Ideas and Advice for How To Live a Joyful and Empowered Life.
All Things Empowering – Healing Ourselves & Earth, Self-Sufficiency, Food Forests, Gardening, Art, Road Trips, Preserving, Foraging, Permaculture, Homesteading and More!
Roses offer a bouquet of benefits for your skin, making them a delightful addition to your skincare routine. Here are some ways roses can work wonders for your skin: Antioxidant Powerhouse: Roses contain antioxidants that strengthen skin cells and promote tissue regeneration. These antioxidants also neutralize free radicals, providing anti-aging benefits. Healing Hydrator: When infused… Continue reading DIY Rose Petal Infused Oil for Amazing Skin Care Benefits
Sage is a versatile herb with many health benefits and remarkable properties. Rich in Nutrients: Sage contains vitamins (such as vitamin K), minerals (like iron and calcium), and other compounds. Sage's Super Antioxidant Power: Did you know that sage has over 160 polyphenols that work as antioxidants? These compounds may aid in combating inflammation, cancer,… Continue reading Sage Health Benefits and How to Make Sage Tea
Propagating sage from cuttings is a rewarding way to expand your herb garden and/or share your plants with friends and family. Here’s a step-by-step guide (this method works for any variety of sage): Get Sage Cuttings: Obtain healthy sage cuttings that are 4-6" long. You can take these cuttings any time during the growing season. Prepare… Continue reading Step-by-Step Guide to Propagating Sage from Cuttings
Here’s a delightful recipe for Rose Simple Syrup made from rose petals. This syrup is perfect for adding a floral touch to coffee, desserts, sodas, sparkling water, cocktails, mocktails, tea, pancakes, French toast and more and it also has the health benefits of roses (Discover the Benefits of Rose Tea for Health and Wellness). Let’s get… Continue reading Rose Simple Syrup for Drinks and Desserts
Drying roses is a delightful way to preserve their beauty and use in dried flower arrangements or save them for medicinal or culinary use later when fresh roses are not available. Here is how to air-dry them: If you are drying roses with the intent to use them medicinally or in recipes, choose roses that… Continue reading How to Air-Dry Fragrant Roses for Culinary and Medicinal Use
Propagating roses from cuttings is a rewarding process and an inexpensive way to expand your garden. It's also a great way to get varieties you may not be able to find at the store. Here’s a step-by-step guide: Gather Your Materials: Sharp pruners, scissors, or a knife disinfected with rubbing alcohol. A 2.5- to 5-inch-deep… Continue reading Step-by-Step Guide to Propagating Roses from Cuttings
Rosemary is drought-tolerant, pest-repellent, and deer-resistant. Its blue flowers attract pollinators and it smells heavenly! It is excellent for teas, baking, cooking, medicinal & cosmetic uses and more. Propagating rosemary from cuttings is a great way to expand your herb garden, or to share with your friends. Here are six simple steps to get you started: Gather… Continue reading Propagating Rosemary: Easy Water and Soil Methods
Propagating Begonia leaf cuttings is an easy, fun and rewarding way to get new Begonia plants. You can give them as gifts to your plant loving friends, make more plants for yourself or purchase cuttings online of varieties that are not available locally in your area. Here are the steps for water and soil propagation:… Continue reading Step-by-Step Begonia Leaf Propagation Guide: Water and Soil Methods
Chamomile simple syrup has a sweet fruity flavor that can be added to water, sparkling water, cocktails or mocktails, tea or other beverages to enhance the flavor. It can also be used over fruit, on pancakes or French toast or any way that other syrups are used. Using this syrup will also give you the… Continue reading Chamomile Simple Syrup Recipe for Beverages and More
Making chamomile-infused oil provides a soothing and aromatic oil that can benefit your skin. It can be used as-is directly on the skin or as an ingredient in homemade lotions and salves. Chamomile is calming, comforting, and has anti-inflammatory properties that soothes dry, red and irritated skin. It can soothe mild pain and promote healing. Chamomile-infused oil… Continue reading How to Make Chamomile-Infused Oil for Skin: 2 Easy Methods
Propagating lilacs from cuttings is a rewarding way to grow more of these beautiful shrubs. Here’s a guide on how to do it: Taking the Cuttings: Use sharp, clean pruning shears and cut a 6-inch section of new growth from the lilac plant. Make sure to take the cuttings below a leaf node (a node… Continue reading How to Propagate Lilacs from Cuttings: A Step-by-Step Guide
Chives are so pretty when in flower it's always hard for me to cut them to use in the kitchen. But the flowers are very tasty and make food pretty so I usually take a few flowers from each of my 5 plants whenever I harvest. That leaves some colorful beauty in the garden for… Continue reading Colorful Chive Butter: A Versatile Recipe for Savory Delights
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Chamaemelum nobile) is a delightful herb known for its daisy-like flowers and soothing properties. Both the flowers and foliage have a fruity aroma which makes for a delicious tea (definitely one of my favorites). Whether you’re interested in growing it for tea, herbal remedies, or simply to enjoy its beauty, here’s how to grow… Continue reading Chamomile: Uses, Benefits, and Planting Guide
Mint plants (genus Mentha) are easy-to-grow fragrant perennial herbs with stems that are erect, square, and branched. They can grow to heights ranging from 4 inches to 48 inches. Many mints are considered invasive, so if you don't want that, it's better to plant them in pots. Rooting mint cuttings in water is an easy… Continue reading Easy Steps for Rooting Mint Cuttings in Water
Bearded irises are herbaceous perennial plants known for their large, showy and often fragrant flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including purple, blue, yellow, white, maroon and bicolor combinations. Each flower has three upright petals (called standards) and three drooping petals (called falls). The falls typically have a fuzzy or “bearded” patch near the… Continue reading Bearded Iris Planting Guide: Tips for Successful Growth
