Simple Summer Salad With Heirloom Tomatoes

Wow, is it Summer! It's only the first days of June and we are in the 90's by midday. Quite a contrast from last year's rainy cloudy Spring/Summer.

I've noted a bloom delay due to the heat with my bee balm. This time last year, I was collecting blossoms and making bee balm honey and bee balm infusions. What a difference. They are struggling to bloom this year. I'm taking close care of them in hopes of a delayed bloom and wonderful 2011 honey infusion.

The dry hot heat does make for some scrumptious tomatoes, though! Tomatoes just love the heat. This fruit originates near the equator so the hotter and sunnier the better!

We are having so much fun celebrating the heirlooms we planted earlier this year. Just take a look at these beauties fresh picked from the garden!

To make this simple summer salad all you need is:
- fresh picked basil from the garden
- organic red lettuce
- cottage cheese
- tomatoes from the garden (shown here Thomas Yellow and Black Pearl)
- Salt/Pepper

Be sure to eat outdoors to celebrate nature's bounty, no matter how big or small!

Garden Critters

The garden is strong this year. Tomatoes are taller than me! I have 8 heirloom tomatoes growing in one of the raised beds. While checking in on the tomato babies I found this striking pink moth on one of the leaves. I became mesmerized by this pink moth - so pretty and unique. I looked it up and identified it on the butterfliesandmoths.org website. This pink beauty is Pyrausta inornatalis,
or better known as southern pink moth.

Further down the tomato patch, I found a large section of leaves had disappeared! There's only one thing I know that can eat so much in so little time! Tomato hornworm! Herbhusband was shocked and made it his personal quest to find the bugger...and he did and boy was it big!

Tomato hornworms can eat and defoliate entire plants - leaving nothing left but some stripped stems. They tend to be 3-5 inches long and have a harmless spike near the rear part of their bodies. The horn looks fierce, but it won't hurt you. Even though I know that, I avoid touching it anyway.

Here's the hornworm shown beside an i-phone just for size comparison. They like to feed on nightshade plants such as peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants. I haven't had any trouble with them on anything other than tomatoes. They make a delicious treat for the birds so I toss them out in hopes a bird will come and take them away. The survivors turn into large dusty brown moths that I sometimes confuse for a hummingbird when I see them flying around. They have extremely long proboscis and they love to feed on tubular flowers in the late evening. They are kind of neat to watch. Each year, in late June or so, I see them feeding on the spider lily nectar at dusk.

The chard is doing very well. It's so fun to go into the garden and harvest these large flouncy leaves on bright red stalks. Chard is a bitter so it's excellent to add to your diet. Bitters stimulate digestion and give our digestive system the added oomph it needs to get things done.

Our lizard friends also enjoy the garden. I love anoles. These lizards are not only beneficial; they are very interesting to watch. Hummingbirds frequent the garden, too - especially since I have betony growing in two of the beds. The red throated flowers are a hummingbird favorite. Betony is in full bloom right now and adds visual interest as well as medicinal qualities so it's a win/win addition to any garden. That's the beauty of organic gardening - whether you're growing medicinal herbs or food, you can't go wrong extending a natural and safe environment for beneficial garden critters. Yes, the not so good bugs are there, but harboring a safe nurturing environment for their natural predators keeps everything in balance and harmony.

Potato Gratin with Basil Blossoms

Okay, so this post is just to share with you this amazing potato gratin I made last night. It's heaven. I really wanted to change things up on a traditional potato gratin recipe and thought about lavender blossoms but don't have any to harvest right now and thought, Aha! I have basil blossoms from the African Basil plants on my deck and they're beautiful and purple and delicious - surely they'll work...
and they did...mmmmm!

Basil blossoms have the most delicate suggestion of basil - not as strong as the leaves, but hints of the vibrant flavor and aroma. I've used basil blossoms in my summer salads, sprinkled with salt and pepper over fresh cut tomatoes, and when making chicken or vegetable stock. It's best to trim back the blossoms to encourage more leafy growth and extend the life of your basil plants. When trimming back the blossoms, think of using them in floral arrangements. I love adding basil to floral arrangements and when there are too many for that I simply add them to meals - it not only adds a touch of whimsy - it adds delicious delicate flavor. Never overpowering, basil blossoms can be added to so many dishes.

