Creating Sanctuary

Beautifully put together and thought provoking. I appreciated the authors approach to sanctuary as more than an exterior space but sanctuary within ourselves as well. You can take your sanctuary with you wherever you go.

I love this book so hard! Jessi delivers an accessible instructional book on how to get the most from your backyard. From gardening to creating a sacred meditative space with garden design principles, everyday ritual and manufacturing your own homemade remedies. This book has it all for those seeking a calmer, more natural and spiritual life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Creating Sanctuary by Jessi Bloom is designed for nature lovers to allow them to find beauty all around. It gives the opportunity for a deeper connection.

#CreatingSanctuary #NetGalley

The book is ideal for people looking to recreate a zen and balanced link with their garden. The book contains beautiful pictures and useful information to create peaceful and sacred garden. Also, Jessi added good recipes created from herbs and trees from the garden. Namaste

This is a gorgeous book with pictures that sent my creative juices into overdrive. Along with all the photos, the author has added information that could be beneficial to anyone who wants to find ways to relax in this fast-paced world we live in. There are meditations and suggestions for self care such as: bath rock self massage, foot massage and spirit bath. She also included a few recipes for things like root tea, protein bombs, flavored water and smoothies.

Even though my yard is small, I feel I can run with some of the ideas, and I'll definitely use the self-care suggestions.

This book was not what I expected, but it's a fabulous resource if you're looking for ideas to create sacred spaces in your garden and home. It is definitely geared more towards folks who follow earth-based religions (which I do not) but it can be helpful for anybody interested in creating beautiful, calming outdoor spaces and in learning about plant uses. I found myself jotting down a lot of ideas to help make our yard more "magical" (in the sense of beautiful and meaningful) for my kids, too.

The book is filled with gorgeous photos of sacred spaces around the world, which I really enjoyed. I got many ideas for things to do in my own gardens from the photos of beautiful and interesting gardens and garden elements.

Sections of the book include:

Creating Sacred Space: This section has chapters on envisioning your sanctuary, common elements of sacred spaces, and 5 steps to creating your sacred garden. It includes many ideas I would like to add to our gardens, like common elements of sacred spaces (some sort of gate or entryway, appealing to all the senses, using bells and chimes, adding garden art and nature mandalas, etc.).

Botanical Alchemy: This section contains 50 sacred plants for your sanctuary garden, plant spirit medicine, and growing your own apothecary. It is fantastic for plant lovers, gardeners, foragers, or people who'd like to learn more about using plants. I was happy to see that many of the plants she recommends are wild plants that we forage and that pop up in our yard on their own. So many people don't realize the benefits of "weeds" like plantain and nettles. I was happy to see elderberries recommended (which of course they would be, since they are medicinal, beautiful and have been steeped in mythology for eons, and I've written an entire book about how wonderful elderberries are and how to find, grow and use them). The recommended plants are all ones that have a long history of uses as food and medicine, are easy to grow (often growing as weeds all around us) and generally also provide beauty. Each plant has a photo and detailed description of its uses as food, medicine and in various spiritual beliefs. It goes on to another section on "the wisdom of weeds" that goes into much more detail about a whole host of beneficial weeds and how to use them, such as burdock, chickweed, lambsquarters, dandelion and purslane. From there, it goes on to talking about how to use plants for emotional healing and mental well-being, like what plants are said to be helpful for anxiety, sleeplessness, trauma and anger, and how to use them. A two page chart tells what plants to use for what ailments, and how to use them (for instance, use burdock as a dried root in tinctures or decoctions, or in capsule form). This section gives basic information on how to make herbal medicines, with recipes. It also talks about how to grow your own healing garden, how to grow mushrooms, how to preserve your herbs and plants, and much, much more.

Nurturing Self: Healthy Body, Mind and Soul: This section contains your body as sanctuary (caring for your personal ecosystem), mind and soul (finding clarity and comfort), and daily sanctuary (practices and rituals). There are recipes for things like protein bombs, garden smoothies and fruit and herb infused waters. Also included are herbs for digestion, mindful movement, self care rituals and recipes, info on herbs to use for hair rinses and facial toners, ways to meditate and ground yourself using nature in many ways, eco art and play ideas, ceremonies and rites of passage, 14 daily activities to incorporate sanctuary into your life, and more.

Not all of the book applied to me, but I was happy to skip over those sections and focus on the many helpful and inspirational parts that did. There was so much that I found helpful. I also loved how filled it was with gorgeous photos.

This book would be a good fit for people who:

Are interested in learning how to use plants for medicinal and spiritual purposes
Are looking for ways to make their gardens into beautiful, healing spaces
Follow earth-based religions and are looking for ways to incorporate that into their surroundings
Want to learn more about beneficial garden plants
Enjoy rituals and recipes for self care
Want to create sacred elements like labyrinths, cairns, altars and medicine wheels in their gardens
Consider themselves more new age or "crunchy"

I received a temporary ARC of this book to read for the purpose of review. I can enthusiastically recommend it if you are interested in this subject. It is due to be released in November of 2018.

