Lavender Lifts the Spirit

Lavender is by far the most useful herb in the garden. It is loved by many people and is grown in many countries in the world. I am always amazed by its flower heads, each a cluster of mini purple powered flowers with fan like tail tips on top in a slightly lighter shade. The scent is so thought provoking and memories come flooding to our minds as we inhale the scent.
Relaxing yet uplifting in it´s ability to totally focus our minds on rest and rejuvination.
It is the colour of amethyst, a precious stone that allows the mystical thoughts to surface and the psychic abilities to throw forth.
Hope you enjoy the purple shades of our garden here, Pixiepod´s Garden, as I meander through our plants with my purple weed bucket in tow.

Making way for more herbs

I was telling you in my last blog that I was pruning. Well I have also been clearing.
I cleared away, with a huge help from my hubby, a very large and invasive "curry" plant. It was the silvery leaf version and really not of much use other than a scent of an Indian takeaway. It took up nearly one whole corner of my protected and most sacred space in the pixiepod garden. It had to go and it didn´t put up a fight either, which is always good.

As you can see from the photo, it has been replaced with some new herbs and flowers, they are just looking a bit plastic ridden at the moment, this way of using plastic water bottles is a common practice here in Tenerife, as the winds can be harse at times and until the plants are settled I like to nurture and protect them a little first.

It is a great time here in the garden. Blackbirds tooing and frowing with bits of twigs for their nests, and they are singing away to each other, it is trully wonderful!

This is a great ideas emag!

Open publication - Free publishing - More christmas

I sadly have nothing to do with this but I felt it was too amazing not to share. It has taken the team of crafters a long time to create and I think it is just wonderful!!

Herbs, Seeds, Great Gifts?

If you are always struggling around this time of year to think of different or interesting gifts for your friends and family, I thought I would share an idea with you.

I am biased about the uses of herbs and I also have my little online store www.pixiepod.etsy.com where you can buy great quality herbs and seeds at very affordable costs, and be sure in the knowledge that they have been harvested from Pixiepod´s garden here in Tenerife where we use no chemicals and make and use our own compost. However,

Herbs and Seeds can make great gifts.

You can buy a few assorted herb seeds and tie them in a little bundle, or buy a few bags of dried herbs for cooking and tie in a bundle, maybe embellishing the bundle with a sprig of dried herb or a stick of lemongrass, being a cook myself I know I would be happy with this gift.

It matters how you package the herbs too, I make healing bundles, a few of which are listed on my online store www.pixiepod.etsy.com but I can also make them to order. If perhaps you have a friend or family member who needs a little healing around this time of year, a bundle could be made for their needs, tied of course with appropriate colours of threads and ribbons.

Gardeners love the chance to grow something different, so seeds that they may not have in their collection might take their interest. Look through the shelves of www.pixiepod.etsy.com for that rarer seed that they might just love.

Well I hope I have inspired you and I hope also that I have ensured you of the quality of my products. Seeds are not just seeds, herbs are not just herbs, just like today how the importance of where we buy our meat and our fruit and veg from, make the right choice when buying your seeds and herbs.

They do not come in foil packets for better storage, they come in brown paper envelopes for immediate use, they are packaged in small quantities as I don´t produce an abundance of herbs and seeds for sale and the packet can be composted after use. This is Pixiepod´s ethos, pick what you can use and buy what you will use, what is the point in having excess seeds or herbs, the fresher they are the better.

If you purchase seeds now they will be ready for use in the Spring. The imaginings of Spring that each little seed will conjure up in the mind of the recipient will see them through the Winter I am sure.

Buy Green Today! www.pixiepod.etsy.com

Beach Combing

Hi again, another blog about my walking days out. Hope your not bored with these but I just can´t get enough of walking at the moment. Hubby and I went walking along Los Cristianos the other week and I found some amazing shells, stones and sea glass which I have for sale in my shop on Etsy, I did keep some bits for me. The other day we went to El Medano beach and I found yet more interesting things on the beach there. I have made a few pieces of jewellery and charms which will see there way onto the shelves of Pixiepod in the coming days.
I had been feeling a bit sluggish in the morning but by the time I had reached the top of one of the volcanos there I felt great! We have done the Red Rock before but this was the other side towards the beach, sorry forgot the name must try to take notes of the finer details. Anyways took lots of photos and felt very inspired by my surroundings.