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Aromatherapy Tips
Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils from flowers, leaves, roots or bark of plants to treat the mind, body and spirit. Only 20 percent of all known plants contain essential oils, which are usually collected by steam distillation or cold extraction. These oils enable the plant to endure stress in their natural environment and may do the same for us.
Essential oils act on many different levels. They can lift and rejuvenate your spirit and promote health, beauty and a sense of well being. The oils are a concentrated form of herbal energy containing vitamins, hormones, antibiotics and antiseptics. Used extensively in Europe, especially in England and France, they are becoming the fastest growing natural healing art in the world. Ancient Egyptians used them for massages, healing and preserving bodies. Indians have used them in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.
Essential oils may be used in baths, massage, by inhalation, compresses, facial steams and other methods. Essential oils are medicinal and must be used with caution. The information included here is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. These suggestions are not to be considered as substitutes for treatment by health professionals or for treatment of serious or life threatening illness. Essential oils and products may be found at health food stores and herb specialty shops and some cities even have aromatherapy boutiques.
Air Freshener
Use any fine mist sprayer; glass is best. A perfume atomizer is ideal. Add 25 drops essential oils (or a combination of essential oils) and 1 tablespoon Vodka. Mix well. Then add 2 ounces water. Shake well and spray in the house, car, office, etc.
Bath Oil
Mix 1 to 5 essential oils (or a combination) per tablespoon unscented bubble bath or gentle shampoo. Mix well and add to warm, not hot, water as you get into the tub. Relax in scented suds for 15 to 20 minutes. Leave the water in the tub for several hours or overnight to scent your home.
Laundry
Add 2 drops of lavender or other oils on a damp cloth and add to clothes, sheets or towels as they tumble dry.
Holiday Gardening Ideas
Rosemary from the herb garden adds a delightful scent to any holiday wreath or mantel decoration. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary hung her cloak to dry on a rosemary bush. The plant's white flowers turned to the heavenly blue of Mary's cloak.
Cut the flowers from your basil plants and bundle them with rubber bands, hang to dry, then add to mantles, Christmas trees or tie a fragrant bundle onto packages.
Holly bushes provide cuttings of bright foliage and red berries. Our native Texas Yaupon holly has wonderful red berries for garlands, wreaths or in flower arrangements.
Possumhaw holly loses its leaves but has wonderful berries along its stems. Cherry laurel trees provide purple, almost black, berries that are a nice contrast to the red holly berries. Of course, firethorn or pyracantha berries are a natural for the holidays too. Cut the stems to the desired length, then make several cuts in the end of the stem to facilitate water uptake. Place the stems in room temperature water and allow resting for several hours before arranging.
Ivy has long been used in holiday rituals. It looks lovely entwined with holly and other greenery. Place it in flower arrangements and allow to cascade down to the table or have it trailing along your mantel.
Magnolia leaves add strong shiny foliage accents. I love to use branches that have the seed cones attached to them. Magnolia branches will last for several weeks in a shady outdoor location. Other evergreen trees such as myrtle, arborvitae and ligustrum may also be used.
Mistletoe has a special association with the holiday season; the ancient Druids believed that it protected them from evil, so they hung it in their doorways. Those who walked under it exchanged a kiss of peace to symbolize their hope for peaceful relations throughout the year.
Anything looks festive when you spray-paint it gold! Try spraying pinecones, acorns, sweet gum balls, crepe myrtle seed pods, dried artichokes and even ball moss with a little gold to add sparkle to your decorations. In fact, I save the old flowers from my bromeliad plants, dry and spray them. Look for 24 carat gold paint for a more realistic gold color. I use a cardboard box and place the items in it for spraying to limit overspray. Of course, you could spray them with silver or copper also to suit any décor.
Pest Control & Household Recipes
Herbal Scouring Powder
A gentle and fragrant way to clean in the kitchen and bath.
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup borax powder
- ¼ dried herbs, ground in a mortar and pestle
- (Suggested herbs: basil, bay laurel, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, scented geraniums, thyme)
- Optional – add 5 to 10 drops of essential oils, especially citrus oils for extra cleansing power
Combine all ingredients and place in an airtight container. Sprinkle on surfaces and scrub with a damp sponge.
Carpet Deodorizer
Add wonderful and naturally fresh fragrance to your home with these blends. If you use borax powder the mix will also help to discourage fleas, as it acts as a desiccant to flea eggs and larvae that live in the carpet.
