Project - Make Lavender Oatmeal Soap

“Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.” - Lillie Langtry

Making your own soap at home, like cooking from scratch, is a great way to know and control the ingredients used, and add healthy alternatives from your herb garden and kitchen cupboard.  And it doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive or time-consuming.  It is certainly possible to make your soap completely from scratch and there are many books and resources to teach you how.  If you want to keep it simple, though, an easy alternative is to use a melt-and-pour soap base and soap molds, which you can buy at craft stores or from many online suppliers.  Soap bases are available in many varieties, including clear glycerin, cocoa butter, honey, oatmeal, olive oil, shea butter and, my personal favorite, goat milk.   Goat milk soap is soothing and moisturizing, and when you add all natural ingredients to it, can be very beneficial to dry or sensitive skin.  Lavender and oatmeal are also beneficial to the skin.

To make melt-and-pour lavender oatmeal soap, you will need the following:

• 1 lb. melt-and-pour goat milk soap base (or other variety of your choice)
• ¼ cup dried lavender buds
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (don’t use quick-cooking or flavored varieties)
• large knife
• microwave safe measuring cup or bowl
• microwave
• popsicle stick or other stirring implement (creates less bubbles than a spoon)
• soap mold or molds which will hold a total of a little over a pound of soap (since soap mold sizes and shapes vary widely, this may be anywhere from three large bars of soap to half a dozen or more guest sized novelty soaps)

First, cut the soap base into chunks of about 1 ounce each (soap base often comes with pre-scored lines for cutting). Microwave the soap in the bowl or measuring cup, stirring after each 30-second interval.  Microwaves vary, but this will probably take 2 to 3 minutes.  When you are able to dissolve the last of the lumps by stirring, it is ready.  Stir the lavender buds and oatmeal into the melted soap base.  Pour the mixture into your soap mold or molds.  Let the soap harden for a couple of hours or until completely solidified.  Remove from the mold.  If the mold won’t release the soap, put the whole mold into the freezer for about 10 minutes, then try again. Wrap the soap immediately in plastic wrap.  This kind of soap does not have to cure, so you can begin using it right away. The soap will have a scrubby texture which is excellent for washing your hands after garden chores. 

Bee Friendly

“The solitary Bee, Whose buzzing was the only sound of life, Flew there on restless wing, Seeking in vain one blossom where to fix.” - Robert Southey

Butterfly and hummingbird gardens are quite popular, and many gardeners select plants with the purpose of attracting these beautiful pollinators.  Gardening to attract bees does not always hold the same widespread appeal.   This may be due to some misconceptions. 

First, many people associate bees with stings and prefer not to have them around.  The fact is that bees very seldom sting aggressively, but rather use it as a last defense.  Even should a sting occur, only a very small minority of people suffer from a life-threatening allergy to bee venom. 

Second, some may think the only way of helping bees is to be a keeper of honeybee hives.  Not all gardeners have the time, space, resources, or even the desire to do so.   However, honeybees aren’t the only bees around. There are about 4,000 native species in the United States and about 20,000 worldwide. Native bees can survive just fine without human attention, but there are things we can do to help them.

Why be concerned about helping bees?  Many species of bees, including both honeybees and native species, are experiencing a population decline.  It is estimated that bees pollinate about a third of the world’s food crops.  Aside from that, the buzz of bees around a blossoming fruit tree or patch of blooming flowers adds another dimension of pleasure to your fragrance garden, appealing to the ears as well as the eyes and nose.

What can you do to help native bees? First refrain from harming them with pesticides; then help them by providing food and shelter. Some ways to appeal to bee preferences include:

·        Choose plants native to your area

·        Single, rather than double, flowers, and flowers with short or no tubes make nectar more accessible

·        Garden with fragrant plants

·        Choose plants in the mint family – mints, balms, oregano, sage, and lavender, for example

·        Bees love flowers in shades of blue, purple and yellow

·        Keep something blooming all season long

·        Don’t overdo the mulch – many bees need to burrow and nest in the dirt

From my personal observation, the plants most attractive to bees in my garden have been raspberry and apple blossoms, oregano, bee balm, lavender and thyme.

Teas for the Tub

"There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them." –Sylvia Plath

Everyday life is full of stress these days.  One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to relax and relieve stress is soaking leisurely in a warm bath.  Plain water will help, but to take it to the next level, try making a bath tea with your homegrown or purchased dried herbs. 

