a few non-negotiables required to make a home cozy. The first, of course, is blankets. Lots and lots of blankets! I have a bit of a blanket obsession, to tell the truth. I want heavy blankets, wool blankets, knit blankets, and quilts. Having the choice of a few well made, well chosen and well loved blankets is one way I give myself a little gift, an opportunity to feel cared for.

I love to collect blankets from antique stores, thrift stores, and occasionally even friends’ houses, if they are feeling generous! And, of course, there’s not much nicer than knitting a blanket myself on long winter nights.

We drape blankets over every available surface, just in case a sudden chill takes hold. Every chair arm and couch back, plus the ends of our beds, is covered in blankets in the winter. A blanket ladder, cabinet, trunk or chest are some other great ways you can store or display your blanket collection.

Of course, if you find yourself with an overabundance of blankets, there are many people in need who would benefit from your donation, and animal shelters that need a cozy spot for their four legged friends to find a reassuring moment of peace. Although it may be hard to believe from what I’ve written thus far, I do think there is such a thing as too many blankets. The same goes for coats - don’t forget to dig through your coat closet each year and donate any well-loved pieces that you no longer need. No one should go cold in the winter and this is an easy way you can help.

#2 Add warmth with fire

A flame of some sort will instantly bring peace and warmth to your day. Any sort of flame will do. The flickering of a hand poured soy candle on your kitchen counter, a crackling fireplace filled with wood logs, a pellet stove with a glass front or simply some beeswax candles are all good places to start.

When the sun sets as early as three or four o’clock in the afternoon, the warmth of the light, the dancing shadows, and the opportunity to roast marshmallows are all absolutely necessary to a cozy winter. The ambiance of a flame cannot be matched - just be sure to follow all necessary safety precautions with any open flame in your home.

#3: Drink Your Tea

If you’re anything like me, you have an extensive collection of mugs waiting for you to use them in your cabinet. Embrace these colder months by making a habit of enjoying a cup of tea with your breakfast each morning, or before bed. Experiment with different flavors and types of tea, and even different sweeteners and milks. While I lean heavily on green tea with honey and lemon in the summer, in the winter months I prefer chai and rooibos and rich black teas with raw sugar and oat milk.

#4: Read a Book

What could be more reassuring than a stack of books? I set myself a reading challenge this year, but you don’t need to be so structured about it. If you’re having trouble finding time in your day to read, try to find even five or ten minutes at first - there’s nothing wrong with starting small.

Here are some of my favorite book recommendations from what I read this year to add to your own stack:

Wintering: the Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May: I felt this one in my soul. If you are struggling, read this.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben: Read this book and you’ll never look at trees the same way again!

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo: I bawled my eyes out reading this book. It isn’t even particularly sad, it’s just that she has a way of making you care about the characters.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: If you love nature, the outdoors, gardening, etc., this is a must read. On second thought, everyone should read this.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman: This book has a fun twist at the end, and is written by one of my favorite authors. Check out his other books as well!

#5: Use your hands

In the summer it is my feet that guide my activity, padding through the garden barefoot feeling the earth, but in the winter, I lean heavily on my hands.

In winter I am drawn to different sensory experiences, which primarily revolve around fiber + cooking, to keep busy.

I work with my hands to keep my head busy and my heart full. I know this season too will pass, and my thoughts will turn from knit stitches to seedlings and a growing of a different kind. I don’t want to hold my breath until that happens, but rather, enjoy the now.

These pursuits make time stand still even as it seems to whirl past me faster and faster every season.⁠

#6: Get Outside

There is lots to do outside in the winter but so often we forget that there’s no such thing as bad weather – just bad outfits. Gear up to go outside with some wool or fleece-lined leggings, a baklava, alpaca gloves and your favorite wool hat.

Dust of your sled from childhood and find a new hill to careen down, visit a new ice skating rink, take a walk in the woods with your field guide and hunt for animal tracks, put some birdseed on your deck and see what visitors you attract, hike a snow capped mountain or enjoy a quiet night beside a bonfire, wrapped up in one of those blankets you collected earlier and roasting marshmallows.

#7: Experiment in the kitchen

Nothing is more synonymous with winter cooking than baking. As our bodies crave richer foods to keep us warm through the winter season, I try to make a point to experiment in the kitchen with new recipes as well as old favorites. If you’re interested in a baking project, you could try making a spiced gingerbread with whipped cream, pumpkin cookies or sourdough bread. Make soup with whatever you have on hand and freeze some for those nights where you just can’t wait to eat another minute. Use seasonal ingredients such as potatoes, squash, apples, beets, brussel sprouts and carrots. Not every meal needs to be a fancy or extravagant preparation, but cooking from scratch allows you to work with your hands and maybe even learn something new.