Try this one tonight!

Potato Gratin with Basil Blossoms:


- 4 to 5 medium sized organic potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup of your favorite cheese, grated (I used Fontina)
- 4 to 5 basil blossom stalks (strip the blossoms by running your fingers in the opposite direction of the blossom growth)
- 1 cup milk or heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a casserole dish, spread the butter on the bottom and sides of the dish.
Begin layering sliced potatoes on the bottom of the dish - slightly overlapping each slice. With each layer - sprinkle with a little salt, a little pepper and a sprinkling of basil blossoms. Continue to layer and with every third layer sprinkle a portion of the shredded cheese. Once all layered, use the remaining cheese to cover the top of the casserole. Pour 1 cup of milk or heavy cream over the casserole.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes (or until sliced potatoes are soft and nicely brown on the top).
Let cool for about 10 minutes and dig in! Sprinkle fresh blossoms for an added special touch. Enjoy!

Gotu Kola

I purchased this Gotu Kola plant to see how well it would do in the hill country. It is a beautiful plant with smooth, scalloped edged, medium colored green leaves shaped like miniature lily pads. I've noticed it likes to be well watered and does well in dappled sunlight. If planted in the ground, it would grow low to the ground and act like a ground cover. Since I'm afraid of it freezing, I'm keeping it in a pot.

The leaves can be harvested and eaten fresh, infused to make tea, and infused in oils to make body products. It is considered "brain food" and people in India and China have relied on it for centuries, eating one or two of the leaves daily for longevity and memory enhancement. It is a common herb in traditional Chinese medicine as well as ayurveda. It is also good when applied topically on wounds or irritated skin.

I often get approached for lotions that help sooth irritated skin. I plan on infusing the leaves in oil to make into lotions and salves to explore the topical benefits of this herb.

Most of the herbs I grow are used to explore their beneficial properties topically, rather than internally. Skin is our largest organ and it just makes sense to use pure, toxin free and ethically grown plants to keep it nourished and healthy. Our skin "breathes" and absorbs much of what we put on it so I'm always looking for nutritive plants that I can process into body care products. I'm excited to explore this particular plant since it has a long history of being used for wound healing, skin diseases, and lesions.

If someone is interested in ingesting this plant, it is important to point out that it is a mild sedative and should not be used by pregnant women or those taking antidepressants (Garrett 2001). Before exploring any new herb internally, I would consult an herbalist so they can individualize their recommendations to you. It's always good to consult an herbal practitioner so they may weigh all of your supplements and medications to determine if there are contraindications, etc.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my Gotu Kola salves and lotions. Gotu go for now! There are 13 hibiscus plants needing to be upgraded into larger pots calling my name. I'm going to take Briar out there with me; he just loves eating hibiscus flowers.


Reference:
Garrett, Howard. Herbs for Texas 2001.

Cooking Breakfast Out Of The Garden: Omelets and Apple Mint Tea

The Hill Country Garden is thriving! Pictured here is the first bell pepper out of the garden.

The Juliette tomato is stunningly prolific, as always. This heirloom tomato plant does not disappoint. It is full of blossoms and the tomatoes coming off of this plant are as big as Roma's! They are so flavorful and substantial.

I've also been enjoying the large onions coming out of the garden. When I'm not decorating with the gorgeous onion blossoms, I'm cooking with the onion stalk and the onion. Onions are a high in magnesium, potassium, protein, and riboflavin as well as vitamin A&C .

So....what to do with garden onions, peppers, tomatoes? Make a delicious omelet on a lazy Sunday, of course! The omelet is set off by the garden freshness and lovely gruyere cheese filling the fold. The cheese melts inside the fold adding a rich and tantalizing taste experience with every bite. To make the omelet, simply sauté the onions, peppers and portabella mushrooms in a skillet with olive oil and dress the omelet once it’s served on a bed of fresh greens or sautéed chard. Dress the plate with heirloom tomatoes accented with a bit of sea salt and mwaaa! Delicious!

