Essential Oils in the Garden

Tags

companion plants, Essential oil, health, insect repellant, Pest control

Essential oils play several roles in the garden. They are a natural pest deterrent and as pests carry disease in the form of bacteria and viruses, the oil’s antibacterial and antiviral properties act as a form of preventative medicine for your garden. Fungi and mould are other problems essential oils can deal with quickly and effectively.
Strong healthy plants resist disease, and essential oils build up the health of plants, an example being that roses love to be in the company of garlic, basil or thyme and you can either plant them around the bush or use their essential oil when watering them. Add 2 drops of each essential oil to your watering can, mix well and water.
Essential oils not only control pests and make your crop stronger, they improve the taste and fragrance of the plant. Ants can be deterred by peppermint. To clear a nest just put 2 neat drops of peppermint oil directly onto the nest. If ants are coming into your house put 1 or 2 drops of oil where they enter. Thyme and lavender oils protect all vegetables and can be used in your watering can.
Of course, certain insects are essential for pollination, including bees, wasps and butterflies, and using essential oils in your garden will attract these useful insects. Bees especially like coriander.
Sprays can be used as insect deterrents, to banish fungi and mildew, or to encourage growth. Use 4 – 6 drops of essential oil in 4 litres of water for spraying onto flowers, fruit and vegetables. Treated with the antifungal essential oils the mould and fungi do not survive very long and simply disappear. Patchouli, Tea Tree and Cinnamon are recommended.
Slugs can be easily deterred using essential oils. They have an acute sense of smell and hate the smell of garlic. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to your watering can, mix well and water the area where the slugs and snails are causing damage.

NATURAL PEST REPELLANTS
Insect Essential Oil
Ants – peppermint, garlic, citronella
Aphids – peppermint, cedarwood, hyssop
Black Fly – lavender, tagetes
Caterpillars – peppermint
Fleas – lemongrass, citronella, lavender
Flies – lavender, citronella, peppermint, basil
Gnats – citronella, patchouli
Lice – peppermint, cedarwood
Mosquitoes – lavender, citronella, lemongrass
Slugs – garlic, cedar wood, pine
Snails – cedarwood, pine, garlic, hyssop
Ticks – thyme, citronella, sage
Weevils – sandalwood, citronella, sage

GOOD COMPANIONS
Vegetable Essential Oil
Asparagus basil
Green beans lavender, basil
Beetroot marjoram
Broccoli basil, thyme
Cabbage peppermint, sage, thyme
Cauliflower thyme
Celery geranium
Cucumber sage
Leeks hyssop
Lettuce tagetes
Onions chamomile
Peas geranium
Potatoes basil, sage
Tomatoes basil

Rose Pelargonium

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calming, Essential oil, Flowers, geranium oil, high anxiety, leaves, menopause, oliy skin, Pelargonium, Pelargonium Graveolens, PMT, quotes, Rose Geranium, Rose geranium oil, Shampoo Rose geranium oil, South African endemic plant, waterwise

Rose Geranium – Pelargonium Graveolens

The true Pelargonium graveolens is an uncommon species in the Pelargonium genus, which is native to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

This wonderful plant is easy to propagate. Take a cutting and plant in a well composted hole in the ground with a sunny aspect. Watering well until these are signs of good new growth. Thereafter is can be quite waterwise.

Rose Geranium and the plant can be used in many different ways.

• Calming
• De-stressing
• Easing tension
• Fighting anxiety
• Pre-Menstrual tension  (PMT)
• Menopause problems
• Poor circulation

The leaves are used to make a herbal tea.

Diluted Essential Oil on the skin, rose geranium oil helps to balance the secretion of sebum and clears sluggish and oily skins, while the antiseptic and cicatrisant properties make this oil an effective aid to help with burns, wounds, ulcers and other skin problems.

• Burners and vaporizers
  • In vapor therapy rose geranium oil can be used to help relieve stress, mild depression, PMS, anxiety and tension, menopausal problems and for general energizing.
• Blended massage oil or in the bath
  • Rose geranium oil can be used in blended massage oil, or diluted in a bath to assist with PMS, depression, stress, anxiety and tension, fluid retention, edema, eczema, shingles, cellulite, bruises, ringworm, hemorrhoids and menstrual irregularities.
• Cream or lotion
  • As a constituent in a blended cream or lotion, rose geranium essential oil can be used for clearing sluggish and oily skin, as well as wound, burn and ulcer healing and has value to treat eczema, repelling insects, shingles, cellulite, ringworm, bruises and engorgement of the breasts.
• Shampoo
  • Rose geranium oil can also be diluted in shampoo to help with head lice.

