The Fragrant Plants of Late Summer in Sydney

Video

Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. As the stinking hot edge to summer starts to taper off in Sydney, there are still so many beautiful flowers to behold. The scent is the draw card for me and here are a few pics I’ve taken in the past week. Long live summer!!! 

 

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frangipani, Sydney

frangipani, Sydney

Of course the frangipani is still rockin, and will be for a while too as we’re in for a mild autumn!

Murraya peniculata

Murraya peniculata

 

The star of late summer is always the murraya, sometimes known as orange jessamine.  There’s no stopping this tree from blooming the intoxicating scent of deep jasmine mixed with gardenia and a little spice thrown in for good measure.

I never want to live without it – just like this bee!

 

 

And look at all the petals on the ground! So delicious, its a treat to walk outside.

murraya petals on the ground still smell so sweet

murraya petals on the ground still smell so sweet

 

And of course there’s always geranium to be found.

Geranium ad Anne and Martins place in my street

Geranium ad Anne and Martins place in my street

 

If you’re in late winter/spring what scented delights have you found?

Thanks again dear ones and remember to appreciate the little things in life, like scented flowers, you will remember these moments fondly in the end.

Peace.

copyright-2017

 

Frangipani Moments

Video

Hello natural scent lovers. It’s summer in Sydney which means frangipanis. Here are a few pics I’ve taken over the years. I love them. That is all.

 

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Please check out my book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

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and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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frangipani, Sydney

frangipani, Sydney

 

frangipani, Sydney

frangipani, Sydney

 

 

img_5730

frangipani, New Caledonia

 

frangipani, New Caledonia

frangipani, New Caledonia

 

Thank you beautiful flowers, I love you xoxo

 

copyright-2017

 

Flowers, Crystals, Cupcakes and the Super Moon (A Few Pics for You)

Hello dear scent lovers and natural beauties. I hope you’re doing well on the slippery slope to the end of the year. Here’s an easy post to read – mostly pics from the past month of my life.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

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and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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The flowers of eucalypts and native Australian trees are so divine!

pretty gumnut flowers in Sydney

pretty gumnut flowers in Sydney

 

 

Crystals bathed in sea salt waiting in the rain for the super moon

crystals waiting the charge of the moon

crystals waiting the charge of the moon

 

 

The clouds covered the luminous moon, evaporating, finally letting us have a peak!

Super moon over urban Sydney

Super moon over urban Sydney

 

 

Vegan, Persian love cupcakes, where the heroes are pistachio and rosewater – from That Vegan Lady

Persian Love cupcakes with rose water

Persian Love cupcakes with rose water

 

 

And some flowering scented deliciousness from Thai basil at the local market

 

flowering Thai basil

flowering Thai basil

 

I hope you’ve had a great week. Have you taken any good pics? DO you have an Instagram account? If so leave your account name in the comments.

Follow me on Instagram here  @banksbotanicals

 

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

copyright 2016

 

 

Wild Australian Bush Flowers in the Springtime

On a visit to my parents a couple of weeks ago I snapped these little beauties in the bush next to their house. I hope you enjoy these colourful delights, however, I must admit I don’t know all the botanical names! Argh! I”l have to become a botanist I think …..

 

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

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and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Bush iris or native iris, Patersonia occidentalis

Bush iris or native iris,
Patersonia occidentalis

 

Egg and bacon plant, Pultenaea villosa Willd.

Egg and bacon plant, Pultenaea villosa Willd.

 

Waratah, Telopea speciosissima

Waratah, Telopea speciosissima

 

wild freesia , Freesia alba x Freesia leichtlinii

wild freesia , Freesia alba x Freesia leichtlinii

 

I have no idea what this sweet little flower is

I have no idea what this sweet little flower is

 

wattle, genus Acacia but I'm not sure what species this is

wattle, genus Acacia but I’m not sure what species this is

 

 

borania, genus name Boronia but I'm not sure which one this is

boronia, genus name Boronia but I’m not sure which one this is

grevillea, genus name Grevillea but I'm not sure what species

grevillea, genus name Grevillea but I’m not sure what species

 

protect our natural habitat

protect our natural habitat!

 

Thanks for enjoying this lovely Sydney springtime bush walk with me xoxo

copyright 2016

banks botanicals “REVELATION” ~ My New Botanical Perfume Collection

Hello lovely readers. My book has been out for a couple of years now,and its doing really well, which I’m both surprised and happy about of course. While I was writing the book I decided that this would mark my move into botanical perfume. I knew as the book was coming together, the perfumes were on the pages, but I had to extract and create them.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Me in my dressing room at TVSN

Me in my dressing room at TVSN

 

I was scared.

So I put the list of the oils in the book, under my bed, to allow messages to come to me while I was asleep. I think they may have stayed there for a year until I made new lists, which I stuck on my kitchen cupboards

So I had lists, and that was about it.

I was scared.

I felt I didn’t know what I was doing and compared myself to others in the field, who are very successful. I felt limited, and not courageous at all.

Then I found some bottles and made a decision about what form the perfumes would take – oil based perfumes.

 

I've got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed - sweet dreams!

I’ve got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed – sweet dreams!

 

Then I tried out some recipes on paper. I was still scared but I was moving forward. I always create on paper first. My challenge was that my classic Aromatherapy book has less than 50 oils in it, and I had to make 10 scents.

