A Christmas Wreath .. At My Rose Garden

One of my traditions at Christmas is to gather plant material from the rose gardens and create a rustic wreath to hang on our front gate.   I always start by making the wreath base using pliable green stems and branches.  This year I have used the thornless lanky stems of a multiflora rose that was threatening to take over a large garden bed.

This blog was initially just going to be a 'how to' of basic wreath making for Christmas.  But then I began to ponder on the use of greenery and other plant materials that we traditionally use to decorate our homes at Christmas.  What is it about greenery and bright red flowers that adds to the wonderment of Christmas?

In our hot Australian climate, using fresh greenery to decorate stairs and front doors with is not terribly practical.  Our fresh Christmas trees need to sit in a bucket of moist sand, or just water, depending on how hot Christmas is this year!  The heat of our summer at Christmas will quickly dry out and brown any greenery left without water.  

Yet, who can resist a lush green wreath, or a green fragrant pine tree as the centrepiece of their Christmas display?  

As I began to decorate my woven wreath base with tiny terracotta pots my expectation is always that the wreath will eventually lose it's fresh green colour and begin to dry out revealing the twisted stems. 


So adding bunches of fragrant, dried herbs such as spearmint and lemon thyme adds texture and fragrance. 

Dried red roses and rosehips and salvia add bright touches reminiscent of brightly coloured baubles.  

Adding dried rather than fresh flowers and herbs helps to position them better on the wreath.  And you will know they won't flop and spoil the display.  

A dried posy of the furry, silver leaves of lambs' ears (Stachys byzantina) tied with cotton muslin replaces a traditional bow at the top of the wreath.  

And just in case there aren't enough little touches on the wreath, a tiny green spider displays its abdomen next to a pearl florist pin.  Proof that pesticide free gardening is full of little delights and surprises!!!

The final touches are added, all in keeping with the traditional green, silver and red of Christmas decorations.  Christian traditions refer to the red of Christmas decorations as representing the blood of Jesus, and the green of eternal life.  

Could it also be  that the texture, colour and fragrance of using natural materials to decorate our homes with at Christmas speak to an innate desire to reverence the Creator!  After all that's what the awe and wonder of Christmas is all about!! The birth of Christ, Son of God, Creator!!

  

Oh, I can hear the naysayers being offended and dismissing my preposterous suggestion!  Yet scientific research  also points to the innate sense of peace we feel in a garden, or holding a bunch of flowers, or viewing a tree through a window!  A sense of peace that also speaks of a Creator!

And so, my home-made wreath of raw plant materials will sit and dry out to a rustic hue on my front post   ..   or the front gate (I have yet to decide!) as an ode to the wonderment and joy that is Christmas!  

Merry Christmas!!  

May your Christmas be filled with love, laughter and wonderment!!  

Lemon-scented Roses? .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Did you know that not all roses smell like roses? We all expect to smell a typical rose-like sweet fragrance when we are given a rose, but would you expect to smell lemons instead?

Some roses have fragrance that has a hint of citroen, or lemon, hidden in its rosey depths.  The Noisette rose, Lamaraque, has a sweet fragrance combined with a definite lemon fragrance.  The Lamarque rose even has a lemon tint to it's white blooms, so the touch of lemon doesn't seem so incongruous.     

So imagine how surprising it is to find a mauve rose with lemon undertones in its fragrance.  Blue Moon, one of many attempts by rose breeders to create a 'blue rose' also has citroen hints in its perfume.  

Of course, there are many variations of fragrance in the rose world.  Tea roses are so named because of their fragrance that resembles dried tea leaves.  And in addition, some tea roses have fruity notes in their perfume.  Mrs B R Cant, a large and very double rose has hints of peach mixed with dry tea leaves in her perfume.  An unusual and surprising perfume to find in her pink blooms.

Another Tea rose with an unusual fragrance is the lovely Lady Hillingdon.  Here, the rich apricot colour of her blooms is matched by a luscious hint of apricot fragrance that is combined with a fragrance dry tea leaves.  A delicious and lovely combination.

And of course, there is a large variety of herbs that have a strong, citrus fragrance.  Many of these also grow well under roses, wafting a wonderful potpourri of perfume across the rose gardens.  Lemon thyme is one example. Crushing the tiny leaves of lemon thyme releases a sweet, strong lemon perfume that is heavenly mixed into a posy.  

While combining similarly fragrant roses and herbs in a posy or bouquet is an obvious choice .. 

  

There is an endless range of fragrances among roses, so that any mixed posy of roses and herbs offers a wonderfully sensory experience.

A veritable feast of fragrances with endless possibilities  .. 

'STOP & SMELL the ROSES' .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

 Did you know that smelling roses is good for our emotional well-being and mental health?  'Stopping to smell the roses' is considered a rather old-fashioned way of telling ourselves to take some time out to breath and regroup. Somehow we seem to have dismissed this piece of wisdom as out of date and no longer relevant.

In our fast paced lives, perhaps there has never been a better time to 'stop and smell the roses'!  From my doctoral research I know that science now tells us that spending time in the natural environment is good for our health.  

Taking time out to walk in nature was once upon a time a common way of regrouping and giving our minds a rest.  In fact, from research we now  know that spending time with nature helps us recover from illness faster and even helps to reduce pain, requiring less pain medication.

There is also research that demonstrates engaging with nature can help us improve our mood.  Our emotional well-being is enhanced if we engage with the natural environment.  Not all of us have access to a large garden, of course. But spending time in the natural environment can be as simple as looking at a tree through a window, or walking through a city park, or planting up pots of herbs on our balcony.

It seems obvious really that we can improve our health spending time in nature. Of course walking in a lovely garden, or hiking through a wilderness, or even digging in a small garden have always been recognised as a pleasant leisure activity.   Now we have finally again recognised these activities as being good for our well-being.  

