Dec 31 2008
All Gifts from the Garden
To share your herb garden`s bounty, make these vintage novelties to give as gifts or serve to guests.
Candied Flowers. Using a small artist`s paintbrush, coat the individual flowers of violets, pinks, or borage with egg white that has been beaten until frothy. Cover the flowers with fine sugar and let dry. Store them in an airtight container, then use them to decorate cakes and cookies.
Herbal Sleep Potpourri. In 1606, an herbalist described a sleep potion made from herbs. To make a replica, combine 3 cups of spearmint, 3 cups of rose petals, 1 cup of whole cloves, and 1/4 cup of grated orris root. Place the mixture in a cloth drawstring bag. As the 1606 version says, “…take that to bed with you, and it will cause you to sleep, and it is good to smell unto at other times”.
Skin-softening salve. Combine two parts calendula petals, one part comfrey leaves, one part foliage and flowers of white yarrow, and one part plantain. Chop them finely; they should total about 1 to 2 ounces.
Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup of almond oil just past lukewarm stage; remove from heat. Add herbs and infuse overnight. The next day, strain out the herbs and heat the infusion again just past lukewarm. Add 1 to 2 ounces of beeswax (be careful-the wax is flammable), adding a little at a time until the mixture tests for the right consistency.
To test it, place a spoon into the oil and blow on it to see how the salve solidifies. It should be soft and spreadable rather than too hard. Store the salve in a covered container and use it as a skin softener.
Herbal Baths. For centuries, herb baths have been soothing tired bodies. Chamomile, calendula, rose geranium leaves, jasmine, and lavender are among herbs long known for their soothing aromas, which can calm headaches and relieve stress. Used in a bath, other herbs, including basil, lemon verbena, marjoram, rosemary, and fennel,stimulate the sense.
Because loose herbs in the bath may clog the drain and cling to your skin, use one of these methods to add herbs to your bath water. To infuse the herbs, combine 4 cups of boiling water with 4 tablespoons of fresh or dried herbs. Steep for 30 minutes, then strain and add liquid to bath water.
To make a bath bag, cut a circle from a piece of muslin or cheescloth and place fresh herbs in the center. Add fine oatmeal or powdered milk as a skin softener. Gather the muslin into a bundle and tie it tightly with ribbon. Hang the bag from the faucet so the running water release s its fragrance, or dangle it in the water for the duration of your soothing bath.
Pressed-flower note cards. To press flowers, collect speciments in late morning, when the dew had dried. For foliage, choose feverfew, yarrow, sage, wormwood,rosemary, ferns, or fennel. For flower, use violets, lavender, hyssop, pot morigold, babys-breath, rosebuds, dill, fennel, Queen-Anne`s-lace, lady`s-mantle, daisies, or larkpur.
To make note cards, carefully arrange a floral design on quality plain staionary`s card. Using a fine-bristled artist`s paintbrush, affix the plants with tiny drops of white glue that has been thinned with a few drops of water. Cover the design with transparent adhesive paper and press.