It has a general diuretic effect on the body and balances the water systems in the body, correcting any poor elimination of water and waste material. It is useful for treating jaundice, gall stones and can also be used for restraining nose bleeds and other hemorrhaging.

Precautions :

Geranium oil is not indicated to cause any side effects, since it is non-toxic, non-irritant and generally non-sensitizing, yet can cause sensitivity in some people. Due to the fact that it balances the hormonal system, it might not be a good idea to use in pregnancy.

Rose Geranium

Lavender – health benefits

Tags

anti-fungal, antiseptic, Aromatherapy, blood circulation, Circulatory system, colds, coughs, digestion, Essential oil, flu, hair care, health, hormonal balance, immunity, Lavender, lavender essential oil, Lavender oil, lice, massage, mosquito, nervous system, Odor, Pain, Respiratory, skin care, sleep, sunburn, Urine flow

The health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to remove nervous tension, relieve pain, disinfect scalp and skin, enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. Lavender has the Latin name Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its aroma which fills a room spread with lavender oil with a clean aroma.

Lavender oil is extracted mostly from the flowers of the plant, primarily through steam distillation. The flowers of lavender are fragrant in nature and have been used for making potpourris since years.
Lavender essential oil has been traditionally used in making perfumes due to its aroma. The oil is very useful in aromatherapy and many aromatic preparations are made using lavender oil. Lavender oil blends well with many other essential oils including cedarwood, pine, clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg. Today, lavender essential oil is used in various forms including aromatherapy oil, gels, infusion, lotion, and soaps.
The various health benefits of lavender essential oil include:
Nervous System: Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity.
Sleep: Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia.
Pain Relief: Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. Massage with lavender oil provides relief from pain in the joints.
Urine Flow: Lavender essential oil is good for urinary disorders as it stimulates urine production. It helps in restoring hormonal balance and reduces cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any associated cramps.
Respiratory Disorders: Lavender oil is extensively used for various respiratory problems including throat infections, flu, cough, cold, asthma, sinus congestion, bronchitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapor or applied on the skin of neck, chest and back. It is also added in many vaporizers and inhalers used for cold and coughs.
Skin Care: The health benefits of lavender oil for the skin can be attributed to its antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammations. It heals wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns rapidly as it aids in the formation of scar tissues. Lavender oil is added to chamomile to treat eczema.
Hair Care: Lavender essential oil is useful for the hair as it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits.
Blood Circulation: Lavender essential oil is also good for improving blood circulation. It lowers blood pressure and is used for hypertension.
Digestion: Lavender oil is useful for digestion as it increases the mobility of the intestine. The oil also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile and thus aids in treating indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence, vomiting and diarrhea.
Immunity: Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to diseases.
Other health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to treat leucorrhea. It is also effective against insect bites. The oil is also used to repel mosquitoes and moths. You will find many mosquito repellents containing lavender oil as one of the ingredients.
As with many other essential oils, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender essential oil. It is also recommended that diabetics stay away from lavender oil. It may also cause allergic reactions to people having sensitive skin. Some people may also witness nausea, vomiting and headaches due to usage of lavender oil.

Source : http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-lavender-essential-oil.html

Winter Savory- the forgotten Herb

Tags

Aromatherapy, bean weevils, candida, colds and flu, companion plant, companion planting, coughs, Essential oil, garden, gardening, health, Herb, herbal tea, home grown, nature, perennial  herb, plant, plants, respiratory ailments, satureja montana, Satureja montana Winter Savory, Southern Europe, white flowers, winter savory

Satureja montana

Winter Savory is an easy to grow perennial  herb with pretty little white flowers. It makes and ideal path edging, container plants, focal point for hanging baskets. The tiny white flowers set the bees humming and butterflies into a frenzy.  Pungent oils that contain thymol and linalool are released when crushing this herb.

It is a good companion plant for beans keeping bean weevils away, and roses reducing mildew and aphids, and tomatoes as it keep white-fly and aphids at bay.

Medicinal uses :Winter Savory is native to Southern Europe and North Africa. It has been used since ancient times to aid and stimulate digestion and ease colic and flatulence. Ancient texts show that Monks used it with honey to make a strong syrup for digestive problems as well as coughs, colds and chest ailments.

Modern research has also found that the essential oil extracted from Winter Savory is beneficial for Candida. A tea of winter savory drunk twice daily greatly relives the condition. (not for pregnant or breast-feeding woman).

For treating winter respiratory ailments, coughs, colds and flu add lemon and honey to the tea, drink 3 cups per day.

Cultivation : Winter Savory roots easily, plant cuttings 5-cm apart in full sun in well composted, well dug soil.