- 1 cup baking soda or borax powder
- ¼ cup dried herbs, crushed (mint, lavender, bay laurel, rosemary, eucalyptus, chamomile)
- 20–40 drops of essential oils (amount depends on oils used, some are stronger)
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well to combine and store in a cool, dark place or use immediately. Be sure to label the jar!
To use, sprinkle lightly over carpets and leave several hours or overnight. Vacuum powder and discard vacuum bag if you used a lot of powder. Some vacuum manufacturers do not recommend using carpet powder so follow the directions which came with your machine.
For extra effect in controlling fleas, work the powder into the carpet with a broom and vacuum the excess visible on the carpet.
Suggested blends
Citrus Dream – use dried lemon balm, lemon thyme and lemon verbena and add essential oil of lemon, orange and tangerine
Christmas blend – Use powdered cinnamon, dried rosemary and ground orange peel with cinnamon, fir, tangerine and frankincense essential oils
Herbal Floor Wash
Add a fresh natural scent to floors while you get them sparkling clean.
- 1 quart strong herb tea
- ½ cup herbal vinegar
- 2 tablespoons borax powder
To make the tea:
Steep one cup dried or two cups fresh herbs in two quarts water. Allow to stand until cool, strain before using.
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and spray on floors. Wipe with a sponge or terrycloth mop. On heavily soiled areas, spray and allow to sit for a minute before mopping.
Herb Recipes
Herb Garden Punch
- 2 large bunches of fresh lemon balm, pineapple sage or lemon verbena (or a combination)
- 2 large bunches of fresh spearmint or peppermint
- 2 quarts pineapple juice
Place the clean herbs in a large glass jar or pitcher and bruise gently with a large spoon. Immediately pour over the pineapple juice. Stir gently, cover and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
The next day, strain out and discard the herbs. Pour into a large punch bowl and add any of the following
- 1 cup fresh mint and lemon balm sprigs
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 oranges, sliced thinly
- ½ cup strawberries, sliced thinly (may substitute fresh blueberries or raspberries or other fruits in season) lemons and limes, sliced crushed pineapple, including juice
- Fresh edible flowers like pansies, stock, begonias or violas
Serve topped with sparkling water or even champagne. You may even serve it with rum or tequila.
I like to serve this for brunches and make it the night before. I even wash and slice the fruits and bag them up tightly and then just stir it together the next day. I place the sparkling water or champagne beside the punch bowl and allow guests to add what they choose.
Herbal Bath Salts
- ½ cup borax powder
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup Epsom salts
- ¼ cup dried herb of choice, finely ground with a food processor or mortar and pestle
- 10-15 drops essential oil of choice
Mix together and store tightly capped. This makes enough for three baths.
Bay Laurel Bath
- 1 cup chopped mint or rosemary (or a combination)
- 1 cup chopped bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon oil (coconut, olive or almond)
- 4 tablespoons borax powder
- ½ cup oatmeal, not quick-cooking (optional for very dry skin)
Combine ingredients and place mixture in several thicknesses of cheesecloth or a muslin bag. Add to hot bath water and allow infusing. When bath cools sufficiently, jump in and enjoy!
Herbal Body Scrub
- 4-5 sprigs of rosemary or other herbs
- ½ cup Dead Sea salts, fine kosher salt or Epsom salt
- ¼ cup almond oil, olive oil or other massage oil
- 4-5 drops rosemary essential oil (or other oil to match herb used)
Grind the herbs in a food processor or coffee grinder.* Mix in the remaining ingredients and use on rough, dry areas to exfoliate and smooth skin.
*To clean out coffee or herb residue from your coffee grinder, tear up a piece of bread and grind it to crumbs. The bread will clear out any coffee residue.
Fresh Lemon Scrub
Squeeze the juice from a lemon half. Rub the lemon over your hands, elbows, feet and knees. Dig your nails into the lemon rind and pulp to bleach dingy nails. This is a great way to clean up your hands after gardening or messy craft work. Leave the lemon juice on for 5-10 minutes then rinse. The lemon juice will exfoliate the skin and acts as mild bleach. Avoid sunlight for several hours after this treatment as it may increase your sun sensitivity. Follow with the hot oil treatment for an especially effective treatment.
