Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - September 2009

I missed August's posting (oops!), so I'm making extra sure to give September's flowers their due!

We have some old favorites (roses and poppies) in the garden who have been with us all summer, and there are some late summer newbies too! Without further ado...

Oh Rudbeckia! Would you believe carrots are underneath there? How did this all begin? Oh yes, the idea was veggies in the center and Territorial Seed's "Beneficial Bug" flower mix along the edges. Y'know when you have a picture in your mind, but that is sooooooo far from reality? Yes, well, that's this. But all the plants are playing well together, and I'll figure out how to control the rampant spread of the flowers. **sigh** They are pretty, though!


Anyone who knows me well knows that I hate Morning Glories. If you have one, get ready for an explosion. In Los Angeles, they take over entire telephone poles. These ladies are growing from the alley, through the fence and have taken up residence in my green beans. But, again, these are very pretty flowers. You take the good with the bad, right?


I don't know what this is, but from an entire envelope of Botanical Interest's "Bring Home The Butterflies," this was the only plant that flowered. (FYI, I had almost no flutterbyes this year.) Since this one flower was successful, I'm hoping it goes to seed -- it's sharing a wine barrel planter with my dianthus, and it would be nice to have multiple flowerings in that planter.


I know mums are boring, but I love them. They show up at the very end of summer, giving me hope for beautiful colors coming back in spring. I've been super crabby lately, and I ended up at Fred Meyer, trying to see if some retail therapy would cure my wretched attitude. I put two more mum plants into my basket, and at the last minute, I put them back. I wish I'd bought them now. This mum needs a friend!


Ok, ok, ok, this is not a flower, but a beautiful clematis seed head. I think these are much more interesting than the flowers, and they stay pretty a lot longer too! Dr. Seuss must have used these as inspiration for Thing 1 & Thing 2 from "Cat in the Hat."


Now this is everyone's favorite rose, my lavender lady. She is austere and mysterious, and her blooms last about the length of your breath. You can see already the edges of the petals getting darker like acid burn on old paper. Smells like heaven too!


Oh how I love calendula. No fuss, no muss! Hardly needs water, self-seeding, easy to control, and I make a fantastic infused oil from the petals. As I was taking this photo of this tiny bee (we get the strangest bees in southern Oregon) and the spider in the calendula petals (see it?), another bee, weighed down with pollen, landed on my sock. I am petrified of bees, wasps, etc. (allergic!), so I tried asking it to leave. No good. I moved and then worried it might sting me through the sock. Finally, I bravely swatted it off. All to get this photo -- enjoy!


Sure it's time for mums, but also for asters. This aster came with the house (like the roses and the clematis). Year 1, it was the size of a basketball. Year 2, it was about twice that. Oh my god, this year, it's like a full-fledged bush! I love it! In fact, I love it so much, I bought a companion for it last fall:


Meet the Winston Churchill Aster. It survived winter, and being trampled by the chickens. From a baseball-sized seedling, it grew to the size of a large pumpkin. And it's covered with these gorgeous magenta blooms! Bees love it too.

Very happy, very beautiful September this year. As always, a huge thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for dreaming this up. Wishing all of you much health and many blooms!

Ain't No Cure For The Summertime Cold

I recently read a common sentiment on Facebook: summer colds suck. Not clinical terminology, but it is accurate nonetheless.

There is no "cure" for the common cold, due mainly to the wide variety of symptoms and the staggeringly large number of types of rhinovirus. Viruses are amazing (from a technical standpoint) due to their ability to change their coating constantly. This means they can "learn" from their environment and change their "skin" to better protect themselves. Thus, no cure.

So, what can we do to get through a summer cold?

1. Give your body rest. Your goal is to get through the cold as quickly as possible, and there is no better boost for your immune system than good ol' fashioned sleep. Laying in bed reading doesn't do the trick quite like a trip through REM state. When you are asleep, your body goes through a maintenance of sorts, and this is the ideal time for your body to heal itself. This means repairing tissue damaged by viral destruction and "learning" about the invading virus; like the virus, your immune system can learn also. This is why it's so important to turn the corner with an illness; it means your body is fighting successfully.

2. Eat. Fighting an invading army of viruses takes a lot of energy. Eat healthfully, because the best vitamins come from nature. And, while I have nothing to back this up scientifically, I personally have always found a meal heavy in garlic just wipes out the invaders. Garlic rips through your body quickly, and that seems to trigger a flush of everything else. Try a caesar salad heavy in garlicky dressing. Or a tomato and garlic bruschetta (who says you can't eat well when sick).

3. Bio-available vitamins. I have read the studies from 2 1/2 years ago showing there is no scientific basis behind Emergen-C. And my brain understands it really shouldn't help. Again, personally, I have always found that taking one Emergen-C a day gets me through a cold much more quickly. Perhaps it's the high-volume infusion of vitamins, which a sick body needs. Either way, taking vitamins in a form that is bio-available (i.e., not cheap vitamins on sale at the supermarket) helps your body out.

