An inspiring book on using plants and layout to create different kinds of peaceful spaces on your property. I finished this book feeling so inspired by her artistry!

This book is just so darn pretty! The photos are fabulous and inspiring to anyone trying to plan and create a beautiful, calming space. I also enjoyed the plant-based recipes and self-care rituals. This book really brings home the idea that you don't have to travel to find healing in nature; you can create it in your own back yard.

Such a beautiful book, it's a recipe to calm these stressful times of pandemic and political discord. While I've been creating "sacred spaces" for my own well-being for decades, I found lots of great ideas to add to my kitchen and garden. Even if you never get to the actual creating phase this is a luxurious read that feeds your dreams.

All in all, this book is a good one. I wish more attention was given to the fact that there are lots of different types of environment in the United States, and those "50 sacred plants" won't necessarily do well in all, or even most of them -- especially given the major variation in people's ability to garden. But I like that the rituals have a DIY feel to them, being open enough for people to make their own variations based on their lives, resources and needs.

The photographs are just beautiful, and the whole book gave off a feeling of peace and serenity, which felt very appropriate.

I won't be recommending this for my library to purchase because of the specific nature of my library. But I will be recommending that other libraries buy it, including the two public libraries in my area.

Inspiration and Wellbeing!

Connecting with nature is deeply healing on all levels, energetic, physical and mental. More alternative therapies are including interaction with nature as part of the recovery of inner harmony. We are part of it, we evolve in it, therefore there is a communication, an inherent interconnection and an exchange of information with the natural environment that allows us to purify ourselves and regain coherence.

Due to the above, this book is an inspiring resource to create a space that allows us to recover balance, harmony and coherence. From a very young age I have dreamed of living in a garden, to nourish my soul with the exquisite aesthetics of plants and all their inhabitants. In addition, it is critical to create spaces that allow insects, animals and birds to survive in these times of mass extinction; not only because they are fundamental in biodiversity, but because our survival also depends on it.

This book offers great inspiration and invites us to transform ourselves to be part of the solution to a global problem, at the same time that it brings well-being to our family and community.

My sincere appreciation to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

Great inspiration for how to work with outdoor space to make it feel like a little retreat for one's self.

Such a beautiful book that really helped inspire me in realizing and creating my own sanctuary. Beautiful photos and ideas throughout the book. I highly recommend reading g this book if you’re looking to create your own inner peace.

A creative way to build relaxation!
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Creating Sanctuary by Jessi Bloom!
Informative and inspiring, Creating Sanctuary shows and tells the reader about sanctuary around the world and gives us the knowledge and freedom to choose and create our own special healing and meditative spaces. The five steps to creating your sanctuary garden are to clear out space, improve the soil, manage the water, provide wildlife habitat and build the plant layers. Different styles and designs for planting (medicine wheels) and different relaxation techniques (forest bathing)are discussed, as well as celebrating the changing seasons. Eye-opening and helpful tips for every aspect of building a personal sanctuary, 5 stars!

Paging through this beautiful book was my own wondrous sanctuary -- the photographs, the well-written observations, and the inspiring ways to bring beauty, scent, natural into my hectic, paper-strewn life! I felt like I'd breathed the fresh air and walked the paths...and wanted it all, all of it, the beauty, the wonderful gifts Bloom has shared.

This was a peaceful book with some good advice about how to create a spiritually uplifting garden space. I would have liked to see a focus on plants native to your respective area and cautioning about invasive species. This book may it have given me specific enough instructions to actually successfully create and maintain these spaces but it was inspiring enough to make me want to.

Creating Sanctuary is a philosophical gardening tutorial aimed at the gardener in search of a more spiritual connection to their outdoor spaces. Published 13th Nov 2018 by Timber Press, it's 236 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

Interacting with nature in a measured and intentional way can have profound effects on mental (and physical) health. I've often heard friends speak of being alone in a remote setting and likening it in a positive way to a spiritual experience. This book is written around the premise that that experience doesn't have to be coincidental and fleeting. We can choose to create spaces where meditation and relaxation are almost automatic, or at least are supported and unhindered.

The author's style is very calm and gentle. The content is easily read and accessible. Readers who are searching for a more meaningful and deeper relationship to their garden space can find interesting food for thought with this book. There is a fair amount of content devoted to meditation and mindfulness in both creating and using garden spaces.

The book also varies from most garden manuals in layout. The introduction is followed by chapters on creating sacred space and what common elements these spaces share (about 25% of the page content). These chapters are followed by an herbal listing some sacred and medicinal plants and how they can be used as well as commonly held properties and characteristics.The herbal chapters also include some recipes for teas, infusions, and tisanes among others.

The book also includes an in depth study of practices and rituals for getting the best benefit out of sacred spaces. The author includes recommended daily exercises. There's a useful bibliography and further reading list included at the end.

This would make a good gift for a very open-minded gardening friend in search of a way to make their outdoor space more meditation friendly and welcoming. It would also likely appeal to people searching for more ways to incorporate the natural world in their meditation and spiritual practices. The book is not directly religious in a way which most adherents to any faith would find objectionable.

I enjoyed the writing and photography and appreciated the special philosophy of the author.

