I found these seeds at Orchard Hardware and thought it would be a nice addition to the garden.  The Calendula I plan to grow in pots (since I don’t have much garden space).  They are also referred to as “pot marigold.”  And Calendula petals are also a nice addition to my soap and balm making.

The heirloom zinnias “Granny’s Bouquet” should be nice too.  I would pot them as well, but I think they would be better grown in my mom’s garden.  My mom is the ultimate “kitchen gardener” as all her plants are used in her cooking.  But she does add a few of her favorite flowers here and there.  Mostly marigolds, chrysanthemums, and carnations.

Last year I planted some gladiolus for her and also a row of really tall zinnias too.  The zinnias were hardy flowers that bloomed all summer long and even to autumn too.  I saved the seeds but then forgot where they went!  Better planning next year. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been infusing these organic herbs (I’ve collected from my mom’s garden) with vegetable oils for about 1 week now. I got the idea from Pure Skin: Organic Beauty Basics by Barabara Close.

You can read my little review of her book on my “Resources” page. 

I chose some light vegetables oils such as grape seed and sunflower.  You can also use avocado, sweet almond, or jojoba oil as well.

I used two different brands of grapeseed oil.  Basso brand is much more green then Trader Joe’s version.  I infused them with dried and powdered kaffir leaves and gotu kola (Tiger grass).  Both are great herbs not just for eating but for skincare as well.

For the sunflower oil, I infused with calendula flowers (the head).

This is just an experiment, so I made a small batch and used old spice jars to fill them in.  Although I don’t have it in my photo, I did cover each glass jar with a cotton fabric.  This helps the air to circulate without making the oils dusty or dirty.

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