An Herbal Dream Pillow for Valentine’s Day

Herbal dream pillows—small cloth bags filled with special blends of dried flowers and herbs that are then placed inside the pillowcase before sleep—have centuries-old roots and, depending upon the specific blend used, have different effects on the nature of our dreams. 

Earlier this month, Jim Long—herbalist, gardener, and author of Making Herbal Dream Pillows—shared the story of the positive impact herbal dream pillows are having in relieving nightmares and troubled sleep. 

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked Jim to select a romantic blend of herbs to be tucked inside your own pillow or that of your sweetie. Jim says:

Friends have described their dreams after using the following blend as full of color in vividly romantic settings. One friend said, “It was like we were two feathers floating on a spring breeze, crossing paths, touching, drifting over moonlight beaches.”

(And another friend who used this pillow said, “Jim. The dreams were way too personal to describe to you, but I can verify this dream blend really, really works!”)

Calendula is added here to balance the effects of the other herbs. Also known as pot marigold, this is an easily grown annual. Plant the seed in spring or in late summer, as it prefers moderately cool temperatures, and harvest the flowers all during blooming time. Snap off the flower heads just as they are fully open and toss them into a basket to dry. The recipe calls for petals, but you can just as easily use the whole dried flower head.

Marjoram, also called sweet marjoram, is a sweet, sort of pine-scented member of the oregano family. I’ve found it to be relaxing in dream blends, but marjoram adds some spice and complements the more exotic fragrance of jasmine. Marjoram is simple to grow in the garden as an annual from seed. Folklore asserts that marjoram by itself might make you dream of playful fairies.

Amorous Dreams Blend

What you’ll need:
3 x 5 inch cotton drawstring bag

2 tablespoons sweet hops flowers
2 tablespoons calendula petals
2 tablespoons rose petals
2 tablespoons jasmine flowers
1 tablespoon catnip
1 tablespoon marjoram
2 teaspoons lemon verbena leaves
2 teaspoons lavender flowers
1 teaspoon mint

Mix well, then scoop 2 heaping tablespoons of the blend into the cotton drawstring bag. Tie closed and place inside pillowcase.

Amorous Dreams Blend recipe excerpted from Making Herbal Dream Pillows © 1998 by Jim Long. All rights reserved.

Jim Long is the co-owner of Long Creek Herb Farm in Missouri, an herbalist, an author, a landscape designer, and a syndicated gardening columnist. Long is the author of more than 2 dozen books on herbs, gardening and historical subjects. He’s been a guest on several HGTV® and Discovery Channel® programs as well as P. Allen Smith Gardens T.V. His blogs, jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com and jimsdreampillows.blogspot.com, chronicle his gardening adventures. His dream pillow products and books can be found on his website:LongCreekHerbs.com.