Make your bath tea by either of two methods.  The first is to steep the herbs in hot water, then strain them off and add the water to the tub. The second and easier method is to place the herbs in a small cloth bag or else tie them up tightly in muslin or cheesecloth, and hang the bag from the faucet, letting the hot water run through it as you fill the tub.

You can experiment with using different herbs, singly or together. Here are some of the herbs you may wish to use.  Caution: if you are pregnant or have a serious health condition, always thoroughly research the herb you wish to use to be sure it is safe for you.

·        Calendula – skin soothing

·        Chamomile – skin soothing, calming

·        Lavender – skin soothing and calming

·        Lemon balm – skin soothing and uplifting

·        Mint – uplifting

·        Rose petals – skin soothing and uplifting

For dry or sensitive skin, you may also like to add oatmeal or dry milk to the bath bag. 

Deer in the Garden

"Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed." --Francis Bacon

The deer population is on the rise.  It is estimated that the number of deer living in the United States has risen from about 300,000 in 1930 to 30 million today.  More deer are being seen in suburban areas as well as in the country.  It’s a good chance that deer may be visiting your yard and snacking on your garden.  When learning to coexist with deer, remember that deer are just like people in a number of ways.





Deer outside our window


• Tastes in food vary from one individual to another
• A starving deer will eat anything, regardless of likes or dislikes
• It’s hard to keep one out if it’s truly determined to find a way in

My personal experience with deer (in a rural area) is that they mainly come into the garden and close to the house in winter when food is scarce.  Our rhododendron bushes get trimmed of buds as high as a deer can reach each winter.  I’ve also observed them munching on evergreen bushes and any kind of plants they can reach through the snow. When good weather comes, they tend to range out into the woods and fields, although I have noticed that they love apples, lilies and hostas, and I have never even attempted to grow corn.

In the scented garden, the good news is that deer tend to avoid plants with scented foliage - like basil, lavender, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme.  Lilacs, honeysuckle, daffodils, hyacinths, and carnations and pinks are also on the “rarely eaten” list.  The bad news is that deer are often observed browsing on scented flowers such as roses, lilies, pansies and peonies.

Gardeners use many strategies to try to protect their plants from deer, including fencing and use of various deer repellents. Another approach is the grow plants that deer generally dislike, either exclusively or as barriers or camouflage around the plants they consider to be tasty.

Fawns under the apple tree

Lavender in the Laundry

And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep, In blanched linen, smooth, and lavender’d – John Keats

Lavender has a long history of use in the laundry.  Its name comes from the Latin term lavare, meaning “to wash”, and it has been used for cleaning laundry at least since Roman times, if not longer.

My own experience with using lavender for laundry was prompted by a case of dermatitis (rash) and the realization that I have sensitive skin.  I now buy only detergents and fabric softeners which are free of dyes and perfumes.  This is good for the skin and most likely for the environment as well, but having clean laundry with no scent can be a little boring.  The solution- use lavender in the following ways in the laundry:

• Add several drops of lavender essential oil to unscented liquid laundry detergent or unscented fabric softener.  Simply add it to the full container and shake before each use. 
• Use white vinegar with lavender essential oil added for scent, in place of or in addition to commercial fabric softener.
• Put several drops of essential oil on a clean lint-free rag or washcloth and add to a dryer-load of clothes at the beginning of the cycle.
• Replace dryer sheets with homemade dryer sachets.  Purchase empty tea bags from a craft store or online supplier, fill them with dried lavender and seal with a regular household iron.  You could also make them by sewing or otherwise securely fastening a muslin bag with the lavender inside.  Use these through several dryer cycles, according to your personal preference.  Even after retiring from the dryer, they will still retain enough fragrance to use for a linen drawer sachet. 

You can use other essential oils besides lavender in the same way – such as eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, or orange – whichever fragrance you would appreciate in your clean clothes and linens. 

Ramblings on Roses

Some roses are very lush and others are orderly. Each one appeals to a different kind of person. - Victoria Pearson


Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose still blooming in October



A scented garden could never be complete without an abundance of roses.  But there are as many tastes in roses as there are people.  I don’t personally care much for long-stemmed unblemished roses from the florist’s shop.  Their visual perfection and lack of fragrance makes them seem artificial.  Instead, I love wild, rambling roses filling the outdoors with their scent.  If they’re suitable for cutting, very well, but what is on my must-have list is hardiness, easy care, lots of blooms over a long season, and of course, fragrance.  Many of the roses I’ve chosen to plant are landscape or shrub type roses.

