I have been waiting for MONTHS to talk to you about gardening. As soon as the temps started to rise here in Florida, I was itching to start my garden back up. I know plenty of people enjoy seasons, but I find any temperature lower than 60 degrees offensive, lol.
Without waiting any longer...let's dive into gardening with oils.
So you’re a gardener...or maybe a startup gardener! Wherever you land, there are some basic things that seem to apply to everyone during the stages of their gardening journey.
Things like weeds, pests, and bad harvests show up in every garden, every year. But this class is going to be your ticket to tackling even the hardest of seasons. You’ll have tricks up your sleeve that will help you succeed from the day the seed goes into the ground until the day you harvest it.
Using essential oils in the gardening process helps us garden in a way that results in fruits and veggies that have been lovingly cared for in the most organic way. You can even achieve that affordably, sustainably, and without the use of harsh chemicals, friend!
It’s no secret that bugs can totally ruin your garden plans. From eating your plants to taking a bite out of you, they can really dampen any gardening dreams!
You could use insecticides or sprays made from harsh chemicals, but certainly at a cost to you and the environment. They can lead to bioaccumulation of toxins in your body (and even in your plants) that are linked to chronic illness and disease!
Fortunately, Young Living recently released an Insect Repellent that has been tested to repel mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas using 100% naturally derived, plant-based ingredients. Pure sesame oil and a carefully selected blend of essential oils traditionally used for their bug-repellent properties come together to make up all 99% of the active ingredients in this formula. The other 1%? Vitamin E. That means you can use it on your little ones and not worry about the synthetic chemicals used in many traditional repellents. You’ll also love the pleasant, citrusy aroma and smooth, non-sticky application.
If you’re more of a DIY kind of person, try this easy Outdoor Spray recipe! It can be used on you OR your plants! #HowConvenient
Keep in mind, you should spritz this on your plants once at night. Doing it in the morning may burn the leaves as the sun rises. We want to keep those plants safe and protected as much as possible!
Now, what about the pets we love and adore but can’t seem to keep out of our gardens? As much as we love them, let’s face it, they can get into the garden and cause quite a mess.
A simple and safe way to encourage them to stay away is by using scents. Dogs dislike the smell of Black Pepper and cats dislike the smell of Rosemary. Therefore, they’ll choose to stay away from areas with that scent. And if you didn’t know already, those essential oils exist! Perfect!
You can waste SO many hours on weeds. Summer is short enough, let’s not spend unnecessary time dealing with weed overgrowth!
If you’re trying to get rid of unwanted plant growth that doesn’t involve harmful chemicals (linked to so many neurological, hormone, and overall health imbalances) just know there are some safe alternatives. Weeds HATE Cinnamon so try your hand at this easy 'Wither the Unwanteds' DIY.
Sometimes ‘unwanted friends’ begin to grow on our beloved plants. That can cause poor growth, bad harvests, or even plant death. They can block the pores of the plant responsible for breathing and eventually choke out the plant completely. They can also steal vital nutrients from the plants which significantly decreases the amount of your harvest! We don’t want that! Whip up some 'Plant Love' spray to.... well, show your plants some love!
Let's look on the bright side. Even though it’s a chore, something about removing weeds is rewarding. Don’t you think?
If you’ve been around the garden scene a while you’ve probably heard of companion planting. And if you haven’t heard, let me enlighten you! Some plants play well together; others do not. This is because every plant has certain nutrients that it uses from the soil for growth and fruit production. Also, plants excrete certain byproducts back into the soil that can either help or hinder your harvest!
If you grow two types of plants next to each other that both rely strongly on nitrogen for growth, they will compete and overuse the nitrogen in the soil and starve each other out! Corn and tomatoes are an example of plants that don’t play nice. Conversely, if you plant two types of plants next to each other that eat different nutrients they will work together to promote each other’s growth. A good example of this is tomatoes and carrots. They work together in the soil. Therefore, plant them next to each other and it will result in a more bountiful harvest.
So what does this have to do with essential oils? Well, essential oils are made from plants so consider using oils in place of your companion plants. For example, if you are looking to plant Lavender next to Green Beans, grab your Lavender essential oil instead. Create a “Companion Spray” to use on the soil and leaves of the plant using this guide. So easy!
Did you know that some plants self-pollinate? Fruits like peppers can stand alone and produce fruit. Not every plant does that. Lots of them need the help of cross-pollination between male and female plants! Know who helps with that?! POLLINATORS!
Bees and butterflies are some of the friendliest insects you can get into your garden! Without them you’ll have measly harvests and be disappointed that all your hard work didn’t result in the delicious produce you wanted! Pollinators are attracted to the smell of flowers and luckily some of our wonderful essential oils are distilled from flowers… so convenient! Create a spray using essential oils to spritz on the flowering buds of your garden to encourage pollinators to come in and get the job done!
Now we're getting to the good part...HARVEST SEASON! All your hard work and patience has paid off and you get to pluck delicious fresh food from the earth and eat to your heart’s content!
If you’re like me, sometimes I find that fresh produce goes bad before I can eat it. That’s because bacteria rests on your fruit and without the support of a plant, the fruits and veggies break down and can grow nasty spots on them.
As you can see, it’s important to always wash your fruits and veggies! It keeps you and your family from ingesting yucky things the produce may have tagging along.
Young Living has an exclusive Thieves Fruit and Veggie Soak (and a spray!) that you can use for this very reason. Soaking the food loosens the dirt and other crud and rinses it right down the drain.
You can even make your very own “produce soak’ with a sinkful of warm water and several drops of Thieves and Lemon essential oils. Super simple!
Have you ever noticed that once the fruits and veggies get in the house those pesky winged creatures magically appear?! Try out this simple diffuser recipe, using your essential oils, to keep yourself sane.
Let's end today with a little self-care. You know you love your plants when you are willing to break your back, scrape up your fingers, and endure biting bugs in order to give them the best chance they’ve got!
Muscle Love
Stiffness can be a thing of the past when you use a
Deep Relief Roll-On or Panaway on sore muscles. Simply roll or drop the oil on the area that is giving you grief. Use as needed!
Skin Love
Lavender is an oil no gardener should ever be without! It may help cleanse and soothe minor skin irritations so keep it on hand. It also can be soothing to the skin after a day in the sun.
If you forget to apply your outdoor spray, don’t worry. This roller recipe will be just what you need!
I want to give you a very heartfelt THANK YOU for taking the time to learn with me! Gardening is very near and dear to my heart, and sharing ways to improve the gardening experience is an honor and a privilege. I deeply and passionately believe that we all deserve better health and wellness and that applies to everything we do and love!
I hope you were blessed by the class and that you learned something new! If you need links for any of the oils or items above, I've linked them here for your convenience!
Shopping List:
You can find my favorite accessories for clean living - roller bottles, spray bottles, witch hazel and more here.
And you can grab all the oils at this link!
Sherri
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