Four stars

An absolutely gorgeous book! Beautiful photography of inspirational garden sanctuaries from around the world, and tips on how to create your own sanctuary specific to your wants and needs. In addition to garden plans and information, there are recipes for health and beauty concoctions to make from the fruits of your efforts, tips on how to fully enjoy your sanctuary through rituals and ceremonies, and more. Such a lovely book!

This book was the bookish equivalent of relaxing in a garden with a spark of creativity burning in the back of your brain. The beautiful pictures were a delight to behold, the text throughout was informative and interesting, but not overwhelming. It made one immediately want to run to the hardware store to buy supplies and create a fabulous garden or sanctuary space just like Bloom wrote about.
A good read for aspiring relaxers and creators.

Oh, how I loved this book! In my previous home I had a wonderful garden that I created which was my personal sanctuary. This book will help anyone to create their own special space. It helps us think about respecting the space, knowing the soil and knowing the plants that we need in that space. Where I live now, I cannot have an outside garden, but I can, and did, create one in my mind that can still be my sanctuary.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a beautiful collection with wonderful photos, exploring holistic gardening practices. The book's approach to gardening and herbalism is very appreciated as we globally move towards more ethical and wholesome practices for physical and mental wellness.

This was an amazing book. It was very interesting and had lovely pictures and recipes! I am planning on incorporating a few of the ideas and I cannot wait until the weather is better to start planting!

I am not going to put my review on Goodreads as I usually do because I liked this book so much that I want to buy it for my daughter for Christmas. That has to be a secret for now!

My level of gardening expertise is probably middling, and this is not the first book I have read on this subject. However, I found this title to be well-conceived, useful, beautiful, and inspiring. The images were calming and healing. Although most of the photos are of gardens in the Pacific Northwest, they draw on various spiritual traditions that could be adopted elsewhere. Elements such as standing stones, labyrinths, water features, and gates can be incorporated anywhere by people of many belief systems.

The author takes a multicultural stance, discussing spirituality in general terms that are not incompatible with Christianity, Buddhism, or earth-based religion. For example, she presents garden paths, medicine wheels, and labyrinths in a way that readers can consider their own purposes and beliefs, and take what they want from it.

Bloom's philosophy is that nature can heal us, but it is also our responsibility to take care of nature. She mentions that we may need to heal the land so it can heal us, improving soil and drainage, planting nutrient-rich plants, or removing/relocating invasive species. Some people may not be comfortable with the idea of listening to what the land wants to be, but I thought it was cool. We ignore Mother Nature at our peril.

Another element I particularly liked was the encouragement to make magical spaces for children. Bloom asks us to remember the first plant we had a relationship with, and how that felt. I realized that this is indeed a big part of who I am. My father planted a magnolia tree when I was born, and it was always MY tree and I was very possessive about it. As soon as it got big enough, I set up a sort of outdoor playroom underneath it and spent a lot of time there dreaming. I was also taught a little split at the bottom of a big tree was actually an elf's door, and my parents always had me looking for them on walks. In Bloom's book is an example of making a little stone pathway to an elven door, which I found charming. And do-able.

Finally, the list of 50 medicinal plants is quite useful. This is what I want to share with my daughter, who is learning about gardening, herbs and teas. Bloom not only describes each plant and its uses, she also discusses its sacred aspect in different cultures. This lore is hard to find in reliable, modern form, so I think this will be a good source of information for anyone who wants to incorporate an extra dimension into their gardening.

I see this book as inspiration, not a step-by-step DIY guide. People will have to adapt its ideas to their own situations, especially those in urban areas. However, I think this will make a lovely gift for anyone who seeks garden inspiration. I may not purchase it for my high school library, but it would be a good purchase for a public library that wants to keep its gardening titles up to date.

Creating Santuary is about creating your own outdoor relaxing space. Some aspects of this book I really found interesting were:
She describes the different colors and what mood they invoke when used such as white for purity,red for passion,pink-romance,etc and how to incorporate those colors using flowers,etc.
Creating a labyrinth (a form of mandala) and the different design patterns of a labyrinth that are typically used.
A very comprehensive guide for herbs and the feelings each one invokes and how they are used. I will definitely try out the bug off spray concoction next summer! She also talks about uses of what we call weeds such as dandelion,chicory,queen ann’s lace(what a pretty name for a weed) and various others.
Things I weren’t as much interested in, but someone else may,were the use of crystals and building a stone altar.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will use it for reference often in the herbal section of the book.

This was much more than just a book about setting up a sanctuary space. This also includes a lot of info on plants and their benefits, recipes for salves and tinctures and healthy foods and drinks. This is really about finding sanctuary and health in all aspects of your life. I enjoyed reading about and seeing photos of the featured gardens as well.

Thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Creating Sanctuary” serves as a valuable reference tool for anyone seeking to create a garden that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit. The author includes information on basic elements of sanctuary gardens. She also provides lists of plants with their descriptions that might work well in such a garden. Topics addressed include artwork, meditation, self-care, and herbs, among many other ideas. In addition, recipes and color photos are featured. Finally, the book ends with a series of activities that can be done using the sanctuary garden spaces. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to create a sanctuary garden. The book is suitable for individuals from a variety of spiritual disciplines.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.