I just started some infused St. John's Wort oil...I love watching the process as the hypericin in the yellow flowers turns the oil blood red!

Just started...

An hour later, the flower buds are starting to "bleed"...

6 hours later...

Ready, after solar infusing for about 6 weeks!

JH, what is it used for? Thx

This is a really good article about the uses of SJW oil: http://livingawareness.com/5-h...

Thanks!

I'm currently making various tinctures which will be ready in another week or two.
I'm trying various herbs for helping the kidneys and bladder. One that is already being used is cornsilk. Next on my list is parsley root.
I also have one of mugwort infusing to help with my light sensitivity issue and plantain for night blindness. The parsley root is also said to help with night blindness too so that one is a double help for me if it works for me.

I've been using my basil in basil infused olive oil for cooking. Also I've just oven dried my lemon balm and tarragon.

How will you use your dried lemon balm? I am also drying some, along with other fragrant herbs, to use in herb pillows.

Made comfrey oil yesterday and have dried/am drying calendula flowers, dandelion root, burdock root, lemon balm, lemon peel, catnip, oregano, yarrow and elder flowers so far... I'll eventually make infused oils or tinctures (or both) with most of them and then use those mostly in creams, lotions, ointments, balms & salves.

I dry lemon balm (melissa) for tea. My particular bedtime favorite is a blend of dried melissa, lavender, catnip and lemongrass; it has a mild, lemony flavor and sedating effect... excellent for all-over (mind and body) relaxation! This year I neglected to get the lemongrass in, so I'm growing lemon verbena instead... it's reputed to also have calming effects, so we'll see how it goes.
Does anyone else also grow/blend your own herbal teas?

I am a tea drinker and have a tea garden.
My favorite is mint on these hot days , a bit of stevia sweetens it . I drink it over ice and hot .
Most all the lemons are in my garden or dried. L balm L verbina Lgrass

Sorry, I didn't see your post. I use lemon balm for tea, sometimes mixed with peppermint or spearmint. I'm not sure what I will use tarragon for though..

I use mint in white wine spritzers (leaf in each glass),
Rosemary for roasting everything,
Basil for pesto,
lots of herbs for salads, salsa and soups.
I love eating, cooking is so so. 🍽🍷

I am propagating Rosemary cuttings to pot up for holiday gifts.

Hey, my Rosemary already has little roots. I noticed them when I changed the water yesterday evening. Sweet! That was only the 2nd day.

HI ALL...😊🌈🦋🌹

Great ideas . I'm gonna give them all a shot. Thanks.👊


I'm going to make moisturizer hand cream.
A Gardner's necessity. This time of year my hands are dry. Great lotion for psoriasis, eczema or skin rashes.

Moisturizer lotion.

16 oz soy wax totally melt first in double boiler...then add:
8 oz coco butter
8 oz coconut oil
Place in bowl over pan of water heated double boiler then add lotion ingredients
Then add eucalyptus drops or lavender, or any herb or essential oil.
Once melted pour into molds or cup cake tin

Place on cooling rack to harden.

Silver dollar eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus cinerea, commonly known as the Argyle apple or mealy stringbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic in south-eastern Australia.
I prune it down to nothing all the way to the trunk every 3-4 years. It pops back up faithfully. It 20 years old.

Wow on that Eucalyptus! I love Euc and I just lost my 2 year old tree this spring.

I like your Lotion recipe too. I have one that is very simple, but yours looks decadent! I may try that sometime. I make my own lotion because I don't like any of those you buy in the stores. They are mostly water. They do nothing for my dry skin.

Today I am going to make some Rosemary Vinegars. It's so easy. All I do is wash my saved Maple Syrup bottles, (Pretty) and place the Rosemary cuttings into the bottles. Then I pour White Vinegar over the herbs and label with a hand made label.

I would add a ribbon if I'm gifting. I use this flavored vinegar for everything; meats, stews, soups, salad dressings, and beans.

I let it set on the kitchen counter or put it in the pantry. It lasts a long time.

Make sure your lid does not contain any metal.
Peace & Plenty.

Slowcala, sorry about loosing your eucalyptus. I've lost a few but I keep getting more. They especially are great for decorations.

Your vinegar idea is great . I made a fused vinegar last year and used a metal lid. It rusted so fast I saved the vinegar but learned a lesson.

I like to make a flower fused oil . Put it in the glass pie roller ....kinda like all those jar full of herbs and lemons that were so popular at the stores. They make great gifts.

Another ...boy I'm on a roll..
mason jar filled with clear burning oil
add red berries, holly leaves, rose hips...
Punch a hole in the lid.
Run a wick thru the lid half way to bottom.
Tie a ribbon around the jar.

Walla ...it's a Xmas candle or any kind depending on what's in the jar.

Wicks with glass top covers/holders are bought together at any hobby store.

Hey Joanna what's up with some more of your creations.😉

Thank you all for contributing your knowledge and recipes! This is going to be an interesting and very educational thread for me! Here are some pictures of the herb pillows I made last year...I've been drying herbs all summer to make more this fall. The pillow itself is made from plain cotton fabric and then I made pillowcases for them so they'd be pretty too. Mine still smells nice a year later!

You people are so creative. I love all your crafts with herbs. Those little herbal pillows remind me of when I saved our Balsam Fir Christmas tree one year and let the needles dry out and made the Balsam Fir Sachets. I love that smell and you can tuck one of the pillows up under your regular bed pillow to breathe in that wonderful scent and dream sweet dreams.

Peace & Plenty