My herb garden is already doing GREAT this spring. We had a very mild winter, and most of my herbs are already going nuts--especially the thyme, lavender, chives and cilantro.
I use the thyme, oregano, chives and cilantro in cooking all the time. Sage, occasionally. However, I also have a LOT of lavender and a huge spot of lemon balm--and I don't know what to do with it. It looks great in my garden and of course both plants smell great, but I feel guilty for not putting the plants to good use.
Suggestions?
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"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
My herb garden is already doing GREAT this spring. We had a very mild winter, and most of my herbs are already going nuts--especially the thyme, lavender, chives and cilantro.
I use the thyme, oregano, chives and cilantro in cooking all the time. Sage, occasionally. However, I also have a LOT of lavender and a huge spot of lemon balm--and I don't know what to do with it. It looks great in my garden and of course both plants smell great, but I feel guilty for not putting the plants to good use.
Suggestions?
Both are very aromatic and can be used in sachets and crushed or seeped in a tea ball to use in household cleaners. Or tossed in a bath. They have great anti-viral properties and lemmon balm makes a great poultice for chicken pox, cold sores or shingles. I use them in soap making. Both make calming teas for stress, anxiety or insomnia.
Lavender in vinegar makes a great salad dressing.... Oh there are so many more ways to use them... Plus they are just so beautiful and fragrant in their natural state.
Both are very aromatic and can be used in sachets and crushed or seeped in a tea ball to use in household cleaners. Or tossed in a bath. They have great anti-viral properties and lemmon balm makes a great poultice for chicken pox, cold sores or shingles. I use them in soap making. Both make calming teas for stress, anxiety or insomnia.
Okay, lemon balm or lavender tea--I'll try that. My mother and I love to try different teas.
Sachets and herbal baths--great ideas.
What do you mean by "seeped in a tea ball?" You make a tea and then add that *tea* to water to make a cleaner? Or is the tea itself a cleaning agent? I buy Mrs. Meyer's all purpose cleaner in lavender, and I would love to make my own similar cleaner. Do you have a recipe?
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Lavender in vinegar makes a great salad dressing.... Oh there are so many more ways to use them... Plus they are just so beautiful and fragrant in their natural state.
Yes, I have been known to plop a large bunch of lemon balm into a pitcher and put it on the kitchen cabinet. I love the fragrance!
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
Okay, lemon balm or lavender tea--I'll try that. My mother and I love to try different teas.
Sachets and herbal baths--great ideas.
What do you mean by "seeped in a tea ball?" You make a tea and then add that *tea* to water to make a cleaner? Or is the tea itself a cleaning agent? I buy Mrs. Meyer's all purpose cleaner in lavender, and I would love to make my own similar cleaner. Do you have a recipe?
Yes, I have been known to plop a large bunch of lemon balm into a pitcher and put it on the kitchen cabinet. I love the fragrance!
I use a BIG tea ball (made for adding herbs to soup stocks, etc.) in the bath to keep from having herbs plug up the drain. You can either use the ball or strain the herbs from strong tea for cleaning solutions.
I use 1/2 and 1/2 distilled water and white vinegar with a few drops of a 'green' type dish soap and EOs, and replace the water with very strong herbal tea when fresh is available. All put in a spray bottle for an all purpose cleaner. I use EOs when herbs are dormant. The tea or EOs hide the vinegar smell which disappears when dry anyway and they have their own antibacterial antiviral properties anyway. NO 409 around here.
Last edited by Titus2woman; 04-04-2012 at 11:14 AM.
I use a BIG tea ball (made for adding herbs to soup stocks, etc.) in the bath to keep from having herbs plug up the drain. You can either use the ball or strain the herbs from strong tea for cleaning solutions.
I use 1/2 and 1/2 distilled water and white vinegar with a few drops of a 'green' type dish soap and very strong tea in a spray bottle for an all purpose cleaner. I use EOs when herbs are dormant. The tea or EOs hide the vinegar smell which disappears when dry anyway and they have their own antibacterial antiviral properties anyway. NO 409 around here.
AWESOME, thank you! Good tip about the large tea ball.
What is an "EO?" Oh, Essential Oil, right? Got it.
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
While we're on the subject of herbs... (and I enjoyed the helpful info from T2W also!! Thanks!) I was wondering about a spice called Herbs Provenchal. My husband got me a spice rack for Christmas, and that is one of the spices included, but I have no idea what to use it for. Any ideas?
While we're on the subject of herbs... (and I enjoyed the helpful info from T2W also!! Thanks!) I was wondering about a spice called Herbs Provenchal. My husband got me a spice rack for Christmas, and that is one of the spices included, but I have no idea what to use it for. Any ideas?
It's a blend of herbs... ususally used on meats like some of our texas spice rubs... but if the herbs are delicate you could try fish or poultry too. I'd probably put a litte in some plain olive oil and ACV or rice vinegar and eat it over plain lettuce to get a feel for what it might be nice with.
I love lavender. Can you make shampoo and conditioner T2W?
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If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
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