Comment below and let me know what your winter essentials are!

DIY Biodegradable Leaf Confetti Craft Project

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I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

October in New England is always a special time. I don’t take for granted that we have easy access to the premiere fall leaf peeping destinations in the entire country, with the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire nearby. While the first fallen leaf is met with a small sense of panic, soon I find myself easing into the simple, predictable rhythm of fall and smiling with each elm, oak and maple leaf I see. The maple leaves, with their bright and bold hues of yellow, orange and red, are my favorites. Although, to be honest it’s not one singular leaf that calls to me but the copious amounts of leaves as a whole, listing about as they fall through the cool autumn air and accumulate in crunchy, delicious smelling piles in every corner of the land. We are lucky to be surrounded by healthy deciduous trees on all sides, and each autumn season I look forward to counting them fall to the ground. I pick them up distractedly on my walks, feeling the endless ridges of the veins beneath my fingertips - a plastic free, all nature fidget toy if you will.

The sound of each crunch underfoot is a reminder that nothing lasts, tomorrow is not promised and summer has reached its end. That all things return to the earth, and only belong to us for a short while. I will miss the greenery dotting each branch and limb as winter draws closer and bare branches dominate the landscape. But all things must be born anew in the spring, and without the falling leaves, this would not happen as it should. If the leaves never left the trees, we would take them for granted all summer long instead of appreciating their friendly shade and whispers in the breeze.

And what about the vivid memories of the sound of leaves being raked into a mountainous leaf pile by a grown up for you to pounce in and bury yourself and breathe deeply of the decomposing earth as a child? I can’t think of a more calming memory than the hush that fell over me with my small body tucked in among the maples and elm and oak. I remember a sense of wonder that I could now touch something which had lived fifteen or twenty or thirty feet above my head all summer, an impossible distance overcome by mere gravity. If I could sleep in that childhood leaf pile made for me with love, I would.

Why You Should Leave Leaves

Perhaps my neighbors shake their heads at our laziness (although I think not, we have great neighbors) when they notice that we do not rake our leaves into those large paper hardware store bags and remove them each fall. A green lawn may be nice for some, but what fallen leaves can do for the earth and the insects that inhabit it is even better. So we choose to intentionally leave the leaves overwinter - you’ll find that they break down quite readily by spring time, and in the meantime offer a whole host of invisible benefits you may not be aware of. The cycle of leaves is an important part of nature’s ecosystem, here’s why:

• Helps suppress weeds - many weeds make their start in very early spring, before the plants you actually want to grow have a chance to establish themselves. Leaving your leaves creates a protective barrier that blocks sunlight which can slow the growth of unwanted plants.

• Provides valuable nutrients - the soil is full of microorganisms which are essential for healthy plant growth, but microorganisms need to eat too! As leaves break down, they compost and return vital nutrients to the soil which are then taken up by these microorganisms and plants to help them grow.

• Protects overwinter insects - have you ever wondered where all those creepy crawly insects invading your personal space all summer go during the colder months? Well, it’s safe to say a fair number of them are hiding out in the local leaf pile, hunkered down and waiting for warmer days. Without dry and warm habitats like leaf piles, many insects have no place to safely weather cold winter conditions. Leaves also offer food, shelter, nesting and bedding materials to a variety of wildlife. When we disturb these micro insect ecosystems, it can have many unintended consequences for the environment.

• Insulates trees, shrubs and other plants - especially in colder climates, winter can cause real damage to your trees, shrubs and other plants which aren’t as cold hardy. A freeze can cause instant plant death or shock that can severely impact growth and productivity of your plants. Leaves provide a natural blanket which protects these plants from the elements.

All this to say, I have a lot of feelings about leaves! My favorite thing to do during the fall season is to find different ways to celebrate this transitionary season through leaves. Although leaves can feel like a celebration all on their own as they sprinkle down from above, I love a good DIY craft project, so I wanted to take it one step further and create some DIY biodegradable leaf confetti!

Confetti is so fun and great for celebrations like baby showers, engagements, weddings and birthdays, but more often than not it is made of shiny plastics and other materials that do not break down after they are thrown away. Not to mention the packaging involved. Biodegradable confetti allows you to have all the fun of regular confetti without the negative environmental impact, so you can enjoy your celebration without any guilt.

Now, you can probably figure out that there are two ways to go about doing this - one would be to just literally gather a basket of whole, small leaves and sprinkle them as you see fit. And that totally works as ready made confetti, or a delightful prank to pull on someone that’s not quite so messy as a pie to the face. But this is a celebration right?! So let’s make it extra special with a confetti diy using different shapes created with a paper hole punch.