4. Green tea. High in anti-oxidants, hot green tea soothes a throat irritated by post-nasal drip. Also great for throats is a warm water gargle of salt water. And I use a mug of hot water infused with honey and a drop each of Lavandula angustfolia (Lavender) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman Chamomile). This not only soothes a sore throat, but the anti-bacterial components of Lavender and Roman Chamomile help ward off a secondary infection in the throat. Both are also high in anti-inflammatory esters.

5. Stuffy nose. Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) and Lavandula latifolia (Spike Lavender) are both high in eucalyptol. You can use either in a diffuser or just open the bottle and inhale 4 times.

How do you keep from getting a cold?

1. Wash your hands. Every time you use the bathroom, before you eat, after any time you shake someone's hand. Lots of lather, and rub your hands continuously for 20 seconds (sing the Star Spangled Banner in your head). This is the ONLY way to remove germs from your hands.

2. DO NOT USE ANY ANTIBACTERIAL PRODUCTS!!!!! First off, the cold (or swine flu or avian flu) is caused by a virus. Antibacterial products are a serious health hazard that doctors do not recommend. They deplete your immune system by killing off beneficial bacteria in your system. They also create "super bacteria": like viruses, bacteria can learn from their environment and those that come in contact with antibacterial products (and don't die), pass on that information to the next generation. Eventually, through natural selection, we end up with serious dangers like Methycillin-Resistant Staph. Aureus (MRSA). I can not stress this enough: antibacterial soap, antibacterial Swiffer pads, antibacterial Purel, all of that is not helping. Your best defense against a cold is a healthy immune system, and that immune system is supported by beneficial bacteria in your system.

3. Eat healthfully, get rest, exercise regularly, relieve stress through yoga or meditation. This is how you keep up your immune system.

Should you need Breathe Easy salve or any other product to help you make it through the cold season (any time of the year), contact me!

Seeds and sick tummies

These two topics have nothing to do with each other, but both needed addressing.

SEEDS
Seeds are amazing. To think that this:


Comes from these:


I grow almost all of my vegetables from seed. I'm also fond of mixed flower seed packets, like the Pacific Northwest Wildflower mix I've dedicated a whole box to or the Beneficial Bug mix. My general rule seems to be annuals from seed, perennials from plant. I've bought an aster plant (Winston Churchill), two echinaceas (Magnum and Double Decker), a blueberry, and several rosemaries.

With the yarrow actually producing this year (after two years of nothing), I may consider doing more single variety flower seeds in the future. If you've never grown anything from seed, please try it. It's incredibly rewarding, and you'll find yourself tending way more to the seed-started plants than to those starts you got at the garden center.

2. Your intrepid aromatherapist is beyond unhappy with a very sick stomach, and I thought now would be a good time to recap some essential oils I use for various stomach ailments.

• Heartburn -- Start with a teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a small glass of water. Drink, burp, no more heartburn. I then take 32 ounces of water and add one drop of lemon essential oil. This keeps the heartburn from coming back. If you know what foods give you heartburn, and you just can't say no to them, start off with the lemon water to stave off the acid reflux.
• Gas -- Unfortunately for everyone around you, the best way to deal with gas is to expel it. Lemon essential oil is the best way. Again, lemon water is a great solution, and if you don't have lemon essential oil on hand, steep some pieces of lemon peel in 4 ounces of boiling water and add that water to 28 ounces of cold water.
  
• "I ate too much" Syndrome -- A stomach rub of 2 ounces of carrier oil (sweet almond, jojoba, olive oil) and a drop each of sweet fennel and lemon essential oils. Mix and rub on stomach in a clockwise motion.
• Stomach pains -- A stomach rub of 2 ounces of carrier oil and a drop each of sweet fennel and peppermint essential oils. Mix and run on stomach in a clockwise motion.
• Nausea -- Mix 2 or 3 drops of ginger essential oil with 2 ounces of carrier oil. Rub a small amount on the back of your neck and as a stomach rub (if you can stand to have pressure put on your stomach).

I think that covers a majority of stomach-related issues. If you are throwing up or have diarrhea, it's incredibly important to drink lots of water, because you don't want to become dehydrated. Stick to very bland foods when you are ready to eat; white rice cooked in vegetable broth is easy to digest and provides lots of nutrition.

I hope you never get sick, but we all do from time to time, and it's a relief when you can take care of yourself easily and naturally.

Wishing you much health!

NOTE: Ginger should not be used by women experiencing morning sickness or by anyone suffering from gallstones. Fennel should not be used by anyone suffering from estrogen-related disorders. Lemon can cause phototoxicity and should not be used on any part of the body that will be exposed to sun within 24 hours.

