Creating Sanctuary is simply tremendous. I was attracted to the book because I am planning to work on my backyard next year and needed some inspiration on what I need to consider to create a little heaven on Earth. To my surprise, this book gave me so much more than what I expected. Each section is filled with insights on the benefits of having a sanctuary and which plants and trees to look for to produce peace and balance. I particularly appreciated all the beneficial information regarding each plant and tree. This is a perfect book to offer as a gift to anyone who is seeking balance in his or her life in a natural way. Many recipes are available, and the photographs are beautiful. I can’t wait to start on my sanctuary and apply the wisdom I receive from this remarkable book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for my advance reader’s copy. Creating Sanctuary: Sacred Garden Spaces, Plant-Based Medicine, and Daily Practices to Achieve Happiness and Well-being by Jessi Bloom will be available at your favourite bookstore on November 13, 2018.

This was a well researched comprehensive book on holistic wellness. The author took the reader beyond the physical wellness to the soul and mind as well. Too often we forget that in order to be truly healthy, we need to allow the entirety of our being to be cared for and nurtured.
The knowledge I have gained from reading this book will allow me to take the steps needed to create my own sanctuary and experience the healing powers of nature.
This is a great resource book for those wishing to allow the empowerment of nature, and all it has to offer, into their lives and become part of their overall health regiment.

Creating Sanctuary
by Jessi Bloom

This may be the most expensive book I have ever read....it made me want to sell my house and buy a new one with a much bigger yard so I could create many of the spaces from the book!

This book is broad in its scope. It includes; sacred spaces, plant-based medicine, daily practices to achieve happiness and well being to name a few. Each of these topics is thoughtfully presented; not just a brief overview, but nicely detailed. The author also provides information about medicinal plants, salves, teas, bath soaks, and more. Her advice on self-care and creating daily practices and rituals is very inspirational.

One part that was a bit vague was the caveat about plant toxicity in higher doses. When recommending teas and tinctures, more specificity on toxicity would be helpful.

The photographs and illustrations are lovely. This is 238 pages of bliss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for the eARC for my unbiased review.

#creatingsanctuary #netgalley #timberpress

I have been reading, collecting and using herbal books for close to 50 years. There are many that I love and cherish, Creating Sanctuary is a must have book, it has everything a person who is interested in plants needs. From planting to harvest, from inside and out of our human self Creating Sanctuary is beautiful. Thank you Jessi for this amazing work.

Creating Sanctuary is a beautifully written and illustrated reference book. I'd love to have the space to create a large space to do Yoga, meditate etc. One day I will. I especially love the recopies for all things from bath, foot baths, essential oils, protein bombs, drying herbs. The list goes on but you should take a look at this book and you will be amazed at how disrespectful most of us are to the plants around us. I will never look at a garden the same way again. I will also take a closer look at my space and begin to develop my garden and use more of the contents in ways described. I absolutely loved this book and will refer to it often in my coming years

I liked the idea and the information was interesting. Still, I didn't realize this would be so spiritually based. (Buddhist/Zen)

Is gardening and well-being and health from plants my thing? Not really. Could I put this book down for a moment? Not at all! What a beautiful collection of tips, technique, educational ideas, research, well, I could go on and on. If there was a competition here it would be between the photographer and the author. One would be nothing without the other in this beautiful book. Just of late in a cookbook discussion I attend someone said that when choosing a book, photographs were as important as the recipes. I think this is equally true in Creating Sanctuary. There is so much helpful information in this book but for a novice like me, it would be hard to put it all together without the accompanying photos.

So, I’ve said I loved the pictures and the info contained in the book but let me explain further how the layout and design make the reading flow. I think it is the layout of both information and photos that makes this book stay totally away from what could be a very academic, dry read. I’m not sure if the water areas or the flower gardens got my juices flowing or maybe it was just a really good author, but something did.

This is one of those books that never becomes a coffee table book; it instead becomes one with tattered pages because you have cherished it.

Creating Sanctuary includes lots of great tips on taking your backyard landscaping to a higher level of creating sanctuary for both wildlife and personal well-being in a busy world. Bloom covers a wide array of topics from planning out the physical nature of your space to creating a spiritual haven through intentional choice of plants and meditation practices.

This book Creating Sanctuary was really interesting as it takes us into exploring our environment to make it as a great place to feel good. Along the book, I kept seeing the permaculture spirit being it, as permaculture is defined as living greatly with our environment as a global system (it is not only about growing vegetables naturally). I loved how the author speaks kindly about nature, trees and the life behind it.

I really like this book. It is beautifully put together and I can't wait to start putting its ideas to use in my own little patch of outdoor space. I just recently moved into a new home with a small back garden area that is pretty much a blank canvas. I've already decided which tree needs to have a fairy garden underneath it.

Creating Sanctuary an inspiring book from start to finish. I encourage my daughter to love all things and actively participate in gardening and horticulture. We have since added/changed some things in our sacred place, such as creating a fairy garden, planting wildflowers for the bugs adding plenty of colour.