Hot Herbal Oil Treatment for Hands
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh herbs of choice (lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary or marjoram would be good choices)
- 2 tablespoons olive or almond oil
- 10 drops essential oil or a blend (geranium, lavender, rosemary or frankincense are good choices for their skin softening abilities)
Heat the oil by placing it in a small glass or metal container and place that in a bowl of hot water. Add the herbs and allow infusing. Add the essential oils and slather the oil over hands. Put on disposable plastic gloves and wrap hands with a towel to keep in the heat. Rest for 30 minutes to allow the oil to penetrate the skin. Remove gloves and massage oil into hands for several minutes. Wipe away excess oil.
This is an excellent treatment to follow the salt scrub. It is easier to do with a friend to help with wrapping the towel.
Suggested Herbs for Body Treatments
These easy to grow herbs are worthy of consideration for your at home spa treatments. Use a single herb or experiment with combinations that please your senses. Listed below are a few commonly found herbs and a characterizing trait or two:
- Bay – stimulating
- Calendula – soothing
- Chamomile – restorative, calming
- Clary Sage – relaxing, euphoric
- Comfrey – emollient, astringent
- Eucalyptus – antiseptic, decongestant
- Geranium – calming, soothing for skin
- Horsetail – astringent, toning
- Lavender – relaxing, restorative
- Lemon Balm – cleansing, sedative
- Lemon Verbena – cleansing, astringent
- Marjoram – decongestant, invigorating
- Peppermint – stimulating, invigorating
- Rosemary – invigorating, conditioning
- Sage – antibacterial, calming
Seasonal Gardening Tips
Garden Resolutions
- Go organic! Safely dispose of bottles and bags of toxic chemicals and make the switch to organic products. Most cities have a hazardous waste disposal center or annual chemical clean-up days to keep discarded chemicals out of landfills. Soap and oil sprays, botanical compounds and natural baits exist to rid your home and garden of any pest that you may encounter. As you make the change to organics and your plants become healthier, you will probably notice fewer pests anyway.
- Start a garden journal. Make an effort to write down planting dates, plant varieties and a diagram of vegetable plantings. I like to take photos of the gardens at least monthly. I make notes about which tomatoes performed well and which I won't bother with again because they did not bear well or the flavor was bland. (As I get older, I rely on my memory less and my journal more!)
- Plan for your plant purchases. I walk through the nursery and see a beautiful plant and bring it home only to find there is not a single place to plant it or I don't have the right sun or shade for it. If I go to the nursery with an idea of where a plant is needed, I will get the plant in right away. How many times have you purchased plants and had them dry up and die because you did not have time to plant them after you purchased them? I have a table for new plants that need to be planted. When it is full, I won't buy more until those on the table are planted. It keeps me realistic about what I have time to complete.
- Avoid planting invasive plants and eliminate non-native invasive plants in your landscape. Think about replacing those ligustrums, Nandina, Japanese honeysuckle or loosestrife with better adapted native species of plants. Wildlife will benefit from the addition of native species and you will prevent the unwanted spread of these plants to your local ecosystem.
- Consider adding plants to your home to clean your indoor air. Pothos, ficus alli, bamboo palms, arbicola and rubber trees are easy to care for and can actually eliminate toxic chemicals from the air in your home and office. Of course, you will fertilize and control pests on them with organic products only!
- Add edible plants to your landscape. Even apartment dwellers can add a pot with salad greens or a tomato or two. Growing your own vegetables will eliminate any concerns of contaminated produce.
- Add herbs to your landscape. Parsley, basil, cilantro and many other herbs are as beautiful as they are tasty. Don't hesitate to include them with your flowers and shrubs. Keep in mind the water and fertilizer needs of the herbs as you plant. Thyme, rosemary and lavender will thrive with low water xeriscape beds and basil, parsley and chives will grow happily along with your roses and flowering annuals.
- Organize your tools and seeds. Clean and sharpen your garden tools and make an inventory of your stored seeds before the seed catalogs start appearing at your door.
- Walk around your property and view your yard from your neighbor's perspective. Do they see an ugly pile of brush, dead trees or a dog house that has seen better days? We tend to evaluate our property from the street view only.
- Winter is a good time to evaluate your plantings. Do you have plants that provide structure even in winter or do most of your plants die back to the ground in winter? Evergreen perennials can provide winter interest and this is a good time to consider planting them or transplanting them from other areas of the garden if you live in the South.
