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With the holidays behind us and more seed and bulb catalogs arriving every day, it's time to begin planning next year's
garden. This week I'm planning an herbal bath garden, and I
thought you'd enjoy taking a look at some of my favorite
'bath herbs' with me. All of the herbs can be grown in
containers, worked into your flower or vegetable garden, or
grown in a small garden of their own. They are versatile, and
have a number of culinary and medicinal uses besides the bath, but after the stress of the holidays, I found an herbal bath theme appealing.
Plants for an An Herbal Bath Garden
*CALENDULA*
Calendula, also known as Pot Marigold, is a cheery little
cottage garden flower that grows to a height of up to 20
inches. The flowers, which come in shades of yellow and
orange, make nice cut flowers.
Creamy Marigold Cleanser
4 tablespoons olive or almond oil
2 tablespoons dried pot marigold flowers
few drops of violet, orange blossom or rose water
Warm the oil in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water.
Stir in the dried flowers and continue to heat gently for
30 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and stir in
the flower water.
*LAVENDER*
Here's another traditional cottage garden plant, best known
as an ingredient in potpourri. The plant may grow to a
height of 3 feet, but there are dwarf forms for edging which
reach only about 18 inches.
Lavender Vinegar Hair Rinse
Fill a one-quart jar 1/2 full with lavender leaves and
flowers. Top with white vinegar; seal with a plastic lid,
or place plastic wrap over the jar first before closing
lid. Place in a dark place, such as a cupboard for 3-4
weeks. Mix one part lavender vinegar to one part distilled
water and use to rinse hair after shampooing. Thanks to
Brenda at www.OldFashionedLiving.com for this wonderful
recipe.
GERMAN CHAMOMILE
This is the herb most people associate with relaxation,
thanks to the popularity of chamomile tea. These perennial
plants grow to between four and twelve inches high and
produce a profusion of little daisy-like flowers. It can be
used as a groundcover or grown between stepping stones in
areas where traffic is light to moderate.
Chamomile Cleansing Milk
(Must be kept refrigerated. Good only for 2-4 days.)
Place 1 cup of warm milk in a bowl. The milk must be kept
warm throughout, however it must never boil and a skin must
not form on the milk. The easiest way to accomplish this is
by placing the bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Add 3
tablespoons fresh chamomile flowers. Stir gently from time
to time so as not to break up the flowers. Infuse until the
milk smells strongly of chamomile. Strain into glass jars.
Excellent for oily skin.
MARJORAM
Most people associate marjoram with the kitchen, but it's
is a wonderful addition to an herbal bath. It's also used
in tea and herbal sleep pillows. Marjoram is a very fragrant
herb, and pretty enough for the flower garden, with clusters
of dainty white flowers growing around the stems. It will
reach a height of one to two feet.
Fragrant Bath Bag
Try experimenting with your favorite fragrant herbs to make
a bath bag. I use about 1/4 cup of marjoram, 2 tablespoons
of mint, and 2 tablespoons of lavender. Cut the quantities
in half if using dried herbs.
You will probably be able to find a small muslin bath bag
with a drawstring at the top in your favorite craft store.
If not, simply tie the herbs up securely in a square of
muslin. Steep the bag in a quart of boiling water for 15
to 20 minutes, then allow to cool. Add the water and the
bag to your bath water.
MINT
What could be more refreshing in your bath? Here's a link to some information on growing and using mint from master gardener and herbalist Laurel Morris. You won't want to miss her recipe for Rosemary Mint Wine Jelly.
Peppermint Skin Toner
1 pint vinegar
1 pint purified water
1 cup mint leaves
Place all ingredients in a glass or enamel saucepan and bring
to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a glass jar and allow
to steep for four days. Strain and bottle.
ROSEMARY
This is one of my all time favorite herbs. The branches of
this evergreen shrub looks similar to those of a Christmas
tree, and smell even better. It can grow up to five feet
tall, and does well in containers, but it's hard to
overwinter indoors.
Rosemary Hair Treatment
Use this rinse to darken, condition and tone hair.
Hot Method: Fill a jar with fresh rosemary and cover with
sunflower or almond oil. Place the jar up to the neck in a
saucepan of water and bring to a medium temperature. Simmer for up to three hours. Strain through filter paper or cloth into a brown glass bottle.
Cold Method: Follow the instructions above, except that the
oil should be placed on a sunny windowsill for up to three
weeks instead of heated. The process can be repeated with
the strained oil infusion and a fresh supply of herbs to
make a stronger oil.
To Use: Work the oil into the hair, then cover with plastic
wrap and a warm towel. Relax in a warm place with a good book for 30 minutes to an hour, then shampoo.
THYME
Gardeners in warm, humid climates such as the Southeastern
US will do better to grow thyme indoors because it won't
stand up well to the climate. For those of you who can grow
this attractive plant outdoors, it's a short plant -- less
than twelve inches -- and it can be used as an edging for
the perennial garden. It produces tiny, pale pink flowers
at the tips of the stems in summer.
This is the herb to use after a long hot day in the garden
because it helps to deodorize the body. You can also use it
in a foot soak to help with tired, stinky feet. To use, steep
a handful of mixed thyme and rosemary in a quart of boiling
water for 15 minutes, cool, and add to the bath or foot soak.
Source Unknown
An Herbal Bath Garden
I'm a gardener and I'm OK I sleep all night and I plant all day! I dress in grubby clothing, and hang around with slugs. Oh I'm happy in the garden With dirt and plants and bugs . . .
-- Unknown
When working in a wet garden, lay a sheet of plywood on the soil and stand on. This lessens the compacting of the wet soil while you work. Notice where water puddles and, when dry, improve drainage in that area.
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