Winter Gardening
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HERB FEATURE
English Lavender
Lavandula officinalis
Lavender oil is know as the "universal oil" because of it's many uses. For the skin you will find it extremely soothing.
LAVENDER BATH
1/2 Cup - Baking soda
1-2 Cups - Epsom Salts
1 cup - dried lavender flowers (opt.) quarter oz. Lavender Oil
Following are plants, all easy to grow, whether you use them fresh, in hot water or as oils to be applied topically in a bad fly situation: Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, and Wild Tansy. You can blend some plants in a little water and heat this mixture in a potpouri holder over a beeswax candle (paraffin candles are unhealthy and have no place indoors even unlit).
Good for a sunburn or any kind of burn, the clean scent of Lavender
is very relaxing and has been used for insomnia and stress reduction.
Some use the fresh herb in a pillow. I have used the fresh herb with just
olive oil in a bath.
The plant is very hardy and works as an insect repellant near my
back door patio. I break off a small branch with lots of leaves and rub
it on my skin to repel mosquitoes.
My patio lavender has outgrown its borders and is very hardy. Rarely
attacked by anything, it's frost resistant and easy to grow. I'm going
to do some cuttings for Spring transplanting.
My first colony is said to be of African descent, according to Malcolm of Malcolm's Bee Farm in Avra Valley. They are amazingly calm and fast honey producers.
European bees do seem more tolerant of forays into their home, whereas my Africans seem to take a more aggressive stance when someone is threatening their residence
A Tucson woman gave me a colony her "ex" left behind.
What should have been a quick acquisition turned into a long affair, some of which is embarrassing to recount! But if you are interested, read more.