Then I made 10 samples and left them for a few months, as blends take some time to mature. Some were good. Some were not so good.

I was still scared I’d be found out as a fraud who knew nothing! But I kept going.

The next set of samples was better but I had a realisation – a “Revelation” in fact – that I was making aromatherapy oil blends NOT perfumes. So I started afresh. I started with a new mindset, to approach the blending differently than I would usually.

 

Dried juniper berries at a spice shop in Sydney

Dried juniper berries at a spice shop in Sydney

 

In the meantime fellow Perfumer and Aromatherapist Julie Nelson, of Aromatique Essentials, floated the idea of a botanical perfume event. I had been talking to Julie more and more and looked up to her as a mentor, so a little over a year ago we had a meeting about an event, and now we are almost at the first Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo ~ October 23rd ~ Sydney.

There’s nothing like a deadline to get you going, so I started making more samples. I’d wait a few months, test, make notes, and make new sample again. The more I worked the less fearful I became. Mind you I still freaked out about little things, but had to talk myself into the momentum, and accepting my individuality as a perfumer.

 

my little cuties

 

So at the perfume expo I’ll have 10 different perfumes that reflect the 10 active chapters in my book. I have used the “revelation formulas” to create each scent uniquely and really hope to see you there. My perfumes will be for sale in 9ml and 1ml samples.

xoxo

copyright 2016

My Jasmine – Spring has Sprung!

Dear lovers of natural scent, the jasmine buds have finally flowered! Spring has sprung with these tiny little flowers packed with the most delightful scent. My last jasmine post was 2 weeks ago and I had predicted I would have had flowers by then, but was disappointed I didn’t. A day after the article, a lone flower popped out….

 

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

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and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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At first there was one

lone flower

lone flower

 

And then there were three

three amigos

three amigos

 

And now

my jasmine

my jasmine

 

The plant is still only a couple of years old so I’m looking forward to more flowers next year.

Spring has sprung. I’m now counting down to summer!

What season are you in?

copyright 2016

My Jasmine – A Countdown to the Southern Spring ~ Week 5

The jasmine chronicle continues into week 5, after I spotted buds on the vine at the front of my place. I was wrong – which is unusual because I’m usually right 100% of the time (hehehehe). I predicted little flowers this week but was thwarted as we were plunged back into the dead of winter, with cold temperatures and rain. Here is where my potential flowers are at:

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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A slightly blurry pic, but you can see some of the bigger buds are turning a much lighter pink:

A bit blurry but still cute

A bit blurry but still cute

 

It’s definitely winter rain falling on those little buds:

 

It's definitely winter rain!

It’s definitely winter rain!

 

Come on you little beauties!!!!!!!

 

Come on little ones!

Come on little ones!

 

So here we are at the end of another week and nature is in control. I’d like to go out on a limb and predict flowers next week – but my last prediction didn’t end so well. I’m going to say 1 week to 10 days, and I’ll have jasmine flowers. I will be so happy when that time comes.

Spring! Spring! Spring! (That’s my chant).

 

copyright 2016

My Jasmine – A Countdown to the Southern Spring ~ Week 4

My countdown continues as we take a close up look at the jasmine buds on the vine at the front of my place. Jasmine is sweet and sensual, and tells me summer is on the way! And yes, the buds are getting bigger still ……

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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pink and promising

pink and promising

 

Who would have thought the little white flowers could be born from such deep pink buds?

 

nice!

 

My prediction is that I will have flowers next week! Stay tuned.

 

happy little buds in the sun

happy little buds in the sun

 

More next week.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

copyright 2016

 

My Jasmine – A Countdown to the Southern Spring ~ Week 3

This is week 3 in the thrilling account of my countdown to spring in Sydney. The jasmine out the front of my place is my guide. I don’t get a lot of sun so I’m sure I’ll see some little jasmine flowers elsewhere first – but here are a couple of pics of my little buds:

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

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and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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The buds are looking juicy …

pinker and plumper

pinker and plumper

 

The little ones preparing for their debut:

bursting with goodness

bursting with goodness

 

 

More next week.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

copyright 2016

Winter Flowers in My Neighbourhood – A Photo Essay

Looking for inspiration today I quickly walked around the block and snapped a few happy winter flowers. This is what I saw:

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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A pretty camelia round the back lane:

 

A pretty camelia around in the back lane

camelia

 

And my forever favourite, lavender. The girls next door just planted these plants called “Avonview”. It’s Lavandula stoechas ssp Avonview:

 

lovely lavender

lovely lavender

 

A distant shot over the fence, up the laneway, in a grey sky:

magnolia

magnolia

 

A stunning lilly opposite me in my little street:

 

Arum lilly

Arum lilly

 

A cute little pansy with a face, spotted on my way back from the post office:

pansy

pansy

 

My red zygo cactus (the pink one has already flowered:

 

zygo cactus

zygo cactus

 

And some beautiful ornamental kale in a bunch of flowers for my mum:

 

ornamental kale

ornamental kale

 

And finally the beautifully illustrated paper from the local book shop. They gift wrapped a book I bought for my 86 year old mum in hospital:

 

botanical gift wrapping paper

botanical gift wrapping paper

Thank you.

The end.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

copyright 2016