When my partner brought me a big bunch of flowers a few months ago the last bits to remain were the Eucalyptus branches...... they are such a beautiful shade of green and the smell is so invigorating.....
....I now have them in a lovely large mug on my table and not only do they look beautiful but they have a lovely scent too. Since making an effort to rid my life of plastic and adopt a more zero waste life style, fragrancing my home naturally has been on my mind....I get through a lot of candles (i add essential oils as they are burning).... and the great thing about Eucalyptus is not only does it last a long time but when you are done you can stick it in the compost!!!
Interested in what else I could do with these beautiful leaves and found lots of seriously good ideas so here are some great ways of incorporating Eucalyptus into your home
1) The Vase
Quick and simple.. yet so effective.....Eucalyptus lasts for a seriously long time and just a few sprigs look and smell great and add some character to your home
2) The wall hanging
Love this idea from Sarah Sherman Samuel using Eucalyptus branches to make a wall hanging, so simple to make and looks so pretty, I recon this would also look really cool hanging from a window :)
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| Sarah Sherman Samuel - DIY Eucalyptus wall hanging |
3) In the Shower
When the leaves are touched the scent is released so hanging some Eucalyptus in the shower is the perfect place to hang it to get the full sensory benefit. Especially good for the cold season... must remember this trick for next winter!!1
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| Eucalyptus Shower Hanging - Going Zero Waste |
4) Mix with other long lasting plants for a pretty bouquet
I saw this lovely bouquet on Pinterest and love the combination of the cotton plant and the Eucalyptus. i would be mega happy with a bunch like this :)
Just a little note of warning, Eucalyptus can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts... so be wary of it around little children, especially when pairing it with something child friendly like cotton
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| Eucalyptus and Cotton bouquet |
5) Eucalyptus' make the most stunning houseplants... and much less high maintenance than those fiddle leaf figs. These would be great placed in walkways so you got the full aroma of the leaves when you brushed past them...mmmmm!
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| Eucalyptus as a houseplant |
6) Eucalyptus leaves make the most beautiful natural dyes....I have been reading Rebecca Desnos' book and Plants are magic magazines but still haven't yet tried working with natural dyes. this is one of my big aims for this coming summer. I love the idea of using individual leaves
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| Eucalyptus leaves as Natural dye |
7 comments:
Hi Gabi-
Another great use for eucalyptus (I grew up in California- it's everywhere there) is putting it in your pets' beds- it repels fleas. I'm not sure you could grow it in England or not, but there are varieties of eucalyptus that handle very cold temperatures and if people are interested in growing their own firewood, it's great for that as well because the wood is incredibly hard (read: slow, hot fires) and the tree will coppice if you cut it in late winter, early spring when the sap is starting to rise. I have eucs growing along the side of my house and garage for firewood and they help with fuel costs.
I didn't know about the dyes- I'll have to try that!
Thank You Paula, my mum has dogs i will let her know :)
You are so lucky to live where they grow naturally. My parents have always had them in their garden and i always loved the beautiful colour of their leaves.
I must try the dye as well
xx Gabi
I’d love to have a eucalyptus plant! That way I can cut as I need. I don’t see them for sale anywhere so I’ll have to special order.
I’m surprised by the red color it gives off with the dye. I thought it would be a shade of green.
Glad to hear paula’s tip about fleas. That would definitely help with my pack of animals that like to hang out in my backyard.
You can grow eucalyptus just about anywhere. There are hundreds of varieties in Australia from the hot tropics in the north to Tasmania in the south. Some of them have really long leaves and there are all types of beautiful flowers. I love the smell and there are lots around my suburb.
I love Eucalyptus. I just bought an oil diffuser and found out that Eucalyptus oil is toxic to cats. I was hoping to use Eucalyptus oil in the house but sadly cannot now. Love this post though xx
I adore the smell of Eucalyptus. When I was just a young thing in my 20's, I found some in a little boutique in the city where I was living. I bought a large bunch, and it lived with me and scented my home for many, many years. Now that I'm older, I'd like to purchase some again. It's difficult to find in my little town and oh so much more expensive. So, until I find a "smelly" bunch for my home, I'll continue to enjoy the oil in my bath.
What a beautiful plant and all it's properties... so interesting. I'd like to try the natural dyeing also. I'm going to check with my local florist to see if she sells any. I'll also look on line. Thanks for a cool article.
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