One of my particular favorites is Zephirine Drouhin, an old-fashioned scented pink rose from 1868.  Zephirine has almost no thorns and grows vigorously as a climber.   Unlike most roses, it will tolerate a good deal of shade and still bloom profusely. 

Some other roses I’ve grown and liked include:

• Miniature or groundcover roses - Fairy Pink Cushion, Patio
• Landscape or shrub roses - Pink Knock Out, Double Knock Out, Royal Bonica, Scarlet Meideland, Fairy
• Climbing roses - Climbing Blaze, John Cabot, Ginger Syllabub

Woodstove Words of Wisdom

“To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world.” -Charles Dudley Warner

Although we’ve been enjoying unseasonably warm daytime temperatures here, it’s still cool at night and woodstove season is not far off. I love having a fire in the woodstove in our family room downstairs, and the dogs want to lie in front of it non-stop all winter long.  If you fully or partially heat your house with wood, you are aware of two things already - wood fires are messy and they dry the air.  Here are my tips about woodstoves:

Ashes - in winter, ashes can be used to melt ice. Just be careful about dumping any live coals and about tracking the mess back into the house on your feet.  You can also add ashes to your compost pile, or mulch them directly around plants that like alkaline soil, such as clematis, delphiniums, lilacs, oregano and many more.

Glass viewing windows – glass stove windows can be a real pain to clean.  The best method I’ve tried so far is to put white vinegar in a spray bottle with several drops of essential oil (any scent will do, but citrus scents have extra cleaning power).  Make a paste with baking soda and vinegar and scrub the glass with this, using additional vinegar to rinse.  This works better than any store-bought product I’ve found.

Dry air – woodstoves dry out the air in your home very quickly.  To moisturize the air and prevent dry skin and breathing problems, keep a full teakettle of water on the stovetop at all times.  Never let it burn dry; you may be surprised at how quickly it evaporates.  To scent the air as well as moisturizing it, make a simple simmering potpourri. Add the following to the kettle – an orange peel, a couple of cinnamon sticks, and a spoonful of whole cloves. Exact measurements are not necessary – the amount of scent you want will be a matter of personal taste.  You can also experiment with adding essential oils or dried herbs to the water in your kettle.

Beguiling Bee Balm

“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.”  - Iris Murdoch



Monarda didyma reblooming in September



Flowers are not the main attraction for many of the aromatic herbs.  The main source of fragrance and usefulness is often their leaves, while their blossoms remain small and insignificant.  Bee balm is definitely an exception to this rule, having large, beautiful blooms which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds galore.

The scientific name for bee balm is Monarda, named after 16^th-century botanist Nicolas Monardes. It also goes by several other aliases, including bergamot, horsemint, and Oswego tea.  Bee balm, a native North American plant, is an easy-care perennial that is not picky about soil conditions.  It may spread rapidly, but can be controlled fairly easily by simply pulling up the unwanted runners.   I have two varieties growing in my garden.  The red Monarda didyma ‘Joseph Cline’ has large blossoms and does not spread as quickly.  The other variety seems a little more aggressive, and has smaller, purplish flowers.  I received a start of that one from a friend, so I don’t know its proper name, but I suspect it is what is known as wild bergamot.    

Bee balm blooms in early summer.  Cutting the blooms after they are spent may result in a second crop of flowers in late summer or early fall.  So far I have not harvested my bee balm, but have left it in the garden in order to enjoy its looks and fragrance and attractiveness to pollinators.  It does have home uses as well, though.  Flowers and leaves are both edible and scented.  They make an attractive addition to potpourri and sachets.  You can also use them in the kitchen to add color to a salad.   Tea can be brewed from the leaves and is supposed to be good for insomnia and digestive problems.  

Project - Make Carpet Freshener

"Those herbs which perfume the air most delightfully, not passed by as the rest, but, being trodden upon and crushed, are three; that is, burnet, wild thyme and watermints.” -  Frances Bacon   



Lemon Balm



Commercially produced carpet fresheners are often quite effective, but they may be costly or contain synthetic fragrances and other ingredients you, your children, or pets find irritating.   Making your own carpet freshener/deodorizer is simple and inexpensive.  A word of warning:  when using any cleaning product on your carpet, it’s a good idea to first test it in a small inconspicuous area. However, I’ve never experienced any problems such as staining or discoloration when using homemade carpet freshener.  Below are two methods for making “green” carpet freshener.

