If you’re like most gardeners you can’t wait for the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Throughout the summer months you eagerly slip into your garden every chance you get to see what is blooming or maybe just to savor the scent of the garden. You know fall will arrive way too soon, then winter, so you want to get as much out of your garden as possible now.
There are many ways to preserve the harvest this summer so you can continue to enjoy the scents and colors of your garden all winter long. Drying flowers is a technique that has been happening for many years and is a great way to preserve flowers. In addition to hanging the flowers to dry, try making your own flower press with instructions you can find in my new book “101 English Garden Tips.”
Other great ideas include making potpourri with flowers and botanicals right from your own garden. Choose fragrant rose petals, pine cones, acorns, straw flowers, citrus peels and herbs. Dry these and combine with a bit of essential oils or make a moist potpourri by layering the individual scented material with layers of salt and sealing in a jar. After several months the scents will blend and you will simply have to remove the jar lid to release the aroma.
If potpourri is not your cup of tea, try using pressed flowers to make bookmarks or lamp shades. Then again, if you are drying edible flowers and herbs, why not try combining them to make a unique cup of tea or herbal vinegar? The ideas are endless!
Looking for other cool craft ideas? Check out “101 English Garden Tips” for great ideas on creating poinsettia trees and succulent wreaths.
Filed under Dried Flowers by on Jul 24th, 2010. Comment. 
The oldest-known method for extraction and preservation of flower essences is known as enfleurage. This method, which involves pressing the flowers into some type of lard or oil, is used for delicate flowers whose scent cannot be preserved well using typical methods such as distillation or tincturing.
Delicate flowers such as lilac work well using this method. This is easy to do at home and the resulting product can be used in a variety of ways.
Lard is the typical fat used for this process, but a variety of oils can be used including the one I chose, organic cocoa butter. Cocoa butter can be added to a variety of homemade body products. Lilac infused cocoa butter will be the perfect addition to my goat milk soap I will be making soon.
The first step is to pick the lilac flowers early in the morning right after the dew has dried. Remove most of the stem.
Set up the double boiler, which is two pans, one set inside of the other, that is used to melt chocolate, oil, candle wax and a variety of other products that could burn or catch on fire easily if they were set directly on a stove burner. The pan on the bottom should be filled about half-full of water. The smaller pan which will set inside the larger one should contain the oil. I chose organic cocoa butter.
Bring the pan with the water to a rolling boil. Set the second pan containing the oil of choice inside the first pan. Keep an eye on it so it does not get too hot. As soon as the oil begins to melt, lower the heat and keep the oil stirred.
When the oil is melted, pour it into the pan you will be putting the flowers into. Begin filling the pan with the flowers.
You want the flowers completely submerged in the oil. To make sure they do not float on the oil when you are done, set a smaller glass pan inside the larger pan that contains the oil and flowers.
Be sure to remove the pan before the oil begins to dry or you may have a problem seperating the two. You can cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap to keep debris out while the oil finishes hardening.
Allow this to sit for a few days to absorb the scent of the flowers. This process can take up to two weeks or longer. Keep removing the spent flowers and adding new ones as necessary until the oil takes on a strong enough scent to suit you.
Gently heat the oil back up if it has hardened, using the double boiler method. Stain the flowers using cheesecloth. Be sure to squeeze all the oil from the cheesecloth so you do not lose any scent.
You may use the product like this, or go one step further and make an absolute of essence.
To make an absolute of essence, soak the drained and scented hard oil in ethyl alcohol, which is pure wood or grain spirits. Allow the fat to soak for several days, then remove it.
The fat will be slightly scented and able to be used in bath and body products such as soap.
Do not cover the absolute. The alcohol will evaporate over time and the only thing left will be the absolute which can be used in aromatherapy, natural medicine or natural perfume making.
Filed under Enfleurage Extraction Methods by on Apr 17th, 2010. 3 Comments.
The yarn I am spinning in this video is 50% mohair from Leonardo, the angora buck and 50% wool from Johnny, the Leicester Longwool ram.
Leonardo is an angora goat and Johnny is a Leicester Longwool sheep. Both animals reside here at Exotic Gardening Farms & Wildlife Habitat.
The yarn making process requires shearing the animal, washing the fiber and removing all the vegetable matter. Vegetable matter may include hay, animal feces around their rear ends, mud and other natural materials that have embedded themselves in the animals fur.
Once the fiber is clean, it must be carded. Carding fiber involves using either a drum carder or a set of hand carders. The fiber is brushed several times until all the hairs are going in the same direction.
