Make your own sweet and citrusy natural soap Working with citrus essential oils in soap making can be tricky. They tend to fade over time and can leave you feeling disappointed after the cure time is up. This recipe helps preserve the scent for longer by using a natural scent fixative that also smells citrusy — May chang essential oil. Blended with sweet orange, may chang, and cedarwood, the scent is zesty with a sweet woodsy base. It’s also decorated with tiny pieces of orange zest that are naturally rich
Too acidic or too alkaline can spell trouble Most vegetables need a neutral to slightly acidic pH to thrive. Here’s how to test for and improve soil that is too acidic or too alkaline. One of the last things you might think about in your edible garden is testing soil pH. Generally measured on a scale from 3 to 10, soil pH, or ‘Potential of Hydrogen’, tells you how acidic or alkaline it is. If it’s unbalanced, then there’s a strong chance that your plants will struggle. Fortunately, it’s easy
Video Basket Weaving Series with John “Dog” Buying a handmade willow basket can be very expensive. On the other hand, making your own will cost you little more than your time. My two natural willow baskets are as beautiful as they are functional. I admire them every day in the house and when there’s wild edibles or apples to be collected, they serve the task perfectly. My friend John “Dog” Callister made the baskets for me and after using them I wanted to learn how to make my own. A two
Not all Pumpkins have great flavour There’s a pumpkin for every garden but not all of them are for eating. As anyone who has cooked up a standard supermarket type knows, some of them can be watery, stringy, and flavourless. Choose the wrong type for your garden and you could be just as disappointed. If you’re planning on growing pumpkins for the table, choose a variety that’s known for good taste and texture and types that will grow well in your climate and garden size. Here ten of the best
Inexpensive ‘Sea Jewels’ for DIY Projects For those who love a good DIY, you’ll know that free craft materials that look incredible are rare. One of the exceptions is sea glass and if you live near the beach you potentially have a treasure trove of sea jewels to find! One of my favourite hobbies (aside from gardening) is looking for sea glass on the beach. New pieces are unearthed after storms and one of my hunting grounds is also near a couple of old shipwrecks. That means that pieces of