1. Carpet Freshener with Dried Herbs – thoroughly mix 1 cup baking soda with ¼ to ½ cup dried herbs, varying the amount of herbs according to your personal preference.  Be sure that the herbs are completely dry, and slightly crush or grind them up before adding to the baking soda.  You can use just one herb, such as lavender or peppermint, or try herb combinations like lavender and rosemary, or mint and thyme. 
2. Carpet Freshener with Essential Oils – thoroughly mix 1 cup baking soda with 15 to 30 drops essential oil, stirring thoroughly to avoid clumping.  Once again, use the amount that produces the strength of fragrance you desire, and use either one or multiple scents. 



Potential Source of Carpet Odors



After mixing either formula, place in a cheese shaker or similar container.  If possible, let it sit for at least a day before using to let the fragrance permeate the blend. Sprinkle sparingly on carpet and let sit for 15 minutes or longer; then vacuum thoroughly. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different scents and scent combinations.  The ingredients are inexpensive, and you can make small batches until you find a combination you like, or keep changing the formula to fit the season or your mood.

Plant Now for Spring Fragrance

"Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?"
- Neltje Blanchan

Fall isn’t my favorite time of the year. Although it is beautiful and the moderate temperatures are welcome, I know that winter is just around the corner and I’ve come to dread its weather extremes. One way to keep a positive outlook is to start planning (and planting) now for spring. In my part of the world (US Hardiness Zone 6), now is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs can be planted until the ground is frozen solid, but they will perform best if you plant them in early fall. Not only will they add welcome color to your garden, but many spring flowering bulbs are fragrant as well.

The following is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but will give a few suggestions of fragrant spring-flowering bulbs.

• Hyacinths (Hyacinthus) – all kinds
• Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) – all kinds
• Lily of the valley (Convallaria) – all kinds
• Tulips (Tulipa) – Apricot Parrot, Apricot Beauty, Monsella, Prinses Irene, Angelique, Ballerina, Peach Melba
• Daffodils (Narcissus) – Fragrant Breeze, Fragrant Rose, Erlicheer, Martinette, Cheerfulness, Baby Boomer, Thalia

If you can’t find fragrant bulbs locally, a quick Internet search will yield many mail order sources. 

Essential Oils 101

“To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat” –John Beverley Nichols

Many think of essential oils only as something used by aromatherapy experts.  However, there are plenty of ways that the average person can use essential oils around the house.  Due to health and environmental concerns as well as financial considerations, more people are making their own household cleaning products.  Essential oils are a great addition to these “green” products, as well as to home fragrance and bath and body products, all of which are easy to make yourself. In this blog, I intend to share recipes and directions for such items.  But first, here are a few basics about acquiring and using essential oils.

First of all, what are essential oils?  They are pure oils extracted or distilled from plants.  Depending on the variety, they may come from the leaves, flowers, roots, bark, or other plant parts.  Making them is beyond the scope of most home gardeners, as special equipment and large quantities of plant material are required to make just a small amount of essential oil.  So you will probably want to purchase your essential oils.  I purchase my essential oils from a wholesaler, www.naturesgardencandles.com.  There are many other reputable online sources, both retail and wholesale, and the oils are also usually available at natural food and craft stores.  Look for pure essential oils, rather than synthetic.  Quality oils will be packaged in dark-colored glass bottles and it is best to store them in the original bottles in a cool, dark room. Essential oils usually come with some sort of dropper, as a little bit goes a long way and oils should be measured out one drop at a time.  You will probably want to start out by purchasing oils in the smallest size available.



Fairy Rose



What kind of oils should you buy? This is purely a matter of personal taste, but here are some of my favorites:


• Cassia (cinnamon)
• Clove bud
• Eucalyptus

• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Orange
• Peppermint

The Lure of Lavender

“The air was fragrant with a thousand trodden aromatic herbs, with fields of lavender” -William Cullen Bryant

If I had to choose just one indispensable plant for both garden and home (which, thankfully, I don’t) it would have to be lavender.  Outdoors, it adds beauty and fragrance to the garden over a long season and its semi-evergreen foliage provides winter interest in our cold climate.  Like many aromatic flowering plants, it attracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Of the several varieties I’ve grown, I especially like Lavendula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Pink’.  I found it very easy to start from a small potted plant and it has grown to a respectable size over the past two years.  It is cold hardy to US Zone 6.

Inside the home, I’ve used lavender, either dried or the essential oil, for more projects than any other plant.  Here are some the things I’ve made from lavender:

• Sachets – for drawers and pillows
• Laundry items – fabric softener and dryer sachets
• Carpet freshener
• Drain cleaner
• Soap
• Bath salts and bath teas

In future posts, I will share details and instructions for some of these items.