I love gardening, nothing gives me more pleasure then to get into the garden. Getting dirty repotting, snipping, planting and digging. Walking amidst wonderful plants, colour and scents. Enjoying the birds, and even the insects. It doesn't matter what the weather, just being in a garden space fills me with joy.
It is no secret that my parents and grandparents enjoyed gardening, and I am so happy that they passed that love onto me.
This book invoke in me all the things that make me happy, with its beautiful photographs and the 100 "rules" for making a glorious garden to enjoy, anyone can have a sanctuary to escape to. Easy to read and follow it is a wonderful book to have in any gardeners' (old or new) library

This is such a beautiful book. The photographs are stunning. I have learned many ways to bring sanctuary into my life. This book is a nice breath of fresh air. A great read.

I can see this book being a great coffee table book and of course use it as a reference book as well. Some people my find it a bit too new agey for them but I think it helps someone open to plant medicine to better plan their landscapes, sanctuaries and gardens. There are recipes and instructions for all kinds of homeopathic remedies, teas, infused oils etc.
The photography and instructional drawings were also very pleasing and inspirational.

Wonderfully inspiring book! This is a great read and a great flip through as well. I want to work on all my outdoor spaces and gave me a few ideas for indoors too. I loved that the author covered paying attention to all senses when creating a space and I loved the section that identified plants and their uses. Loved it!

I found this book to be very inspiring. I have been staring out at my weed-infested dirt mound of a backyard for over a year now at a complete loss as to how I should even begin landscaping it. This book has given me food for thought going forward.

This book teaches the reader how to build a space with intention. I appreciated that it provided a helpful overview of various trees, plants, and shrubbery that could contribute to creating a sanctuary tailored specifically to your needs. Many examples of how others have done this successfully are sprinkled throughout the book.

Over the years I have developed an interest in natural medicine and homemade products for personal and home use. This book provides a comprehensive guide on harvesting and drying plants and herbs, as well as recipes for how to put them to practical use.

This is a great reference guide for people interested in creating a useful, enjoyable space in their own backyard. I certainly plan to apply the principles learned in this book towards creating my own personal sanctuary at home.

Creating Sanctuary: Sacred Garden Spaces, Plant-Based Medicine, and Daily Practices to Achieve Happiness and Well-Being by Jessi Bloom reminds me of a more mindful, wellness-based practice of hygge. In creating sanctuary, Bloom hopes that readers will nurture their spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being by creating food for the soul to fortify themselves against a harsh world. As an avid gardener, I especially enjoyed Bloom's sections on creating a sanctuary garden, how to grow your own apothecary, and the recipes for teas, salves, skincare, and wellness. How many of us walk around absorbing and carrying the negative energy of our respective environments with us? This toxicity can be emotionally draining and stunt our spiritual growth. By reconnecting with nature, creating safe and sacred spaces, and practicing self-care, Bloom hopes that this book will serve as a guide on our journey in achieving happiness and well-being.

I loved this book. It has a bit of everything I have valued lstely; deep breathing, meditation, sacred spaces, communing with nature, eating healthy, herbal/holistic medicines. It’s a beautiful, peaceful book, and honestly, when it comes out in official print, i plan to buy several copies to give to friends who would embrace this as I have.

Creating Sanctuary is a first a truly beautiful book but is it also a wonderful reference for many levels of gardeners
. If you are interested in learning about creating a sacred space or even just a tranquil space in your backyard, this book has wonderful ideas for that. If your interests lie in creating a kitchen garden or an apothecary garden this book is for you. The way it is laid out and the writing encourages you to take what information you need to create your own place in your own time, and allows you to have a space that works for you. It's not a cut and dry blueprint, everyone has their own needs and this speaks to that part of a person that needs healing.
Bloom encourages the reader to use all of their senses, not just sight or smell but also touch and hearing and to use those senses to bring times to your garden that a uplifting and comforting to all five senses. She points out that we should be aware of how colors or scents affect us, is it a positive thought, do certain plants evoke memories? I know I will always associate some plants with my grandmother and I find that I add those to my garden every year, just to feel close to her.
Other parts of the book discuss what kind of garden you are trying to create, all garden can be beautiful but why not create an area with a deeper meaning., Such gardens could be for memorials, spaces for healing, energizing you mind or just relaxation, a space to escape from the stress of the everyday world.
If you decide to delve into the world of plants for apothecary purposes or even kitchen purposes, the author shows how to harvest, preserve and collect seeds for the next growing season. Then there are recipes for teas, tinctures, essentials oils and lotions.
Over all a garden means so many different things to different people, and this book is a wonderful resource for creating your own Sanctuary. Becoming more attuned to the natural elements around us will help us to leave the stresses of daily life behind and enjoy our time just a bit more. It is not just for the advanced gardener since it has information how to have an intentional design in mind, what to plant and where to harvesting your seeds. Creating Sanctuary is a great resource that I plan on adding to my library.

Thanks to Timber Press and Net Galley for an Electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thoughtful guide to walk you through the process of creating a sanctuary in your yard. The author discusses her reasons for wanting to connect with nature and gives you a step-by-step guide to connecting yourself. Interesting recipes for natural health-care and relaxation products (teas, ointments, bath additives, etc.)

Negatives:
-- not enough photos of a variety of possible situations;
-- does not differentiate between growing zones so her recommendations may not work in all areas;
-- does not address how to create a nature sanctuary if you're in an urban area without access to a yard;
-- expects that you understand how to "listen to the land" and see what it wants you to develop--that is probably a skill that comes with experience and isn't something a beginner can just do.

Positives:
-- lots of detail so you will use this book as a reference guide over and over;
-- I loved the two-week plan for how to use your sacred space after you create it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Timber Press for giving me a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review!