Another plant friend of mine I'm thoroughly enjoying is Apple Mint. This lovely mint is a crowd pleaser. I've used the Apple Mint cuttings in flower bouquets, in ice cream and berry desserts and in a delicious drink infusion!

This past Sunday, I prepared special garden omelets coupled with Apple Mint tea for herbhusband and me! It was amazing!!

For a wonderful pairing, serve the omelet over freshly sautéed Chard - it's also fresh and ready to harvest in the garden this time of year. It is a wonderful way to get your vitamins, especially K from the dark green leaves. Here I have fresh Chard I picked from the garden, along with a picture of it being sautéed with onions from the garden.

I’m telling you – the sautéed Chard is fresh and nutritive and light. It is not as notable as spinach; it is much more mellow and grounding. This particular variety is Scarlet Charlotte Swiss Chard. The stalks are bright red and very beautiful in the garden. The leaves are rumpled and somewhat frilly. This plant is an eye catcher and I know some people who grow it simply for its visible beauty; however the flavor is just as satisfying (if not more!).

How to Make Apple Mint Tea:

Harvest 12-16 fresh apple mint leaves, place in a pitcher. Bring water to a boil and pour over the leaves. The aroma is amazing and you'll feel like you are in heaven when you take a whiff. Enjoy this gorgeous minty smell - it's fresh, sweet and delicious smelling. Stir in about a tablespoon of your favorite honey. Stir and allow to infuse for about 20 minutes. Pour into your favorite tea cup or serve over ice - trust me, this is a must try, even if you aren't a mint fan...this infusion is stunning! Mint is wonderful paired with a meal since it has been commonly used as a digestive aid.
If you have any left over, place in the refrigerator and use the next morning as an astringent for your face! Mint is aromatic, stimulating and astringent – perfect for your wake up routine. It’s also very high in magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin A. It’s also a high source of calcium, iron, niacin, and potassium. This plant is a winner in any garden. Enjoy!

Edible Garden in the Hill Country

There's a very special connection between gardener and garden. The garden becomes an extension of you and with each passing day, it is exciting to see it transform. Growing medicinal herbs and edible plants is so rewarding. I like going in the garden and harvesting leaves for teas, tinctures, or for product making. I especially love having visitors tour the garden and encouraging them to pick and eat straight out of the garden - it's such a treat!

Pictured above is my first strawberry of the year. It is a perfectly formed deep red berry. Seeing this strawberry grow in the garden is pure delight. Strawberries are in the Rosacea, or rose family. Recently, I read freeze dried strawberries are being used to slow down the growth of pre-cancerous lesions in the esophagus (Ohio State University). Apparently, preliminary research is suggesting a daily dosage of about 2 ounces of freeze dried strawberries helped 29 out of 36 people with precancerous lesions. It seems like a great break through considering strawberries are thought to have anti-cancer, cardiovascular, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

The benefits of this plant are not only in the berry, but the leaves as well. The leaves can be used in product making as well as made into tea. The strawberry leaf infusion is high in vitamin C, calcium and trace minerals. I love plants that can offer edible rewards as well as lend medicinal benefits through their leaves; it's a win/win! I use the leaves once they are completely dried in teas, facial scrubs and lotions. For tea infusions, it is important to use the teas once completely dried. Compounds in the leaves change during the drying process and if ingested in this stage can be toxic and lead to nausea. Dried leaves (as well as just picked leaves) are safe and healthy to consume....just not anywhere in between.

This is a picture of my pepper garden just now taking hold. I have bell peppers as well as jalapeno peppers in this garden along with some herbs, of course! The herbs in this particular garden include Echinacea, chives and garlic. I'm looking forward to harvesting peppers and chives from this garden. Last year, I used a pepper almost every day in my meal preparations - it's amazing how many different ways you can utilize a jalapeno in your cooking routine.