For this project I grabbed a heart and star shaped hole punch, but any shape will do - circles, stars, even a tiny leaf would be so cute! They make all different sizes of hole punches, you could use a larger hole punch that is normally used for scrapbooking too. Here are a few options for hole punches that should work well for this project if you don’t have one already:

You’re going to want to collect your leaves first. Make sure to select leaves with the brightest colors that are flat and fully dried without being crumpled or so crispy that they just fall apart in your hand. If you’re unsure which leaves will work best, grab a few different ones before you really get started collecting and just test them out with your hole punch. The hole punch should be able to cut through them quickly and easily without breaking the leaf - just like paper.

Once you have a good amount of leaves filling your basket, find a nice spot to sit and get punching. This can be a really great mindfulness opportunity. Pay close attention to the sensation of the leaves in your hands, the sound of the hole punch snapping shut and opening, the smell of earth wafting up from the basket and the feel of the confetti in your hand. Who would have thought this simple confetti craft could have so many benefits?

After you’re finished creating your confetti, you can even create a simple paper cone to help you to toss your new confetti in the air! I like to do this by cutting a circle shape out of paper and then cutting a pie shaped wedge out of the circle before wrapping it in on itself and securing with washi tape. Fill up your paper cone and get ready to celebrate!

How to make biodegradable confetti instructions

Supplies:

• Leaves, flat and dry with bright colors

• A basket or some other kind of container for collecting the leaves

• A large metal scrapbooking hole punch (½-2” wide)

• One sheet of paper

• Washi tape

  Instructions:

Collect leaves in a basket. Look for leaves that are flat and dry with bright colors. Working around each leaf from the outside edges in, use your hole punch to punch out confetti shapes from the leaves until you run out of usable leaf. Continue punching out the confetti from the leaves until you have enough confetti to fill a cone (about one cup). For the paper cone, cut a large circle out of the piece of paper. Then, cut a pie shaped wedge out of the circle. Wrap the circle around itself to form a cone shape and secure it with washi tape. Fill the cone with the biodegradable leaf confetti and enjoy!

Slow Living in the Garden with Chronic Illness

Winter

Last winter my Psoriatic Arthritis flared the worst it ever has, and I found myself wondering if there would be any bit of me that was able to enjoy summer. It hurts my heart to even think about the place I was in mentally. How stuck I was. When you don't have the choice to do the things you love, it can feel like your identity is slipping away.

Watch me do it

You're Not a Bad Gardener, You're Just Anxious. (starting a garden) · Subscribe on YouTube

On a particularly bad day, I thought of geese.

Being the lead goose in a formation is hard.⁠ Research has shown that the passage of the leading bird through the air provides an aerodynamic increase in the lift to the bird following behind. This is why geese fly in a V formation.⁠ 

How do geese decide who will lead their journey? Is it the strongest bird? The one with the largest wings?⁠

The truth is much more humbling.⁠

Each goose is equally responsible for leading, at different times.⁠ They take turns.⁠ They share the burden.⁠ 

I see similar patterns in my own life in this season. We cannot always lead our flock. Sometimes our flock needs to lend a wing, and increase our own lift in turn.⁠

Struggling under the weight of extreme fatigue, pain, and inflammation, I had to accept help more than I’m comfortable with. I had to take on a role of rest and recuperation, and put aside responsibilities. 

I learned to be comfortable in the physical and mental discomfort and believe that the people around me want to help me to shoulder that burden. 

This vulnerability grounds me. It makes me strong.

Spring

With spring came new growth and new medication. I've struggled to write about my chronic illness since finding a treatment that helps, because not everyone gets to come out of that place I was in. I'm also waiting for the other shoe to drop, feeling like I am on borrowed time. 

The weight of that knowledge is heavy on my mind any time I celebrate how far I've come or I realize I was able to do more than I could have before my medication change. It also feels like things were so bad, any improvement is seen from the outside as me being 100% "better" by comparison - which is just never going to happen. It's difficult for me to just appreciate the positive changes without that tinge of uncertainty. Autoimmune disease is like that. When so little is understood you are forced to reckon with an ever changing emotional and physical reality and accept the unknown. Otherwise you miss out on enjoying the good times.

It was a long winter, and spring has been full of hope and realized dreams. But we don't have to find the silver lining in everything all of the time. Sometimes there really isn’t one until you look back later and realize how much you’ve grown through what you’ve gone through.

I know in my heart that these struggles have always made me stronger and more empathetic. I hope sharing my struggles can help someone else feel less alone. 

These really hard days don't last. Even when they feel like they will never end, there is always some type of pause and laughter and forgetting of what you’ve gone through, what you’re going through.

I watch what a seed must accomplish before it can become a harvestable, mature plant and wonder if I too am like the seed. Maybe, just maybe, I will form roots and strength where pain and loneliness once was.

