Using comfrey externally to heal bruises, sprains, and other injuries, information on alkaloid toxicity, and how to make comfrey oil Comfrey is a controversial plant. Many gardeners have it growing somewhere whether it's a relic of a past garden or used to make plant feed. Bees and other pollinators love it too and for that reason alone it's a fabulous plant to have in an organic garden. I have several clumps in my allotment and use the leaves as a compost activator, a feed, and also in ... Read More about How to use and make Comfrey Oil (and why it’s controversial)
Ideas from Lovely Greens
How to Felt Soap: a natural wash cloth that’s great for your skin
Step-by-step process on how to felt soap to make a natural wash cloth. Materials required are sheep's wool, a bar of soap, water and liquid soap Felted soap is essentially a bar of soap plus a natural wash cloth built in one. The layer of matted wool surrounding the bar can extend the life of the soap and creates a soft surface that lightly exfoliates your skin as you wash. It also naturally contains lanolin, a rich substance that replenishes your skin. I also found that the process of felting ... Read More about How to Felt Soap: a natural wash cloth that’s great for your skin
Gardeners Healing Salve Recipe + DIY Instructions
Make a gardeners healing salve using homegrown calendula, plantain, and comfrey. These herbs along with beeswax help to cleanse, nourish, heal, and protect. The thing I love about this recipe is that it's a simple herbal salve that any gardener can make. Not only that, but there's a satisfaction in using herbs from the garden to heal skin ailments caused by gardening! No matter how careful we are, there's no escaping the occasional nettle rash, insect bite, bruise, sprain, or scrape. This ... Read More about Gardeners Healing Salve Recipe + DIY Instructions
How to Know When to Harvest Potatoes
It can be confusing knowing when to harvest potatoes Knowing when to harvest potatoes is based on whether they're an early potato or main crop and what happens to their foliage and flowers One of the easiest edibles to start off with as a beginner gardener is the humble potato. They're relatively low-maintenance, can help cultivate the soil, and will also suppress any weeds that try to compete with them. They're also very fun to dig up and eat! But when are potatoes ready to harvest? This is ... Read More about How to Know When to Harvest Potatoes
Rose Geranium Soap Recipe + DIY Soap Making Instructions
Learn to make natural rose geranium soap with essential oils, mineral color, and dried flower petals. Part of the Simple Soap Recipe series. This is the last recipe in a simple soap making series I've been sharing over the past month. True to the other three, this rose geranium soap recipe is made with a simple palm-oil free ingredients. You'll color it with a mineral pigment to make the bars a pretty shade of pink and scent it with essential oils. It's a blend of rose geranium (my absolute ... Read More about Rose Geranium Soap Recipe + DIY Soap Making Instructions