And in response to this rediscovered recognition of benefits to our health and well-being, there are community gardens abounding in most capital cities around Australia.  Many of these gardens are modelled on community gardens that have been long-established in the United Kingdom, particularly in densely populated cities.  

But did you know that smelling roses is also good for our brains?   This simple act of putting our noses in the centre of an open rose and inhaling improves our mood and also helps to create new pathways in our brain.  Innately we know this.  Who has not immediately buried their nose in a bunch of roses purchased from the supermarket only to be disappointed with their lack of perfume?

In fact, there is evidence that suggests smelling pure rose oil extracted from fragrant roses can help with depression and sadness. Essential oil of roses (attar of roses) is said to also provide us with a sense of joy! If ever there was a reason needed to 'stop and smell the roses', then this is definitely worthwhile. And so, it is without any sense of guilt that I indulge in this activity daily!

I'm extremely fortunate to have been able to design and develop a large country garden, an on-going work.  Even while writing my thesis on the benefits of engaging with natural environments for female inmates, I dreamt of one day creating a large country garden.   I am so grateful that I can now realise this. Which is why I love to share this knowledge and experience in our workshops. 

Our workshops draw on my research and training and so are therapeutic, restorative and educational.  But they're  also lots of fun where we get to walk the gardens and 'smell the roses' and make lovely floral creations using roses and herbs grown in the rose gardens.  And, of course, there's always lots of coffee and cake too!

So follow us on Facebook (Edgeworth LLey-Heirloom Roses) to stay up to date with what's happening at my rose garden!

Things I love .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

'Surround yourself with things you love.'  I saw this little sign at a local cafe once and it resonated so much with what I do on a daily basis without thinking.

That is, designing, developing and planting the rose garden with heirloom roses filled with fragrance is part of what I love.  And I am gradually surrounding our 100 year old Queenslander house with the rose gardens.  Which is how 'Edgeworth Lley - Heirloom Roses' was born!!

And as well as designing a lovely garden filled to overflowing with old fashioned garden roses, I love to teach others about the joy of doing what you love most. Or at least taking some time out to replenish yourself with things you love.

So that's where the workshops I run in the rose gardens come into their own.  I love to show others how they can use simple every-day things, like flowers (in this case roses), to connect with the natural world and take some time to 'breathe'.  

There are lots of ways we can connect with nature.  Studies have long shown us that even a view of greenery from a hospital bed can aid recovery and ease pain.  We don't need to live in a forest, or be surrounded with vast acreage of countryside to enjoy the benefits to our well-being of the natural environment. 

Even simple activities, such as  making a wreath using natural materials from the garden, or walking through a park or gardens, or picking a random bunch of flowers with no particular design in mind, can all aid our well-being. 

Research shows us that our well-being is supported by taking time to re-connect with the natural environment around us.  Gardeners have always known this 'secret'.

In fact, studies also show us that spending time in nature can help with depression and anxiety; that there are micro-organisms in soil that can improve our mood and overcome depression!

I love to see people's expressions when they realise they have made something lovely.  Their sense of accomplishment is a joy to witness.  Our focus at the workshops is always to encourage the process of creating, rather than the outcome!  But everyone is always happy with their floral creation at the end of the workshop!

There's even evidence that the fragrance of roses can also help with depression and release feelings of joy!  My work with women recovering from trauma and grief shows time and again the healing power of nature. 

And I love to teach others how they can improve their well-being through  simple techniques that help them re-connect with nature.  

What better reason could there be to stop and smell the roses?

Connect with us on Facebook (Edgeworth LLey-Heirloom Roses) to see when our next workshops are available!  Or we can arrange a workshop to suit you and your group's schedule.  Just message me.  I'd love to hear from you.  

Things I love .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

'Surround yourself with things you love.'  I saw this little sign on my favourite cafe (French and Gorgeous in Cooroy) and it resonated so much with what I do on a daily basis without thinking.
That is, designing, developing and planting the rose garden with heirloom roses filled with fragrance is part of what I love.  And I am gradually surrounding our 100 year old Queenslander house with the rose gardens.  Which is how 'Edgeworth Lley - Heirloom Roses' was born!!

And as well as designing a lovely garden filled to overflowing with old fashioned garden roses, I love to teach others about the joy of doing what you love most.  Or at least taking some time out to replenish yourself with things you love.

So that's where the workshops I run in the rose gardens come into their own.  I love to show others how they can use simple every-day things, like flowers (in this case roses), to connect with the natural world and take some time to 'breathe'.  

There are lots of ways we can connect with nature.  Studies have long shown us that even a view of greenery from a hospital bed can aid recovery and ease pain.  We don't need to live in a forest, or be surrounded with vast acreage of countryside to enjoy the benefits to our well-being of the natural environment.  Even simple activities, such as  making a wreath using natural materials from the garden, or walking through a park or gardens, or picking a random bunch of flowers with no particular design in mind, can all aid our well-being. 

Research shows us that our well-being is supported by taking time to re-connect with the natural environment around us.  Gardeners have always known this 'secret'.

In fact, studies also show us that spending time in nature can help with depression and anxiety; that there are micro-organisms in soil that can improve our mood and overcome depression!

I love to see people's expressions when they realise they have made something lovely.  Their sense of accomplishment is a joy to witness.  Our focus at the workshops is always to encourage the process of creating, rather than the outcome!  But everyone is always happy with their floral creation at the end of the workshop!

And there's even evidence that the perfume of roses can also help with depression and release feelings of joy!  So what better reason could we have to take time out of our days to smell the roses!




Connect with us on Facebook to see when our next workshops are available!