I use hand carders right now, so once the fiber is brushed or carded as it is called, I roll the fiber into a rolag which looks somewhat like an empty toilet paper roll minus the hollow center.
The rolag is then drafted, or gently pulled into thin pieces of fiber. The length of the fiber and the elasticity of the fiber will determine how thin the un-spun yarn can be pulled.
This un-spun yarn that has now been drafted can be spun into yarn. The thinner the draft, the thinner the yarn. The thicker the draft, the thicker the spun yarn will be. Do not worry about spinning the yarn so it is perfectly even. There are no imperfections in hand-spun yarn.
Every thick and thin spot, every area that is not as perfect as store bought yarn will prove to you and others that what you are spinning is a perfect artisan yarn that machines are un-able to duplicate!
Filed under Spinning by on Feb 4th, 2010. Comment.
Here is a basic recipe for creating a natural perfume.
Natural Perfume Recipes
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka – or a tincture that you made with vodka
5 drops of an essential oil or fragrant tincture of your choice
10 drops of an essential oil or fragrant tincture of your choice
10 drops of an essential oil or fragrant tincture of your choice
Before you begin mixing the scents together, try them out on a scent stick to see if you like them. If the fragrance is enjoyable to you, add the distilled water to a dark glass bottle with a lid, then add the fragrances, one at a time, making sure to shake the bottle well after each addition. Be sure to write down the amounts of each fragrance so you can begin compiling your own natural perfume recipes collection.
When all of the fragrances have been added, shake again to mix the ingredients well. Sit the capped bottle in a cool, dark place. Shake it daily. You can check the smell after two weeks. If it suits you, go ahead and use it as you would any perfume. If you are not happy with the way the perfume smells, set it aside for up to a month.
Feel free to add other scents after that if you are still not happy, but do try the new combinations on scent sticks first.
Filed under Herbal Preparations, Natural Perfumes by on Feb 2nd, 2010. 1 Comment.
Each herb, seed, bark, root or flower has a certain temperature where the plant begins to release its essential oil. Knowing what that temperature is and the best method of distillation for the plant material you are trying to distill is essential. This takes a bit of research on your part.
When bringing a still up to temperature, it is best to go slowly. It is hard to cool a still so by carefully watching the temperature and beginning to turn the heat setting back as you go, you will have more control over the end result.
It is best to use fresh cut herbs that have been harvested early in the morning as soon as the dew dries after a several day dry spell has occurred. This insures the maximum amount of oil. If their has been a drought that year you may find some plants such as lavender have more oil than on a year where there has been an abundance of water.
This chart will give you an idea at what point some herbs begin to release their oils or volatilize. Never heat your herbs past this point and try to maintain this temperature throughout the distillation process.
Marjoram and Oregano – 163 F (72 C)
Mints – 200 F (93 C)
Sage – 150 F (65 C)
Savory – 176 F (80 C)
Cinnamon Bark – 170 F to 212 F (76 C to 100 C)
Wintergreen – 218 F (103 C)
Filed under Distillation, Essential Oils by on Feb 1st, 2010. 1 Comment.
Creamy Soft Scrub Cleanser – this is perfect for cleaning bathtubs and sinks.
Ingredients:
Baking Soda
Vegetable Glycerin – optional
Liquid Detergent
Sponge
Bowl
Pour one-half cup of baking soda into a bowl. Add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge and wash the surface. This recipe rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit. You can add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store it in a sealed glass jar to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.
Eucalyptus-Mint Disinfecting Soap – This soap is great for cleaning dishes, floors, stoves, sinks, and hands.
5 cups grated castile soap
½ cup baking soda
1 tsp. borax
1 tsp. eucalyptus oil
6 cups hot peppermint tea, made with 6 tbsp. fresh peppermint or 8-12 tea bags
Place the castile soap in a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan. Add the tea mixing well. If you are making the tea with fresh herbs bring the water to a boil, add in the tea bags and simmer for 10 minutes then strain.
Simmer very low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the baking soda, borax, and eucalyptus oil. Stir well to blend all the ingredients.
Store the soap in a plastic jug or squirt bottle. Shake well before using.
Natural Mold Killers
Tea Tree
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this tea tree essential oil. Note that
the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine these ingredients in a spray bottle using a funnel to make sure the water gets
into the bottle then add the tea tree oil, shake to blend and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. You can store whatever is left in the bottle. Just make sure to shake it up each time before you use it.