This lovely plant is an eye dazzling scarlet charlotte swiss chard. The red stalks of this dark green leafy vegetable are striking and eye pleasing in the garden as well as on the plate. Chard is high in vitamins K, A, & C as well as high in magnesium, potassium and iron. You can harvest the leaves of this plant and sauté them with shallots, garlic and olive oil with a quick squirt of lemon to finish it off - nutritive goodness straight from the garden.

Isn't this onion blossom amazing? The stalk on this blossom is about three feet high! I've been watching this blossom develop for the last couple of months and it finally appears to be opening.

Isn't it spectacular? I'm allowing the blossom to unfurl and live its life until it fades and dries before I pull up this spectacular bulb. As you can see, there's a tasty onion waiting for me!

That's all for now from the hill country garden. My next post will feature a very special herb, Gotu Kola. I'm growing this lovely specimen in pot to study its habits. I'll also be introducing you to my beautiful yarrow plant I have in the garden. It is an herb to meet!

Until next time....keep your hands dirty and your food clean!

This Week in the Texas Hill Country Garden: Verbena!

Verbena, or Glandularia, is a beautiful Texas native perennial. Each spring, the dark green leaves emerge while most Texas wildflowers lay sleeping and dormant. As spring continues, just around mid March and early April the dark green foliage almost disappears as the incredible eye popping bluish lavender flowers take center stage.

Many insects begin their Spring journey on and around these plants. As I stood among this stand of Verbena, it didn't take me long to see several species of butterflies and bees. I also noted many ladybugs. This was a delight since these insects are my all time favorites and heroes in the garden.

Verbena is a perennial and has a long term position in the Texas landscapes. Foliage emerges in February and blooms March - Fall. It hibernates over the winter and returns year after year. It is excellent in rock gardens and fields. I'm allowing a couple to grown in my raised vegetable beds for visual and insect appeal.

To some, Verbena is a weed - a wild thing that grows without a care in your lawn and garden. To me, it's heaven. Seeing one of these natives make my garden their home is an honor. I love looking outside at the beautiful field of flowers.

Enjoy these pictures - but, better yet...head outdoors and take note of the natives growing in your area. I'm off to garden - I have many seeds to sow today. Oh! I'm also happy to say I'm completing an order today for my handmade herbal lotions and serums. Cheers!

Meyer Lemon: Beautiful Inside and Out

Herbhusband and I purchased a Meyer Lemon tree about 6 years ago. We love this specimen, from the time it blossoms to the time it bears its sunny yellow fruit. It takes about a year from the time the tree produces buds, blossoms, sets tiny green fruit, and nurtures and ripens the fruit to the size of a good size orange. It flowers in fall and spring. We look forward to the year long wait when we can harvest the lemons and slice one open to see the juicy fruit. Suddenly, all of our patience and efforts are reinforced - the fruit is the juiciest and tastiest ever experienced!

This blog post is dedicated to the dear Meyer lemon - I think every household should have one...not only for the health benefits but, for the connection one feels to the plant when watching it express the cycle of life over the course of a year. The blossoms are very fragrant; attracting butterflies and honey bees, making it the place to be for our beneficial insect friends. We winter our meyer in the greenhouse and when we open the door the sweet blossom fragrance intoxicates us.

Health Benefits:

Just 1/4 of a cup of the juice is almost half of our daily recommended amount for vitamin C! Vitamin C is a great antioxidant which helps boost our cells rejuvenating abilities to fight free radicals. Free radicals can hurt and damage cell membranes leading to inflammation in the body. Vitamin C can fight free radicals and has been known to help with inflammation and arthritis in the process
We all want that kind of power on our side!

As an herbal product maker, I pay special attention to Vitamin C's ability to boost cell rejuvenation and to fight free radicals (associated with cell damage and aging). Vitamin C is an excellent anti-aging weapon! Most of us apply many serums and crèmes designed to help us fight the signs of aging, but what about the inside? Drinking lemon water each day can help you do just that! Hooray! (Does the anti-browning effects of squirting some lemon on sliced avocado come to mind? That's a visual of citrus power!)

Recipes - must try!