Culinary : I always dry Winter Savory and add it to my blend of mixed herbs. It goes well with beans and in a pasta sauce.

Sweet Scenter – Cape May

Tags

Afrikaans, Agathosma, Aromatherapy, Bee, Buchu, butterfly, Cape May, Cape Town, coastal winds, coleonema, Essential oil, floral arrangements, Flowers, garden, Insect repellent, nature, odour, plants, South African endemic plant, white flowers

The Cape May, (Klipboegoe – Afrikaans), or Confetti Bush (Coleonema Album) is one of my all time favourite plants in the Spring. It has dainty white flowers which smells of a mixture of Honey and Buchu.  It is wonderful in floral arrangements.

It is an easy grower and withstands dry conditions and harsh coastal winds. The flowers are carried in such profusion that the bush is a cloud of white when in flower and attracts bees and butterflies. It flowers from May to November.

The aromatic leaves containing essential oils are used by fishermen to remove the odour of red-bait (aas) from their hands, hence the common name.
Campers rub the leaves on their bedding to keep ants and mosquitoes away. The leaves are used in potpourri and act as an insect repellent.

Lavender Hydro-sol

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alternative, beauty, Clothing, Essential oil, health, Hypertension, Lavandula, Lavender, nature, order direct, organic, Paypal, shopping, Wet wipe

Elementally Organically grown Lavender has now been processed into Lavender Hydro-sol.

Uses :

• Simply spritz yourself- face, hair, body, and clothes.
  • Cool a hot flash.
  • Soothe a sunburn.
  • Clean the air, very good when you are traveling as it acts as an air-borne viricide.
  • Freshen the bathroom
  • Make your own wet wipes- spray on tissue or damp clothe and use. Great for dirty faces, hands and bottoms.
  • Add a splash to white wine or champagne.
  • Spray in the dryer before adding clothes and then directly on the clothes.
  • Spray on clothes during ironing.
  • Spray on cloth napkins and tablecloth.
  • Place bowls of hydro-sol with flowers floating in them as a dining table center piece.
  • Spritz you face while stuck in traffic, very calming.
  • Spray on your exposed body deter mosquitoes and moths.
  • Spray onto burns, cuts, grazes.
  • Rub into temples when suffering headaches or migraine
  • Rinse hair to condition , can be very effective on Lice, Lice eggs and nits.
  • Spray on your pillow when going to sleep for a peaceful night’s rest.
  • Burn in a vaporizer to aid with high blood pressure, coughs and colds.
  • Spray onto your abdomen when having digestive problems
  • .Add a few drops to your bath in the evening to DE-stress.

  

  “Hydro-lat is Mum’s greatest helper”

• Available in  glass spray bottles.  R95-00
• Order via Paypal
• email aristonorganic@gmail.com for South African orders. Postage and packaging rates not included.

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Distilling Lavender Hydro-sol

Cape Snowbush

Tags

Afrikaans, Asteraceae, Cape Chamomile, colds and flu, Eriocephalus africanus, Essential oil, Flowers, garden, grey leaf, health, Leaf, nature, plant, plants, shrub, silvery hairs, South African endemic plant, Vicks, water wise, wild rosemary

 

The Cape Snow-bush, wild Rosemary or Kapokbos (Afrikaans) Eriocephalus africanus  is one of the shrubs that most people in the Cape know because it is so common in the veld and easy to identify with its thin, grey leaves, which smell like Vicks when crushed. It is also a well-known medicinal plant and an excellent shrub for the water wise garden.

Looking at the leaves that are arranged in tufts along the branches, it is easy to see a number of features that help the plant to survive with little water. Special features include the grey leaf colour which reflects sunlight and thereby reduces leaf temperature. The minute, silvery hairs covering the leaves trap moisture and thus reduce transpiration. The small, needle-shaped leaves are another adaptation that limits water loss. The aromatic oils are also thought to help reduce water loss. Shrubs growing on the coast have succulent leaves, whereas those growing away from the coast have thinner, less succulent leaves.

Flowering times vary, but the best displays are in winter when the whole shrub is covered in small, white flowers. On warm days many bees are attracted to the flowers, seeking their small amounts of nectar. Soon after flowering, fruits are formed that are covered in long, white hairs. These attractive, fluffy seed heads look like cotton wool or snow, which gave Eriocephalus the common name kapokbos in Afrikaans. (Kapok refers to snow). In the past people used to collect the heads and stuff pillows with it for a lovely fragrant sleep.  I also use it in cooking as a delicious alternative to Rosemary, which always reminds me of Karoo lamb.

