The Aromatherapy Garden, by Kathi Keville - a review

The Aromatherapy Garden: Growing Fragrant Plants for Happiness and Well-Being by Kathi Keville, Published by Timber Press 978-1-60469-549-6

Some of you know I was laid up for the first half of this week, and I spent a lot of time lolling around in a prone position.  My attention span was a little altered, but it was intact enough to thoroughly enjoy this newly released book.  So much beauty!

When we think of aromatherapy, we always think of essential oils.  At this point in time, we have so many people using oils without getting the education required, so it is a huge relief to read a book that gives us a different way to look at it.  While oils are discussed, aromatherapy can most certainly be a walk in the garden, the brewing of a cup of tea, or the whiff of a bouquet on the kitchen table.  It can be very simple.

The first section of the book talks about essential oils.  The author discusses how they are perceived by the brain, how they are made, the purpose they serve the plants, and some history of scents and their uses.  She talks about how the different aspects of scents change the way we feel.

Then we walk into the garden...
The book is full of beautiful photographs of plants, plantings, and full garden shots.  It is luscious and inspiring.  The idea of gardening almost entirely for fragrance is introduced, although visual beauty is a given, and as any herbalist knows, many of the plants have multiple uses.  Things like vinegars, spice blends, sachets, and tea blends are discussed.

The second half of the book alphabetically addresses specific plant profiles (mostly flowering) that have spectacular scent.  Many of them are meant to grow in zones 7 and up.

 I live in 6b and am too lazy to drag things inside and out, so reading about these scrumptious plants and floral scents was fascinating.  Some of them I may include on a patio garden, knowing that they will not last after a frost.

This book is really timely.  If you're just getting into aromatherapy, it's got a lot to teach.  If you've been working with aromatherapy for a long time, it will give you a new point of view.  I really like and recommend it.