Meyer Lemon Salad Dressing:
- 1 part Meyer lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
- 2 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil (drizzle in more olive oil in the end if the dressing is too tart for you - drizzle in to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt to taste

pour contents into a jar and place lid on jar; shake vigorously and drizzle over fresh salad. This is wonderful over a salad that offers boiled eggs and tomatoes.

Lemon Water:
get your juices flowing each morning by squeezing a wedge of lemon juice in an 8 ounce glass of water. I've noted instant hydration and perkiness after drinking a glass of this water. The juice in water tonifies the liver and stimulates enzyme production.

Meyer lemon salmon

- Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon (flank to serve 4)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tbs dill
- 1 Meyer lemon finely sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 250 degrees. In a 9x13 baking dish, drizzle half of the olive oil to coat the bottom of the dish. Rinse the salmon and pat dry; place in the dish. Sprinkle salmon with chopped red onion, dill, salt and pepper. Place sliced lemon over salmon and along the sides of the salmon. Drizzle remaining olive oil over salmon and lemon. Place in oven and bake for 17-20 minutes. (If you like a crispier salmon, end on high broil for 3-5 minutes).

Meyer Lemon Peel:
Save those wonderful peels! They are a great addition to baked goods and beauty products. To do this, remove all fleshy fruit from the peel. Leave the peel to dry on the counter or use a dehydrator. Once completely dehydrated of moisture, grind the peels in a grinder and place in glass jar and seal with a lid. You can infuse vinegar with the peels to create a base for a kitchen cleaner, you can add the ground peels to sugar scrubs, salt scrubs or add when you want a special zesty taste in your baked goods.

Today in the Herbal Garden and Hill Country

Since my last post, the earth continues to come alive! It's so nice to walk outside and see GREEN rather than drabby browns.
The Texas Persimmon has started to produce leaf buds so there are specks of green on the tips of the trees. The Agarita shrubs had buds last post and now those rosey buds are opening up to display yellow tiny flowers. This is the time to pick some for a tasty treat!



The Mullein also continues to take shape! The first picture in this post is what the bee balm (Monarda)looks like right about now...lovely baby bee balm coming up makes me smile.

This past weekend I planted echinacea, garlic, heirloom tomatoes, sage, bell peppers, jalapenos, dill, yarrow and cintronella plants in raised garden beds. . Seen here is a 4'x8' raised bed with a 3'x3' raised trainagular bed in the background. The traingular bed has a china rose growing in it with catnip growing at the base. The china rose, in time, will follow the perimeter of the garden and should be quite showy when in bloom.


In the greenhouse, I potted up more heirloom tomatoes and continue to tend to thyme, wood betony, st. john's wort, evening primrose, self heal, lavender, myer lemon, lime, hibiscus, mints, loquats, and pinapple guava.




One of our big projects is to build a 5'x32' raised garden bed made of limestone rocks stacked 16" to plant the two figs, pinapple guava, and loquats in. This bed will line the interior back portion of the 32x40 garden we created two years ago. As you can see by the photo, this is a big job!! Although, we just started rolling up our sleeves on this particular bed, we keep the end result in mind to continue our motivation to complete this project.
Currently, we have two 4'x8' raised beds, one 4'x10' bed, and two 3'x3' triangular beds in the front corners of the garden. This Spring we will add another 4'x10 bed and finish the 5'x32' bed. When it's all said and done the garden will boast two 4'x10' beds, four 4'x8' beds, two 3'x3' triangular beds, the 5'x32' bed and a water fountain in the middle of it all. I simply cannot wait! As always, I will share my gardening and herbal adventures with you on this blog. I look forward to seeing the plants take hold and exploring this spring and summer with you!

What's Growing in the Hill Country in Late February?

Many naturalized and native herbs, that's what!

Ahhh...the days are getting longer and the evenings are getting warmer. It's very nice to be able to enjoy some daylight in the evening time and to be able to wake up and fit in a walk before the day begins.

Weary of winter, I've started taking advantage of the warmer mornings and sunlight by heading outdoors to enjoy a morning walk before starting the work day. While on my walks, I can't help but look down on the earth... just to discover what herb and plant life has taken root.

