GARDEN SPELLS by Claire Nahmad
In Garden Spells, Claire Nahmad reveals some of the marvel, mystery and magic associated with the garden. She explores the magical properties of trees, herbs and flowers, and shows how, by fostering the growth of herbs that have proven healing powers, one can create a magical garden. The book provides instructions for designing a lover's floral clock, and for making pot pourries which will bless the house, give hope to lovers and inspire creative works. There is advice on how to attract fairies to the garden and keep on good terms with them, how to create flowerbeds which will produce `harbours of peace and goodness', and a wealth of magical folklore linked to the birds, animals and insects that visit the garden. This collection of ancient wisdom is drawn from and inspired by the writings of Claire Nahmad's great-grandmother, a nineteenth-century wisewoman who lived in Yorkshire and used her knowledge to help others. Embellished by Camilla Charnock's illustrations, this book offers a healthy gardening philosophy, based on love and respect for all natural things, that will enrich our gardens and our lives. Claire Nahmad lives in an isolated village in South Yorkshire, the area in which her great-grandmother spent her life. A freelance writer, she specialises in healing, and herbalism, the study of magic and local folklore. Her previous books for Pavilion include Lovespells and Catspells.