Vinegar Spray
Essential oil
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar
straight into a spray bottle, add a few drops of essential oil and spray on the moldy area.
Let it set without rinsing. The smell will dissipate in a few hours.
Filed under Homemade Cleaners by on Jan 31st, 2010. 1 Comment.
Floral waters, or hydrosols are great for the skin. Hydrosols help tone, rehydrate and rebalance the pH of skin. Fruit or floral waters can be used in a number of ways. The first way is as a face toner or refresher. Simply dab an organic cotton ball with some of the hydrosol and wipe your face. You can do this twice a day, everyday. You can add hydrosols to your bath water for a fragrant bath and an all over body refresher. You can also mist yourself with hydrosols. A gentle fragrance will be left behind. Be sure to keep floral waters out of your eyes.
Here are some good ones to try.
Calendula hydrosol is a good one to use for its therapeutic properties. It has
has anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and astringent properties.
Lavender hydrosol is very relaxing and balancing.
Lemon balm hydrosol has a calming effect on mental stress and fatigue. It also works well on skin inflammations’.
Lemon verbena hydrosol is stimulating and uplifting.
Peppermint hydrosol is refreshing and revitalizing.
Rose geranium hydrosol is balancing. It is the perfect hydrosol for the sporadic symptoms of menopausal women.
Rose hydrosol makes a wonderful balancing toner for all skin types. It also works as an anti-anxiety spray, a deodorant and a room freshener.
Rosemary hydrosol is energizing and stimulating.
Filed under Hydrosols, Tinctures by on Jan 30th, 2010. Comment.
If you are distilling your own essential oils, you will get hydrosol as well. Hydrosol is the by-product of essential oil distillation. They are also called floral waters. They contain the same properties as the essential oil but are diluted so they are safe to use directly on the skin.
Hydrosols help tone, rehydrate and rebalance the pH of skin. Hydrosols can be used in a number of ways. The first way is as a face toner or refresher. Simply dab an organic cotton ball with some of the hydrosol and wipe your face. You can do this twice a day, everyday. You can add hydrosols to your bath water for a fragrant bath and an all over body refresher. You can also mist yourself with hydrosols. A gentle fragrance will be left behind.
Some good hydrosols to try are rose, chamomile, lavender, clary sage, orange blossom and rosemary.
Do not use hydrosols on or around the eyes. As with any new beauty product watch for an allergic reaction and if you see one, discontinue use.
Filed under Hydrosols by on Jan 28th, 2010. Comment.
Making your own homemade soap is not hard. Lye can be dangerous and caution should be used, but there is nothing to be afraid of as long as you use common sense. There are a few basic supplies you will need before you begin to make homemade soap.
A thermometer is one of the most important pieces of equipment. You will also need a good pair of rubber gloves and eye goggles for safety reasons. A tall stainless steel pan, a pan to pour the hot soap into (glass works great), long handled wooden spoons and of course, your soap making supplies.
Homemade soap recipes can be found in numerous books and online. Here is a great recipe to make homemade soap with goat milk.
Easy Homemade Goat Milk Soap
3 pints of ice cold goat milk
1 12 oz. can of lye
5 1/2 pounds of lard
2 oz. glycerin
2 T borax
1/3 Cup Honey
Before beginning slightly freeze your goat milk. You want small chunks of ice in it, but you do not want it completely frozen.
Pour the lye, in powder form, into the milk.
Be careful here as the lye will quickly heat the milk up. Stir as you do this. You do not want the milk to get too hot and curdle.
Once the milk and lye are well mixed, add the honey.
The ideal temperature for the lye mixture will be around 85 degrees F, but be warned the mixture will need to cool down some to reach this temperature.
Once the milk, honey and lye have been mixed together, set the pan aside, with a lid on it, if possible, so the mixture does not cool too fast. Stir occasionally.
Put the lard into another container and heat it up until it reaches 90 degrees F then remove it from the heat.
When the contents are both pans are the right temperatures, 85 degrees F for the lye mixture and 90 degrees F for the lard mixture, slowly pour the lard into the lye mixture. Stir constantly and be careful not to splash this mixture. You do not want to get any of this on your skin.
When the lye mixture and the lard are well mixed, add the glycerin and borax. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. When the mixture becomes the consistency of pudding, drizzle some of the soap on top of the mass of soap. If you can see the drizzle briefly before it sinks back into the mass of soap, the soap has begun to “trace” and is ready to pour into a pan to cool. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.
Pour the soap into a pan and allow to cool overnight. You can add essential oils, herbs or other ingredients at this point or simply allow the plain soap to cure. This is the last step to make homemade soap unless you want to make hand milled soap.
