The sun is streaming through my study window as I write this, and I can hear the beautiful sound of birdsong, all of which makes me think of long, slow, dreamy summer days spent with family on holidays in the sun.   This year will look a lot different.  With possible restrictions on travel, I expect that I shall, alongside many other people, be staying at home.  Feeling grateful for my little garden and having more time to spend in it has helped me cope with the current crisis.  Recently, whilst potting up seedlings, I thought about how I could incorporate some of the beautiful floral and herbaceous plants from my garden into my Aromatherapy practice, and this led me to think about making pomanders and scented sachets with  flowers and herbs, as well as beautiful summer essential oil blends to use in my aromatherapy diffuser.  I also decided to experiment with herbs to make some strange and wonderful drinks, some of which taste delicious and others maybe not so good!   Some ideas are shared below.  If you decide to give them a go, I hope you have as much fun as I did!

Mood Boosting Diffusers

There are many essential oils that are also reputed to be excellent mood enhancers.  This is because they stimulate our sense of smell.  Our sense of smell is responsible for capturing information and sending messages to parts of our brain responsible for feelings, emotions, and memory, all of which can affect our mood.  For example, Sweet Orange and Lavender can bring about a sense of calmness.    

For a beautiful summer essential oil blend to lift your mood mix 8 drops Lavender, 4 drops Bergamot and 2 drops Rose Otto and add to your aromatherapy diffuser, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Bergamot essential oil can be very effective in lifting the mood and is often referred to as 'happiness in a bottle'.  The oil is obtained from the nearly-ripe fruit of the Bergamot tree.  Bergamot essential oil is phototoxic, so avoid exposure to the sun after having used it in either massage or bathing.   

Lavender essential oil is very versatile and is certainly one that I would recommend for the home first aid kit as it has a wide range of therapeutic properties.  For example, it is analgesic, antidepressant, antiseptic, bactericidal, sedative and balancing.   The oil is widely used in aromatherapy to promote sleep and relaxation and to relieve anxiety and blends well with most other essential oils.

Rose essential oil is noted for its antidepressant properties. It is an excellent choice for helping to alleviate gloomy feelings and for encouraging happiness and wellbeing.  It is also a great choice for female-related problems and skincare and is well-renowned for its aphrodisiac powers.

Fragrant Lavender Sticks

Lavender makes delightful fragrant sticks for airing cupboards.  You will need approximately 20 stems of lavender from the garden, approximately 40cm long, a piece of string and narrow satin ribbon. Simply sort the stems into even lengths, keeping all the heads together and removing any roots or excess leaves from the stems.  Tie a tight knot just under the heads with the string and cover with the narrow satin ribbon.  Place the sticks on a tray and leave to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight for a couple of weeks.  When they are dry they can be placed or hung in drawer or cupboard.

Rose Bud Pomanders 

Pomanders have been made for hundreds of years and were originally used to ward off the unpleasant odour that filled the streets.  Nowadays, they are used to provide a lovely aroma in cupboards and drawers or can simply be used as an aromatic decoration.  While pomanders can be made using any type of dried flower, I think that Rose buds are particularly attractive. You will need the following:

• A small oasis sphere (foam ball)
• 150g of scented rose buds
• Medium gauge stub wire
• Wide satin ribbon
• Narrow satin ribbon
• Glue (can be used to glue the rose buds onto the oasis if they don’t have stems)

For hanging pomanders, take a length of wire and bend in half. Keeping the pointed ends parallel, push them through the middle of the sphere, leaving a little loop for the ribbon that will be used to hang the finished pomander. Thread the narrow ribbon through the loop and knot the ends. You can then position the knot underneath the wire loop and push this further into the foam to secure. Bend the two pointed ends of wire back and away from each other and push into the foam to secure.  Using one rose bud at a time begin near the loop.  Fix the rose buds onto the ball, working in a round in a straight line to where you started, ensuring that the roses are as close together as possible. Continue with this process until the ball is completely covered. The scented pomander can be refreshed by adding a couple of drops of Rose essential oil.

Scented Sachets

I love the fragrance of scented sachets.  They help promote feelings of well-being and are so easy to make. You will need the following:

• A piece of material (approximately 40cm x 30cm)
• Needle and thread
• Scissors
• 30cm ribbon
• 100g of Lavender flower heads
• 30g of Hops
• 30g of Lemon verbena leaves
• An iron

Fold the fabric in half with the side you like facing inwards. Sew up both the open sides, then for a neater top edge fold the top of the bag about 1/3rd of the way down and iron it flat.  Place a small stitch on each side to hold the fabric in place.  Turn the bag the right way out and fill it with your dried flower mixture.  Tie the ribbon around the top of the sachet with a tight knot and make a bow.  

Tonic Drinks

As well as being fragrant, tonics are well-known for restoring health, being strengthening and invigorating.  I’ve provided a couple of my favourite recipes below:

Mint Cordial

• 30g mint leaves
• 600ml of boiling water
• 200g brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of brandy

Infuse the mint in the boiling water for approximately 2 hours in a covered jug.  Strain into a saucepan then dissolve the sugar in the liquid and boil for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool and stir in the brandy.  Bottle and take one tablespoon a day.  This tonic is reputed to be good for aiding digestion.

Nutmeg Brandy

• 30g of grated nutmeg
• 600ml brandy

Steep both the nutmeg and brandy for about 3 weeks, shaking occasionally.  Strain out the nutmeg using a muslin and bottle the remaining liquid.  Take 1 tablespoon before meals or add 1 tablespoon into a glass of hot milk at bedtime.  This tonic has both sedative and digestive properties.

Other plants, such as caraway, celery, chives, garlic, mint, parsley and watercress are all said to have tonic properties and can be easily added to an omelette or salad.

Bedtime Milk Infusion

Struggling with sleep on these hot, balmy nights?  The following herb milk infusion may help.  You will need 1 tablespoon of dried bergamot leaves and 300ml of boiling milk.  Pour the milk over the bergamot leaves also known as Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) in a jug, cover and leave to stand for about 10 minutes before straining.  Re-heat if necessary, before drinking. 

Non-Alcoholic Mint Drink

Want to make a fragrant, refreshing, non-alchohlic drink then this is the recipe for you!  You will need.

• 100g fresh mint leaves
• 75g of sugar
• Juice of 3 lemons

Pound the mint to a pulp.  Add 25g of sugar and pound again.  Boil 1 litre of water with the remaining sugar for 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.  Add the lemon juice and mint pulp.  Stir well and chill so that it is cool before serving.

Oooh! And a couple of fun facts before I sign off…did you know that growing Basil in a pot on the window-sill will discourage flies whilst putting Bay leaves in and amongst storage jars will do the same for weevils! 

Christine Fisk
Consultant Aromatherapist

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