It's also delightful to see the very first cheerful signs of Spring. Daffodils emerge from the earth with their sunny disposition as if telling us winter weary folks, "Hang in there! Cheer Cheer!Spring is near!" Daffodils are not for human consumption or application, I just love seeing the daffodil flowers as they greet me during my morning walks. Their visual benefit is worth noting.

I also love the moss growing along the ground covering the limestone rocks. The warmer temperatures and thick morning dew feed the moss the moisture it needs to thrive. The Hill Country is coming alive!

The earth, for the most part, is still a blank canvas of dead leaves and grasses. Evergreen Mountain Laurels and Mountain Cedar/Juniper trees add contrast, along with Agarita shrubs. I recently harvested many of the beautiful bluish/purple berries from the Cedar trees. I plan on making a household cleaner from them. Pictured here is the nature trail I walk along each morning.



The Agarita (Mahonia trifoliata) or Desert Barberry shrubs are showing signs of new life...tiny little reddish buds are clustered and nestled along the stems of the Texas native. In the next month or so, these little buds will bloom into tiny yellow edible flowers filled with sweet dewy nectar. Later, the pollinated yellow flowers will evolve into bright red edible berries. These berries can be picked and eaten directly off the shrub or collected and made into tincture or jam. Last year, I made a tincture from them and added them to one of my lotions. (To date, I think this gave one of my lotion recipes a secret advantage). The flowers can be collected and added to honey for a lovely and unique way to enhance your daily honey.


Another herb I notice on my walk is Vervain. The leaves are healthy and dark green, not the light bright green you see in Cleavers. Lavender colored flowers are emerging on the Vervain. Right now, there is more green than purple/blue flowers, but soon - there will be fields of purple/blue flowers with a bit of green in between. I can't wait! It is said if you want to collect Vervain to make tincture, to collect the areal parts prior to blooming. So to me, this would be the time when a lot of the vital elements of the plant are in the leaves prior to placing that energy into the blossoms.



Also along my walk, I encounter Texas Persimmon. Right now, the tree is bare - only grayish branches and twigs with specs of lichen here and there. The leathery leaves have not yet emerged. Later in the summer, this native tree will bear a small dark fruit, almost black in color The fruit is edible; however, the fruit is so small and filled with seeds, it makes it more of a novelty than a food staple. The birds love them and that's good enough for me.


Next, I see the Rosemary plant I cultivated from a cutting. As I see the large globe like shrub, I feel a sense of pride as I helped create this beautiful focal point on my walk. I often ask of this plant when I'm cooking and take the fresh sprigs to infuse soups and chicken dishes. This plant gives and gives and even in winter, proves to be a beautiful addition to the garden. Rosemary was once carried in pockets and often sniffed to awaken the mind and to clear the nose of bad smells in times where plagues filled the air with odor. It was also said to be worn as a crown around the head to keep warriors alert and vigilant.

Next, I see Mullein. I’ve really been enjoying watching the Mullein grow. I have to say, these herblings are my favorite to visit. As the leaves come in the plant takes on more of a rosette/cabbagy look. The leaves are thick and soft. I am looking forward to harvesting the leaves and flowers. I'll infuse the leaves in oil to add softness and smoothness to salves and lotions. I'll infuse the flowers to have on hand for mild ear aches.

Cleavers has been taking hold and really succeeds in areas that get plenty of moisture and sunlight. At this stage, Cleavers is still in a growth spurt. Cuttings can be sampled and infused in hot water for lymphatic cleansing; however, I'm waiting for the Cleavers to double in size before I harvest the aerial parts and infuse in oil to make my favorite "Healing Hands" lotion. There's a big difference in fresh cleavers infusion versus dried cleavers infusions. Much of the vital elements of the plant is still in tact when fresh.

Also coming up, but not pictured, are Dandelion and Plantain. The eath is covered with these herbs. I'm allowing Dandelion to take hold in one of my garden beds so I can harvest the root in the future. The newer leaves can be eaten for a fresh and nutrient rich addition to your meals. Plantain leaves are small and fresh. I will wait until the leaves are larger before I harvest them.