(Note: I will post this review to my blog at "A Magical Life" during the release month in November.)

“Do you remember the first plant you had a relationship with?”
To be honest, I don’t.
Jessi Bloom has a deep respect for the earth and a different interpretation of the word ‘sanctuary’ than I was expecting. I thought a garden sanctuary was a calm and relaxing backyard escape. To Bloom, however, it is a sanctified, sacred space. So this book and me were not the best fit.
Having said that, there is lots to like about the book. I liked the exploration of the different garden elements such as bells and garden art ( maybe skip the altar though!) , details of medicinal plants , recipes for drinks and cosmetics. And the colourful photos are a delight for the eyes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the digital review copy.

I grow many of my own herbs and have several books I refer to for preserving and producing teas, but this title by Jessi Bloom is one I must add to my research shelf. She has a more extensive selection of instruction for various herbal remedies and teas and her instructions are clear and details easy to follow. This is an author I will follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley, Jessi Bloom and Timber Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

“Nature will nurture us if we intern, nurture nature.”

My viewpoint on what I want from my garden has evolved over the years. For a long time I just required a large piece of lawn for my young children to run off some energy. To create distance from us and the neighbors. In more recent years as I’ve come to develop more of a desire to understand and grow plants that can provide a sanctuary in my own back yard. I’ve always had a deep affinity to wild places. Appreciated the benefit being in those environs will bring to my physical, emotional & spiritual health. It’s time I brought that to a place I don’t have to drive a million miles to get to.

This book actually overwhelmed me with information. Not only is there practical advice on prepping your soil and then choosing plants etc, but there is a very large section on which plants bring the best to your health too. As an avid essential oil user, much of this info wasn’t new to me - though I am unfamiliar with actually using your own plants. There is a lot to take in, so purchasing this book would be a preference over borrowing from a library. If you are serious about creating a real true wild space on your yard - this is probably one of the best reference books I’ve read recently. There’s even info on how to encourage natural wild habitats for the animals.

Great book, lovely pictures - the occasional diagrams.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

I love, love, love this book! Jessi Bloom has created an easy-to-read guide to designing, making and using a sanctuary space. She has combined gardening, mindfulness, spirituality, and natural healing into a book that makes it all seem do-able. Bloom's writing is soothing, cathartic, yet instructive. Beautiful photographs adorn the pages, along with simple activity boxes that anyone can do to accomplish certain goals. I was allowed to review this book in advance of publication courtesy of Timber Press, but I will definitely purchase my own copy once it's published. As someone who's just retired, creating a sanctuary per Jessi will be one of my goals for the coming year!

I love this book. It reminds you to slow down and enjoy life. Creating Sanctuary is a great read. It shows you how to build your sanctuary from visualising to actually doing it. She also tells you different healing properties of different plants and flowers so you can really personalise your space. There are recipes that you can use to create different teas, compounds, and oils to help.heal you. There are also activities such as yoga, meditation, and labyrinths you can do to really make your space yours. The book really read well.for me. I recommend this book.

🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

CREATING SANCTUARY made me calmer with each page I read. It is beautiful, wise and inspirational. Author Jessi Bloom, award-winning ecological landscape designer, shares her own compelling story of creating sanctuary after illness, burnout and divorce, so she KNOWS the desperate need our culture has for healing places, where we can take shelter in the natural world and mend the mind, body and spirit.

This lovely guide has tips for designing healing spaces, plant profiles for 50 sacred plants, recipes for using plants as medicine, and simple ideas for daily rituals and self-care practices. Projects include herbal-based creams, an herbal dream pillow and more. Creating Sanctuary is a must-read for gardeners, nature lovers and anyone seeking a healing place. 5/5

Pub Date 27 Nov 2018

Grateful to Timber Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#CreatingSanctuary #NetGalley

What I enjoyed most about this book was the instructions for real life uses for the plants we can grow in our gardens. How to make teas, tinctures, and oil infusions. Also, I didn't know there were plants that helped with grief and heartbreak, and I plan in investing in some of those immediately.

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.

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: 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 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.

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 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.

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 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

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.

Creating Sanctuary is an uplifting book about how to work with plants to create healing, an intentional and beautiful garden space, a personal apothecary, herbal recipes, and more. The pictures are lovely, and I found inspiration in the garden examples highlighted throughout the book. I was happy to see the author include information on forest bathing and earthing, and also a shout out for beneficial weeds.

Readers will learn a lot about each plant, tree, and weed, including information on how they grow, sacred powers, and healing properties. A few plants were new to me, such as self-heal, and a few were old favorites. I do wish the author had included growing zones because not all plants will thrive in all locations.

I was drawn to the recipe for Moontime Tea, a few of the flavored waters, the spirit bath ritual, and already plan to incorporate more healing plants in my garden next spring. Readers looking to create a sacred space and connect with nature will love this book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

“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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.