Week 20 > You are reading Week 21 - May 22nd, 2023 > Week 22

To Your Health

Aromatic plants are commonly found in herbal apothecaries, but don't forget that simply taking a moment to enjoy their fragrance can bring health benefits, such as reducing stress, improving mental focus, and lowering blood pressure.

Citrus aromas like lemon balm, thyme, and verbena can help raise your spirits, balsam fir eases stress, mint is a great way to get a bit of energy when you're worn out, and lavender and chamomile can calm a frantic mind.

Aside from the therapeutic effects of aromatherapy, there is the pure enjoyment of being surrounded by delightful scents.

I put together a brief selection of plants that should not miss from the scent garden, especially in summer, when the heat causes their foliage to give off an intense aroma.

Consider adding holy basil, marjoram, apple scented roses, mint, licorice hyssop, bee balm, lavender, Russian sage, yarrow, fennel, sweet woodruff, wormwood, and scented geraniums.

Plant them near decks and patios to enjoy their scent while you're resting.

Kinetic Plants

Though the kinetic aspect of plants is not often discussed when talking about gardens, it is always a pleasant surprise when present.

A refined garden design provides space for plants that move with the wind to create lively scenes.

In spring, giant alliums and tulips carry their round flowers on tall, pliable stems, presiding over the landscape gracefully, while the light astilbes create a continually moving backdrop near the rear of the border.

In summer, mass plantings of salvia change their colors in waves when the breeze reveals the underside of the leaves.

Fall brings a wealth of plumes and panaches, courtesy of the pampas grasses, ready to move in the lightest of breezes.

In winter, the dark seed heads of coneflowers sway against a snowy bacdrop, increasing the intensity of the barren and frozen scenery.

I left the trees until the end - the graceful willows, the weeping cherries, the cypresses, the palm trees - because they create powerful images in the landscape.

A large willow is always a mesmerizing sight. Who can look at anything else when its long weeping branches dance in the wind?

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