Making potpourri with dried materials

I so delighted in this activity!
I didn’t have any fresh flowers that day. I have been drying some plants and flowers in my drying rack for some time.
So I decided to try out making potpourri. I has some dried orange peels, camphor and rose petals that I had saved. I had some delphinium and moss from the wholesale floral supply. Moss is necessary to hold the scent.

First we put it in separate bowls to differentiate the scents. The rose I had to add a little rose essence to it. What a delight it is to smell these. Then we took a little from each bowl to put in a bag. After which we smelled them all together. It was surprisingly strong smelling on its own.
I brought some essential oils to add to the bag if desired. What a lovely way to awaken the senses, bring a smile, talk about feelings and experiences from the past.
We then took some to those who were in bed.

ROSE DAY

Oh what fun rose day is!
Making rosebud vases was just the start of exploring roses.
I love to use my five senses with rose.
We all tasted roses with rose chocolate.
We smelled rose essence.
I read about rose lore.
We touched roses by making arrangements.
Seeing the beautiful rainbow of colors roses come in!

My interview on Therapeutic Horticulture on KOOP 91.7

I interviewed on tales from the golden cabinet on Koop radio. I talk about therapeutic horticulture. Here is the sound recording!

http://www.archive.org/details/TalesFromTheGoldenCabinetMaryKraemerOfRosaMilagrosa

Green Corn Project garden installation at Mary Lee foundation

On Saturday we all met up at the day center at Mary Lee foundation. Green Corn project brought volunteers. We had decided on a spot, but when everyone looked at it, it was decided the dirt was too poor and needed to be raised beds. There was an area around a tree that had already a raised bed that was deemed suitable. There were many there, possibly fifty people all working. So in no time we got out the weeds took away old rocks cleared out old edging.

Next there was a discussion on what double-digging means. First digging a trench at one end, you loosen the soil and move careful the soil from the second trench. Carefully you try not to disturb it, going across this way. Then finally you put the compost on top.

Then we talked about what plants are going to be put in. Tomatoes, eggplant, rosemary, green beans, cucumber, oregano. All delicious!

Then we talked about how to gently water with a hose, producing a stream like rain, very gently on the garden.

Potting up succulents

I Westlake Assisted Living facility, we potted up some succulents. We got very dirty, even under our finger nails. Then we decorated with shells and rocks.

Peas and carrots day

What a delight it is to harvest in the spring of the winter vegetables!

I sprained my ankle and mark tore a muscle in his hip. So the children ran a little wild. We thought it was a good day to harvest the peas and carrots and beets.

We cooked some. DELICIOUS!

Making pine cone bird feeders

It was a cold wintry day perfect for making bird feeders. There is not a lot of food in the winter for birds. So adding to what they can eat with bird seed makes happy birds!
It was a little to cold to be outside, so we harvested a few carrots to eat. And made bird feeders inside.

We painted peanut butter on pine cones and rolled them in birdseed.

The kids took them home to hang with I instructions on where to hang them to attract birds.

We had a few left that we decided to hang the outside in the garden.

Creating personal Flower mandala at Alma de Mujer: Awaken, Align your spirit in 2012 workshop

At this workshop I brought enough flowers for all participants to make a personal flower mandala for themselves.

First we started of with a discussion of what is a mandala and it’s history. I showed them examples of different cultural mandalas and their purpose.

Here is an interesting article on similarities between Tibetans and Hopi with a mandala.

http://tibettalk.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/linkssimilarities-between-tibetan-and-native-american-groups/

First we wrote our intention on a piece of paper and put it under our blank papers. We took the time to find out what is in our hearts.

Then we picked our flowers that we felt the most drawn to using our five senses of smell hearing taste sight touch.

We then did a meditation in mindfulness:

Place materials in front of keeping your eyes gently on them. Sit upright. Forget yourself and allow yourself to merge with the plants you’ll be working with. These plants become the one thought. Any separation between the person who is looking and that which is gazed upon ceases. YOU ARE IN INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH THE PLANT.

Then everyone started making their mandalas. Here are some of the ones people made.

Michael and I made this one. It has roses hydrangea and lavender.
Hydrangea lets your true feelings out into the light of day to heal the old anger and hurt, also with hydrangea leaves which gives you a voice. Rose heals our old broken hearts and lavender calms us. I love the rose hands reaching out in all directions. Perfect!

I then discuss with you the flower meanings and what they can mean for you and your intention.

If you are interested in having a personal flower mandala workshop for yourself or a gathering, I would love to discuss it with you. It is a perfect event for a bridal, baby shower, birthday party, coming of age, quinceañera.

I also offer rose day which is an event to celebrate love with a sensory experience of taste smell sight hearing and touching Roses.

Glueing plants and flowers to paper

We made art at the green classroom on a windy cold day. Some went outside and pulled weeds, but only if you had a coat. The rest of us went inside and picked a collection of seeds leaves flowers of different shape sizes and colors…

We then started to lay it out on the paper.

Everyone told me about it

The pictures are like little stories with plants

Here is one I made

My story is about making flowers with parts and pieces of leaves and flowers, I like to make things bloom!

Need for plants seeds fruit trees dirt flowers

Do you have left over plants, flowers, seeds, fruit trees, dirt that you would like to donate or sell at a reduced rate.

I run elder and youth groups for rehabilitation, education and recreation.
We re-purpose plants or flowers for activities that include art, flower arranging, planting gardens. anything nature related would be appreciated for therapeutic horticulture.
Thanks in advance for donating!