The Cape-Snow bush leaves are distilled to make an Essential Oil known as Cape Chamomile

• Cape Snow-bush Essential Oil is warming to the emotions and useful in the treatment of depression. It helps in the “letting go” of negative thought-forms to clear the mind and achieve a positive and gentle perspective.
• Useful in the treatments of colds and flu – eases coughing and helps the body to expel mucous.
• It also aids digestion, calms intestinal cramps, relieves flatulence and colic; and is useful in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery.
•  Cape Snow-bush Essential Oil is said to be excellent for treating scanty or painful menstruation and oedema of the legs (especially pre-menstrual oedema).
• This oil is especially useful in the treatment of patients with addictive personalities and for those who have no time to allow themselves healing.

 

 

Homemade Lavender Hand cream

Tags

almond, Aromatherapy, beeswax, Coconut oil, Essential oil, hand cream, health, lavender essential oil, light scent, natural ingredients, olive oil, sweet almond oil, Tablespoon

My hands always seem to suffer gardening, with so much scrubbing removing the dirt, becoming chapped and dry. I have been looking around for some time now for home made hand cream using all natural ingredients, as well as Beeswax.

Yes I have found the perfect recipe. Foolproof, a wonderful light scent, and a cream rich enough to not only keep your hands and cuticles looking, but also works wonders on your elbows and heels as well.

Lavender hand cream also makes a wonderful gift and can be adapted to use different scents or even be thinned to use in a hand pump.

Ingredients :

• 1/3 cup sweet Almond Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 Tables spoons Olive oil
• 3 Tablespoon grated Beeswax
• 30 to 35 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Instructions :

Combine the oils in a small saucepan over e medium head until just warm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated beeswax, stirring until completely melted.

Place in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to cool the oil, then stir in Lavender essential oil. Pour the cream into a container, and allow to cool.

Variations :

1. For a thinner consistency to use with a pump, use only 2 tablespoons beeswax.
2. For a thicker salve like consistency, use 4 tablespoons beeswax
3. Try other Essential Oils like Lemon, orange, clove, peppermint, or some other floral scent.

PURCHASE 

This post was shared to Wildcrafting Wednesday

 

Winter Savory- the forgotten Herb

Tags

Aromatherapy, bean weevils, candida, colds and flu, companion plant, companion planting, coughs, Essential oil, garden, gardening, health, Herb, herbal tea, home grown, nature, plant, plants, respiratory ailments, satureja montana, Southern Europe, winter savory

Satureja montana

Winter Savory is an easy to grow perennial  herb with pretty little white flowers. It makes and ideal path edging, container plants, focal point for hanging baskets. The tiny white flowers set the bees humming and butterflies into a frenzy.  Pungent oils that contain thymol and linalool are released when crushing this herb.

It is a good companion plant for beans keeping bean weevils away, and roses reducing mildew and aphids, and tomatoes as it keep white-fly and aphids at bay.

Medicinal uses :Winter Savory is native to Southern Europe and North Africa. It has been used since ancient times to aid and stimulate digestion and ease colic and flatulence. Ancient texts show that Monks used it with honey to make a strong syrup for digestive problems as well as coughs, colds and chest ailments.

Modern research has also found that the essential oil extracted from Winter Savory is beneficial for Candida. A tea of winter savory drunk twice daily greatly relives the condition. (not for pregnant or breast-feeding woman).

For treating winter respiratory ailments, coughs, colds and flu add lemon and honey to the tea, drink 3 cups per day.

Cultivation : Winter Savory roots easily, plant cuttings 5-cm apart in full sun in well composted, well dug soil.

Culinary : I always dry Winter Savory and add it to my blend of mixed herbs. It goes well with beans and in a pasta sauce.

 

Distilling Lavender – hydro-sol

Tags

alternative, Aromatherapy, cloth napkins, condensor, coughs and colds, distallation, Essential oil, Flowers, gardening, health, home grown, Hydro-sol, Lavender, Lavender oil, lice eggs, organic, tea urn

What is hydro-sol ?
Lavender hydro-sol is a product in the distillation of lavender.

The flowers are placed in a stainless steel colander  fitted into the top of an old Tea-urn, filled to just beneath the flowers with Spring water, then the lid is sealed.

The urn is then turned on to boil. A hole in the lid is connected to a condenser. The condenser is a series of tubes which are surrounded by cold water so that the steam and the oil that are liberated from the lavender condenses into hydro-sol and essential oil.

The oil separates out and is collected  as essential oil. The remaining hydro-sol contains fully emulsified essential oil.

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Lavender Hydro-sol

 

This post is also featured on Wildcrafting Wednesday 11