If you allow the soap to cure without additives, when it is dry, which can take 6 weeks or longer, you can grate the soap, add nine ounces of water to twelve ounces of soap flakes, re-melt and add the additives. This is then known as hand milled soap.
Laundry Soap
Once your soap is dry, you can grate it and make laundry detergent out of it or shampoo. To use it as laundry detergent, mix 1 cup grated soap, ½ cup borax and ½ cup washing soda together. You will use approximately 1 tablespoon of this mixture in each wash load, depending on how soiled your clothes are. Experiment and see what works well for you.
Homemade LIquid Soap
To make shampoo, use ¼ cup grated soap, ¼ cup hot water, 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin and ½ teaspoon oil such as jojoba or olive. You can add a few drops of essential oils to this to scent it or add additional healing properties to the shampoo. For example, if you have dark hair, add a few drops of rosemary to enhance your hairs shine. Shake well and use as needed.
Filed under Lye Soap Recipes, Soap Making by on Jan 26th, 2010. 5 Comments.
There are many ways to get natural materials to make dried potpourri. You can collect plant material from your own garden or go for walks in the wild to forage for interesting pods, cones or other materials.
If you wild collect, make sure you have permission to do so. Look for materials that have been grown as naturally as possible. If the plant material has been sprayed you will be bringing all of those chemicals into your home with the plant material. Dried potpourri is easy to make.
The first step is to choose what plant material you wish to work with. Interesting natural bark, seed pods, pine cones, acorns, dried leaves and dried flower petals all make good choices.
The next step is to decide what you would like the potpourri to smell like. Choosing natural fragrances that compliment the essential oils you will be using is a good idea. You will also need a fixative to help retain the scent of your potpourri such as orris root or benzoin gum.
Once your potpourri is mixed up, put it in a large glass container with a lid. Set this in a cool, dark place and allow the potpourri scents to mix. Shake the container from time to time. When you are happy with the smell of the contents, go ahead and put some out.
Here are a few homemade potpourri recipes to get you started. Feel free to add or subtract botanical materials until you have a potpourri you are happy with.
Victorian Lavender Potpourri
1 ounce orris root
1 ounce lavender
1 drop vanilla essential oil
1 drop bergamont essential oil
Asian Potpourri
¼ cup camellia blossoms
1/8 cup rose petals
1 vanilla bean, cut up
1 tablespoon pine needles
Dream Mix Potpourri
1/8 cup lavender flowers
1 ounce cedar shavings
1/8 cup sage leaves
1 ounce orris root
¼ cup violets
¼ cup maidenhair fern fronds
Moist homemade potpourri recipes are a little different than making a dry potpourri. The scent can last for years.
Before beginning choose a pretty glass or ceramic jar with a lid. You will need one that is fairly large for the recipe below. Gather your ingredients together before you begin.
10 cups rose petals
2 cups lavender buds
½ cup orrisroot, powdered
8 bay leaves
2 cups sea salt or kosher coarse salt
½ cup allspice, crushed
½ cup crushed cinnamon sticks
½ cup cloves, crushed
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup brandy
Begin by combining the rose petals, lavender buds and orris root in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, combine the bay leaves, the salt, crushed allspice, cinnamon stick pieces, cloves and the brown sugar. Mix well.
Once the contents of both bowls have been well mixed, get your glass or ceramic container.
You will begin by putting a layer of the rose petal mixture in the bottom of the container.
The next layer will be the brown sugar mixture. Continue alternating layers of materials until both bowls are empty.
The next step involves pouring the brandy over the top of the mixture.
Then lay a sex stone, which is just a large rock, on top of the potpourri material. Put the lid on the container.
Over the next six weeks, you will need to stir the contents of the container every two to three days. You can add additional essential oils during this time such as rose, cinnamon or whatever scents you prefer.
When the potpourri is ready to use, simply remove the lid and allow the scent fill the room.
To keep the moist homemade potpourri recipes going, simply add ½ cup of brandy yearly, making sure you stir it into the mix.
Another way to make a moist potpourri is to layer semi-dry plant material, add a layer of salt, then a layer of plant material.
Keep alternating layers until your container is ¾ of the way filled.
Put a sex rock on top and let it sit undisturbed. When the mixture begins to form a moist cake, remove it, add the fixatives, mix well and put back in the covered container.
Release the smell by removing the lid.
Filed under Herbal Preparations by on Jan 25th, 2010. Comment.