If digestive problems persist, please consult a doctor, wellness practitioner or your midwife.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July 2009

Or is it Garden Blogger Blooms Day? Today is the glorious day that Carol of May Dreams Gardens has set aside for everyone connected on this wonderful Intrawebs to show off their flowers. Summer's heat has dried up many of the blooms we enjoyed back in June, but we have some new entries for July:

Out by the street we have daylilies. Planted by the previous owners, I don't know what variety. Honestly, I didn't even know what a daylily was until recently, and now that I know their name, I refer to them as frequently as possible. I love these bright flowers for their stripes... and for their ease of care. I don't water them, I don't attend to them, nothing. Love it!

Also by the street are these yarrow flowers I planted from seed. Two years ago! Again, no watering, no care (that was the goal with this section of the property: to have a no-muss-no-fuss easement between sidewalk and street). These beauties start out purple and turn white with age.

Against the house, the hydrangeas are in bloom!

And the lacecaps also, which are a special joy to me.


Not to post about roses every month, but I thought this lone yellow deserved some attention

In the vegetable garden, we have cucumber, melon, pea and tomato blossoms, but this echinacea is my first. There are two varieties in this wine barrel, and I look forward to the double-decker that has started opening up!

What's a post without a vegetable flower? I'll post next month when these artichokes open up into their full glory, but for now, we're enjoying these tasty thistles!

Lastly, this horrible photo of the clematis is old, but I posted the first clematis flower last month, so I wanted to show what the whole plant looked like just two weeks later.

A happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to all, and a special thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for starting this lovely tradition!

Creating Floral Waters, per Mountain Rose Herbs

Mountain Rose Herbs is the #1 place I purchase essential oils and hydrosols, and they also sell dried herbs and teas too. But I'd say their best offering is the wealth of experience and knowledge they offer... for free.

Check out this article from their newsletter this month on how to make your own Eau de Cologne, Rose Water and other goodies you can make right from your garden!

Don't grow roses or lavender? Contact me -- I LOVE to make custom colognes, perfumes and body sprays! FYI, they make GREAT gifts for special ladies. I customize the scent just for her, and the label is even named for her. :-)

From Blending to Creating

Blending essential oils for perfumes or remedies is like conducting an orchestra -- you are creating by bring out the harmonies and nuances of each essential oil you use. There are not only scent harmonies between oils but also therapeutic synergies: it is believed (and only beginning to be studied) that sometimes oils work together (or even cancel each other out).

But what if you want your creativity to go further? With summer in full swing in the Lavender Notes garden, the drying screens are loaded with calendula, St. Johns wort and lavender flowers. What do I do with all these floral herbs? I make infused oils, which are a great base for any future blends... or can be used on their own. Right now, I have Just Lavender and Just Calendula available at my etsy shop.

But you can also make tinctures, and it just so happens that Meg, the hostess of Threadbanger's Decor It Yourself 'cast, just posted a video on how to make your own tinctures. Watch and learn!





If you are interested in having tinctures or infused oils made for you, contact me at liisa@lavendernotes.com.

Much Health!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2009

Happy GBBD for June, the first month of Summer! The whole garden is blooming, and everything smells fantastic... well, not the chicken coop.

First off are the roses. We have 32 rose bushes that were planted by the original owners of our 1924 home, so some of these beauties are very, very old. This is just one of two rows of rose bushes.

There are yellow roses

And another type of yellow rose

Red roses that smell like fruit punch

Pink roses that smell like perfume

And red and white mottled roses that smell like rose

But we have other blooms here, in the vegetable garden and throughout the yard:

The box of Pacific Northwest wildflowers is in explosive display
These are poppies and something else
(I have no gift for flower identification)

There is this beautiful plant that my neighbor claims is a weed.
I say tomayto, he says tomahto.

And where would Lavender Notes be without...
lavender? Can you even tell that I've clipped off dozens and dozens of flowers? This bush is looking sad after the rains we've had, but the flowers are abuzz with bees and other pollinators. I clip these flowers for my Lavender-infused oil and Calendula & Lavender infused oil.

Now, someone told me this was a mock orange, but now I'm not sure.
Garden Rant had an article this week about mock oranges, and those photos looked nothing like mine. The scent from these flowers is divine, though. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm entertaining, standing there for long periods of time, inhaling my flowers and smiling.

Speaking of sweet flowers, does anything compare with star jasmine?

Of course, clematis is showy without any scent at all.
Look at all those buds! Lots of flowers this year!


Over in the vegetable garden, Chinese cabbage has gone to flower.
We're collecting the seeds this year, and what a batch we'll have!

Finally, these are Cherokee Purple tomato flowers.
We have flowers on all of our tomatoes: Pineapple, Glacier, Mortgage Lifter, Oregon Spring, Koralik Cherry and Chocolate Cherry. We also have about 10 small green tomatoes, but this blog is about flowers!

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to all, and a huge thank you to May Dreams Gardens for making the 15th of every month so special! Don't forget to visit Lavender Notes etsy store for any and all of your aromatherapeutic needs. I'm converting all of my products to free shipping, and all June I'm offering free mini-bottles of Shanti's Miracle Drops to all orders of $10 and over.

Much health!