You can use lavender for culinary purposes, too, but so far I haven’t tried that. It would be interesting to hear from those who have.

Thyme for Drying Herbs

Of leaves, choose only such as are green, and full of juice; pick them carefully, and cast away such as are any way declining

– Nicholas Culpeper -The Complete Herbal -1653

When you dry your homegrown herbs, you can use them not only for cooking, herbal teas, or medicinal purposes, but also to make all kinds of fragrance items – such as sachets, potpourri, and bath and body products.

There are several methods for drying, including air drying by hanging or spreading on racks, and drying in a dehydrator, microwave or oven. 

Although each method has its merits, I prefer oven-drying.  It is simple, fairly quick, and you don’t need any special equipment.  Just spread the herbs in a single layer on a cookie sheet, set your oven to the lowest temperature available, and leave the oven door slightly ajar (you can prop it with a wooden spoon if it won’t stay open on its own). Check progress often, stirring the herbs around about every fifteen minutes.  The finished product should be dry and crisp; once they are cool, you can easily crumble them with your fingers.  Drying time will vary according to the variety and size of herb and your oven temperature.

I’ve just finished drying a batch of basil.  I will probably use it as a food seasoning, but the smell is also delicious. This took about one hour and ten minutes with my oven set at 170 degrees F.

Beloved Invaders

O thou weed! Who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet – William Shakespeare

Some of my best garden friends are – well, bullies.  To the uninformed, their vigorous growth and invasive habits might make them seem nothing more than weeds.  In fact, though, they are useful, decorative, and aromatic herbs.  With proper care, they can form the backbone of your fragrance garden without getting out of control.

Members of the mint family, especially, are prone to spreading rapidly. Besides the many varieties of mint itself (peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, apple mint, pineapple mint and many more), this plant family includes other aromatic herbs such as bergamot, lemon balm, sage, thyme, and oregano.

So how do you keep your herbs from getting out of hand? One of the most attractive methods is to plant them in containers or small raised beds, devoting each container to only one variety of plant.  Other strategies include planting in a pot or bucket with the bottom removed and submerging the pot below ground level. Devoting a large area in a bed or border adjacent to a lawn works, too, as they will simply be mowed off if they start spreading into the grass.   With care, these potential garden bullies can become your best friends, too.

A Breath of Spring

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity - John Ruskin

 

The scent of autumn will soon be in the air here in Ohio, but this weekend I’m enjoying a breath of spring – the delicate yet pervasive aromas of honeysuckle and lilac.  Spring-scented September is being made possible by repeat-blooming varieties of these popular plants.

The lilac is called Josee – I planted it last year. After a rough start from being accidentally mowed to the ground, it has recovered and is now starting to bloom.  Josee is considered a dwarf lilac, although it grows four to six feet tall. It grows in Zones 2 through 8, has pinkish-lavender flowers, and blooms sporadically from May through the end of summer.  It requires very little pruning or other care.

As for the honeysuckle, I don’t know which variety it may be. A quick Internet search informs me that there are over 180 species of honeysuckle worldwide. This one is a vine, growing wild, either a gift of nature or a planting of my mother’s from years ago.  It has a yellow and white flower and also blooms in flushes throughout the season.  The aroma is simply heavenly.

The Josee lilacs and the unknown honeysuckle definitely meet my criteria for favorite plants – long bloom season, strong fragrance, and little to no maintenance. 

Why Garden for Fragrance?

“Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad.” - Song of Solomon 4:16

Why grow a garden with fragrance as a focal point?  For me, it is mostly for the sheer enjoyment of it.  This summer a friend told me that growing basil among the tomato plants is supposed to give the tomatoes a sweeter flavor.  I planted one lone basil plant in the tomato bed, and its fragrance filled the vegetable garden all summer long. In spite of good intentions, I never did harvest the basil and make pesto or other delicious sauces, and I’m not sure if the tomatoes tasted any different.  But growing that plant was worth it for the enjoyment of that wonderful aroma every time I worked in the vegetable plot.

There are other reasons to garden for fragrance, of course.  Many aromatic plants are among the easiest to grow, are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators, and may be resistant to snacking deer.  Then you can harvest them and make all kinds of gifts and household items, like sachets, potpourri, household cleaners and decorative crafts. 

This blog is about growing scented plants and making things from them.  I hope you will like the facts, ideas and projects I plan to share in future posts.