Nourishing me with beauty, fragrance, flavor and medicine, herbs have a special place in my heart and home.
I have lived in many homes throughout my childhood and adulthood, all of which had one thing in common- an edible garden.
When I first left home, I began to understand the time and commitment it took to grow my own produce.
While my efforts in growing tomatoes, zucchinis, capsicum and broccoli were not always successful, the one thing I could always grow easily, no matter where I lived, was herbs.
I was growing them for one purpose at this time, and that was FLAVOUR.
Whether it was a sprinkle of fresh parsley on my scrambled eggs, adding thyme and rosemary to the pan when frying onions or picking mint for refreshing summer drinks, it would be rare to go a day without a visit to the garden.
Having grown up with and accustomed to an abundant herb garden, I could never justify buying those tiny, expensive packets of herbs from the shops, because most common herbs are incredibly easy to grow at home.
It wasn't until I became more interested in health that I started researching the medicinal value of the very herbs I'd been consuming on a daily basis for years.
Naturally, I came across the vast array of skin benefits too.
For some reason I'd always been interested in essential oils when it came to botanical skincare, but never really thought about using the whole plant.
And when I did, my skincare products completely transformed.
The way I see it, by using the plant in it's whole form, we still experience the benefits of the essential oil, but in a gentle potency that the body is more likely to recognise and therefore utilise.
Using the whole plant is also a lot less wasteful.
I still remember learning about aromatherapy in my massage training all those years ago.
We were taught about the benefits of aromatherapy massage oils, but also warned about issues such as sustainability and endangered plant species in the ever-growing essential oil industry.
That's not to say there aren't companies working sustainably and ethically in their essential oil production.
For me, it came down to the fact that I found far more joy and beauty in working with whole pants, and on the subject of sustainability and waste concerns- it doesn't get any better than growing and harvesting your own.
From planting the seeds and harvesting the herbs, to making yourself a soothing cup of tea or luxurious infused oil, working with whole plants can transform the mundane into magic.
