The Botanical Home

Introduction

At Home with Nature

'Nature is not somewhere to visit, it is home.'

Gary Snyder, Practice of the Wild

Nature is an essential component in all our lives. It is the basis on which civilisation is founded, yet sometimes we can forget this essential connection. Recognising and honouring our interdependence with nature is key to re-establishing a meaningful relationship with ourselves and with our environment. Direct interaction with nature can also be a grounding force amid the ups and downs of our daily lives - it brings us down to earth and reminds us that we are a part of the natural world. The vibrant green scent of aromatic herbs; the brilliant radiance of a vase of fresh flowers; the grainy textural feel of wood; the enveloping warmth from the flickering flames of an open fire - all these sensory experiences raise simple but primeval emotional responses within us, which are comforting, nourishing and reassuring. By surrounding ourselves with elements from nature in our homes, we are simultaneously elevating our senses and soothing our souls at a primal level. Bringing plants and greenery indoors is one of the most effective ways to create a healing environment - a well-being sanctuary in which to regenerate and recharge from the overload of our modern lives.

Scientific studies are increasingly demonstrating that contact with nature is inherently therapeutic, whether this is by walking in a forest or park, or simply by seeing a garden or some greenery through a window. If we live in an urban environment this is not always so apparent, but even the most basic relationship with the natural world, such as caring for a house plant, can have a profound impact on our sense of well-being and help lift our spirits. Plants play an indispensable role in our lives because without them we would not even have oxygen to breathe. In fact, plants and humans live in a natural synergy - we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide while plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Some house plants can even help to purify the air within our homes, reduce toxins, remove airborne mould or damp and improve sleep quality.

Throughout these pages, we will explore lots of ways through which we can create a healing sanctuary by inviting nature into our homes. This means incorporating design features that blur the division between the inside and outside, so we enjoy living in a green haven - a place in which to retreat from the world, providing refuge and protection. By embracing nature in all its aspects, our home can become a source of well-being where we feel nourished and uplifted, a sacred space that nurtures our entire being. In symbolic language, our home represents our inner psyche, so it is important that we feel comfortable and at ease within our dwelling and that we take care of it.

When we combine the benefits of natural aromatics with the power of ritual, we can effectively purify and sanctify a space, on both an outer and an inner level. Fragrant plants and incense have been used for thousands of years to elevate our consciousness and make a direct connection with the divine. Recipes created in a modern stillroom provide multiple natural ways to cleanse, enhance and look after our homes using pure botanical ingredients that are biodegradable and non-toxic. Many essential oils, for example, can multitask as purifying air fresheners, eco-friendly disinfectants, household hygiene products and natural insect repellents, as well as being therapeutically invaluable for combatting airborne infections and a wide range of stress-related conditions when used in room vaporisers.

The creation of a healing and sustainable home is also about being aware of the challenges facing our society today. Confronted by such enormous ecological issues as global warming and the destruction of natural habitats, we urgently need to return to a more environmentally conscious way of living, to renew our connection with nature and to utilise the limitless healing potential of botanicals as an everyday practice. By incorporating the lifestyle suggestions presented in this book, we can begin to move away from the habits that further destroy our ecosystems and instead make an individual step towards addressing some of these important environmental issues. In her book, 60 Days to a Greener Life, Heather White reminds us that it took one generation to change the lives of women forever by petitioning for the vote and that a collective effort today can bring about a widespread change of attitude towards our environment:

'Individual action drives culture change, and without culture change, global policies and market solutions will not work.'

I would like to invite you to take a walk through history, with herbs and aromatic plants as your companions, since botanicals have always played a central role in our evolution. The story begins with humans perceiving themselves as inseparable from nature and therefore treating it with reverence and respect. Then gradually human nature and the natural environment became divorced from each other, due to the prevailing religious, philosophical or scientific beliefs of the time. Today, as a result, and with the natural world in crisis, there is the need to reconnect to our past, not in the sense of trying to resurrect primitive patterns of thought, but by reimagining our role as an intrinsic part of nature and by taking care of the natural environment in all its aspects. Developing a daily practice of sustainability can help mould the future through changing our perception of what it means to live ethically and by prioritising environmental stewardship for future generations.

I have always considered myself a nature devotee and continue to find the richness of the plant kingdom a never-ending source of beauty, wonder and wisdom. Whether I am in the city or the countryside, I like to have a display of seasonal flowers on my kitchen table, in pots or in vases, so I can trace the changing botanical moods of the year. Just seeing the frothy whiteness of a jug full of freshly picked cow parsley in early summer, or waking up to a miniature posy of wildflowers on my bedside table early in the morning, reminds me to appreciate the little things in life. In addition, spending time alone in nature and being in touch with the elements has always provided solace and healing for me during difficult times.

I'm aware that my Finnish heritage and background have also played a vital role in creating my deep connection and reverence for nature, as has my work with botanical products in our family business, 'Aqua Oleum', for over forty years. Over this period, I have written many books that detail the therapeutic uses of herbs and aromatic oils, mainly as skincare, medicinal or cosmetic agents - while in this book, I set out to explore the value of botanicals in the context of the environment by focusing on their benefit within our homes, rather than on our bodies.

I have also been fortunate to design several gardens, each with a different character, over the past three decades. Perhaps the most ambitious of these projects was taking on a property with an overgrown three-acre plot at the foot of the Epynt mountains in Wales. The traditional longhouse and adjoining barn had once been the principal farm for the local area and occupied an ideal, south-facing position overlooking a river valley. As a keen gardener, I enthusiastically set about landscaping the surrounding land, including creating an extensive vegetable plot. However, I did not factor in the turbulent mountainous weather with frequent heavy rainfall, sudden high winds and temperatures that would sometimes plunge to -15°C! I therefore made plenty of mistakes, such as trying to keep an olive tree alive on the southern terrace of the farmhouse by wrapping it in fleece over winter, only for it to eventually die due to the ongoing cold and damp. Nevertheless, I was able to gain a great deal of experience in cultivating and growing a wide range of plants organically, especially those herbs and aromatics as detailed in Part 2 of this book. My enduring lesson from these experiences has been to develop a more naturalistic style of gardening, by choosing plants that are automatically suited to the specific climate and habitat of a given environment by nature.

How to Use This Book

Part 1 of this book covers how to grow herbs and flowers at home, as outlined in Chapter 1, which provides a good basis for connecting with nature. Nurturing seeds and creating a garden embodies a form of environmental stewardship on a personal level. Learning how to prepare plants in many ways, to enhance our homes in a modern stillroom, develops this theme as part of an age-old tradition. Using botanicals as home-hygiene agents and purifying and cleaning internal spaces provides another vital step in caring for the environment by reducing the need for chemical products. Chapter 4 deals with the power of perfume and incense as a central focus of early civilisations, including the psychology of scent and the value of aromatics as mood adaptogens. Recognising the healing potential of nature and introducing botanically based rituals back into our lives is also a traditional way of paying respect to nature. Finally, Chapter 6 explores how to merge the inner and outer spaces of our homes and introduces ways to bring nature indoors directly. Specific rituals and recipes accompany each chapter that suggest practical ways to utilise the healing power of plants and the well-being benefits of living close to nature.

Part 2 of this book provides an in-depth guide to growing and preparing a...