Well, this is the update on what's growing in the Texas Hill Country.
I'm off to the garden...it's 80 degrees and I have much to do!
I wonder what herbs are growing where you are. Send me an email or reply to this post and let me know.

January/February Gardening Ideas

This is the time of year we long for Spring. We have endured cold and drab climates and there is very little green outside our windows. Many of us outdoorsy nature types have a touch of cabin fever and long to dig our hands in the earth and grow beautiful flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

So what can we do? On a day that allows, head outdoors and take the time to plan for Spring. Discover opportunities in your landscape that will allow for future planting and identify what it will take to spruce things up. Many beds are filled with fallen leaves and twigs. Take time to clean them up and add compost to prepare the beds for Spring.

In Texas, you can trim out dead branches and clean up roses and tidy up other evergreens. This is also a time to monitor beds for undesired weeds and pull up the ones you do not find interest in. I have my hands full pulling up elm tree seedlings. They are sprinkled all through my beds and if I don't get them now, I'll have a harder time later on. When pulling up clover, leave some behind to decompose and add nitrates to the soil. This is best done prior to allowing the plant to go to seed...otherwise it is not worth it since the seeds would perpetuate the problem.

Valentine's Day is my cue to head outdoors and trim back my rose bushes by 1/3 and to tie back and tame my climbing roses. What I do now will dictate how the roses will perform in Spring. It's a great time to really get in there and work with the roses and pull dead canes since the chances of running into spiders and wasps are slim to none.

Start seedlings indoors in sunny windowsills. Start with sweet peas, lettuce, and green beans. Try growing carrots from seeds and using the carrot tops as "micro greens" for zesting up salads and sandwiches. Trust me...whatever you do...you won't regret it come Spring. So, get out there! Get creative and get growing on laying the foundation to your Spring gardening adventures. Whether you grow seeds, clean up beds, or trim roses - you'll get a sense of satisfaction and feel so glad you did!

Enhance Your Skin’s Beauty with Rose Hydrosol

Rose hydrosol is made by distilling luscious rose petals and drawing out the powerful elements of the petals into a steamed distilled floral water.

The hydrosol can be applied directly on the skin and used as a toner to refine and reduce the size of pores. It serves as a humectant by drawing moisture to the skin. By religiously applying rose hydrosol, one soon experiences a transformation; skin looks smoother, more toned, more hydrated & illuminated over time.

Rose hydrosol can also be made into a facial mist and applied at anytime to perk up tired skin. I make a wonderful rose hydrosol skin elixir and mist it just after cleansing my face each morning. My skin craves this mist and radiates all day expressing gratitude when I use it. I’ve used the mist for two months straight and my skin has smaller pores, a healthier glow, and fewer blemishes as a result. I couldn’t be more excited to discuss the benefits of rose hydrosol since I’m a tried and true case study.

Prior to the rose hydrosol skin elixir I made in the herbal kitchen, my skin was overly oily and blemished. I was breaking out around my chin, cheeks and jaw line. My complexion was in trouble. I had read about the benefits of rose hydrosol on the skin and decided to make my facial mist. I’ve been elated ever since. The smell is light and fragrant – you could go beyond skin care and mist liberally on sheets, upholstery, and use as a general room enhancer.

My skin drinks in the moisture and it helps keep dry skin hydrated and oily skin under control. Rose hydrosol serves as a mild antiseptic (making it a wonderful toner) and has a wonderful ability to control and balance sebum production (making it great for both oily and dry skin types).

I’ve also come to rely on rose hydrosol as one of my weapons of choice in fighting fine lines and wrinkles. I’m not kidding…I’m impressed by the reduction in fine lines and the overall reduction of wrinkles. I simply love it. Some rely on rose hydrosol as an anti-inflammatory. I can see why. The blemished skin I once had has healed and my skin has tightened and smoothed as a result.

I think it is very fair to say, when it comes to reducing the fine lines and wrinkles, bouts of acne, mixed complexions, and size of pores….rose hydrosol is the way to go. Use it as a toner, use it as a facial mist…just use it! You won’t regret it.