This spring I feel tightly encased in my hardened shell, but ready to burst forth and see the sunshine again. But I worry - I know that my love of gardening will test my physical limits, and I need a plan to modify the garden to fit my limitations.

The work of preparing the garden this spring has been harder than ever before, but it wasn't because I planted more - I planted less. It was harder because of my arthritis.

Anyone with chronic illness will tell you that the energy we have is limited. Even medicated and feeling so much better than I did all winter it's still hard to do the things I used to do. 

I cried in frustration multiple times. I almost gave up. I have had to let others help me do the things I was so looking forward to doing.

I can’t say, "I got it done anyway" because that's not how chronic illness works - I didn't finish all my tasks. I felt disappointed and so very angry with my body. Something I love to do has been changed in a way I don't know if I'll ever get back and it's okay if that's an adjustment and it's ok if I spend half my time enjoying it and the other half with tear stained dirt streaks running down my face. 

Two things can be true. Life isn't a straight line path we get to walk down, even on a moment to moment basis there will be ups and downs.

Accessible Garden Planning

I have the luxury of space, of sprawling land to wander and call home. I have the luxury of time, to spend planning what I'll grow where, to dig in the earth. I have the luxury of knowledge, gathered through my failures. 

I can grow my food and watch it from the comfort of this space, this sanctuary I am creating on our land.

These things are not afforded to everyone. Accessible sustainability should be the norm, but it is not.

This season, I took a few steps in order to make it possible for me to garden WITH my chronic illness, not despite it. The first was to accept that I wouldn’t grow as much as I have previously. The second was to set up elevated garden beds.

Since gardening involves a fair amount of kneeling, I knew I had to find a way around that, and elevated beds seemed to be the way to go. I began to research elevated beds, looking for a solution that would work for me.

It turned out that solution was staring me right in the face.

As we began a deep spring clean of our basement my eyes landed on two raised wooden retail tables from a store closing sale that have been sitting in storage for years. We didn’t have to buy anything, we didn’t even have to BUILD anything.

I dragged them outside and got them into position, then I wiped them down and drilled drainage holes into the plywood “floor” of the bed. A layer of weed barrier, then small sticks and top soil blended with last season’s compost, and I had two elevated beds. Our food waste would feed our plants, and our plants would feed us.

I also installed olla watering pots in our garden beds.

Ollas keep your plants watered through a process called soil moisture tension. When the soil around the olla is dry, the water is pulled out through the pot’s “pores”, or microscopic holes in the unglazed clay, and makes its way to your thirsty plants. If the soil is already moist, the water stays in the pot.

With the ollas installed, I would only need to water the gardens every 3-5 days, and instead of standing there holding a hose for what felt like hours I could simply fill the olla pot with water and call it done.

The last thing I did was to get ahead of the weeding. We still had one main in-ground garden bed for larger plants like our corn and squash, and I knew that bending and kneeling to battle the weeds would not be an option any more. I combated this by spreading a very thick layer of straw over the entire bed before I planted anything.

Summer

My accessible garden plan is working. We’ve pulled a spare table out to give me a spot to sit and rest by the sunflowers. It has become a sanctuary for me. I am frustrated at times with how little I have been able to grow in comparison to years past, but I appreciate that I do not have to spent hours tending the garden every week if I’m not able to. The garden will be just fine without me for a bit. I let go and let nature take over.

In August, the garden becomes a jungle dense with life, the most self-sufficient it will be as established plants require less and less of my daily attention.

I do not take for granted that the systems I labored to put in place all year long have finally paid off, the dividends materializing in the form of bell peppers, beans, squash, broccoli, chard and more. But I still like to think I am needed in this season, if only to fend off errant pests and the occasional drought. Feeling needed in the garden is one of the most fulfilling pieces of working with the land.

I’m still processing some disappointment as I've watched other gardeners with their huge lush garden beds, and it's felt like another form of grieving my life before chronic illness. I was able to do that once, and now I can't.

Yes, I am making the most of my circumstance, and yes - my medications have allowed me to return to the activities that make me "me" to some degree. But unless you have chronic illness, you can't understand how hard it is to know things will never be exactly the same as they were when you were healthy.

I am proud of what I have accomplished - I may not have grown the usual quantity of plants, but I have learned to appreciate what I have, accept and support my body, and dedicate time to things that make me happy.

I could go on forever about how chronic illness forces you to put things in perspective in a way that gives as much as it takes, but I'll leave it at that. I went from hating getting up early to go to work at my office job in a call center to making excuses to get up early to tend to the garden, grow our own food and flowers, create art and just enjoy nature. At it’s root, no matter how much or how little I grow - this is what matters.

Your dream life is just one decision away from becoming reality - what small steps can you take today to bring yourself closer to your dreams?