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an easy-to-grow beautiful and fragrant herb that adds charm to gardens. It can be used in the garden in various ways, such as edging garden paths, creating low hedges, accenting other plants, and even growing in containers with other herbs or flowers. It attracts pollinators that will help pollinate your… Continue reading English Lavender: How to Grow it and Propagate Cuttings
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is more than just a favorite treat for our feline friends. This flowering perennial herb from the mint family has a rich history of medicinal use. Whenever I drink the tea, I get relaxed and sleepy, even if it's been a rough day. Here are its remarkable benefits and how to make… Continue reading Catnip (Nepeta cataria): Medicinal Uses and Tea Recipe
Vinca is a lovely and low-maintenance groundcover plant that can add a splash of color to your garden. The flowers are blue, purple, lavender or white and the leaves can be solid green or variegated. It grows to a height of 3-6 inches and its' trailing vines can extend up to 18 inches. Vinca grows… Continue reading Step-by-Step Guide to Propagating Vinca Minor from Cuttings
Pansies, with their vibrant colors and mild flavor, can be a unique addition to your homemade probiotic drinks. Here’s a simple recipe to get you started: Fermented Pansy Soda Recipe Ingredients: Fresh pansy petals (about 1 cup) 1/2 cup raw honey (look for unpasteurized or raw honey with natural yeast and bacteria) Filtered water A… Continue reading Fermented Pansy Soda Recipe
Dandelions are a super food and extremely healthy, growing right in our own backyard! Here is my harvest from yesterday: There is also some Purple Dead Nettle for drying (top left), a few Dandelion flowers and a couple Dandelion roots (to roast and make Dandelion coffee, which I'll post about later). Dandelion leaves can be… Continue reading Sauteed Dandelion Greens
A few days ago I woke up with pain in my neck and right shoulder. Evidently, I slept in a weird position. I'm one who avoids Acetominophen and Ibuprofin and only take it when the pain is bad enough to affect my day. I was getting ready to reach for Tylenol on this day, but… Continue reading Lavender Essential Oil for Muscle Pain, Tension and Headaches
Easter lily is Hardy in zone 7 and up. If you plant your plant outdoors, check to see if there are baby bulbs on the main bulb; these can be planted separately so you will have more plants. Easter lily symbolizes purity, new beginnings, rebirth and hope This art can be purchased here See my art… Continue reading Easter Lily Art, Growing Tips and Symbolism
As I was working in the garden this summer, I accidentally snipped a finger with my clippers which caused it to bleed. It was nothing serious but it didn't want to stop bleeding so I thought I was going to have to go inside to get a bandage until I remembered that Yarrow stops bleeding.… Continue reading Yarrow To Stop Bleeding Cuts & Heal
In the current times of food shortages, a great way to have a little food security is to plant potatoes. If you happen to have any potatoes from the grocery store that have sprouted, they can be planted. You can even cut the potatoes to where each piece has at least one sprout on each… Continue reading Maximize Your Food Security by Planting Sprouted Potatoes
We have had a very rainy and windy Fall, Winter and Spring here in western Washington zone 8b. It has been a cooler than usual Spring with less sun so a lot of my plants are blooming later than usual. The blooms are very appreciated. Chives Columbine Columbine Spanish Bluebells Spanish Bluebells Spanish Bluebells Torch… Continue reading What’s Blooming In My Garden May 2022
Chive blossom vinegar is very easy to make and takes your regular vinegar up a notch! Pick your chives on a dry morning after the dew has dried. I picked and used blossoms with stems attached since the stems are flavorful also. Stuff the chives into a sterilized glass jar and pour over your favorite… Continue reading Chive Blossom Vinegar
With the current events that we all know and the food shortages, I thought I would tell you about Jerusalem artichokes, a sunflower that has edible tubers. I had heard about them last year and decided it would be a great addition to my food forest (Food Forest Gardening). So I bought 10 tubers from… Continue reading Jerusalem Artichoke, An Abundant, Beautiful and Delicious Survival Plant
I planted my little apple tree that I started from seed last year. About a week of increasing hours on the porch to adjust it to the weather. I've read that when you start apple trees from seed you never know what kind of apple you will get because the seeds are not true to… Continue reading Food Forest Notes: Apple Tree From Seed Planted / Compost Boxes Extending Flower Beds / Wind Storm, Pine Branches and Paths
I love to propagate plants. It's fun and it saves money because then I don't have to buy them at the store. I also sell plant cuttings on eBay, Mercari and Etsy. If you'd like to see what I sell, here is a link to my Etsy store. I don't have many rooted cuttings yet… Continue reading An Easy Space-Saving Way To Propagate Plant Cuttings
I am blessed to have a couple of old Lilac shrubs that have dark purple flowers growing in my yard. They will be flowering in May so I will be gathering a lot to dry for herbal preparations. The main way that I use dried Lilacs is to make a salve that is anti-aging and… Continue reading How to Dry Lilac for Use in Herbal Preparations or Dried Arrangements
The generous amounts of onion and sage I’ve added to this loaf make it perfect for Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing, and you’ll probably want to have an extra loaf on hand for leftover turkey sandwiches, too. Sourdough Onion & Sage Bread — Comfort du JourSourdough Onion & Sage Bread — Comfort du Jour Rosemary Garlic Artisan… Continue reading Sourdough Onion & Sage Bread — Comfort du Jour
Halloween is here and it’s a time for all things spooky and all things pumpkin! I just love doing food for any holiday – the girls absolutely love it! And obviously Halloween is the best Holiday, obviously. 🙂 The food for it is festive and fun and the girls just get the biggest kick out… Continue reading 10+ Spooky Halloween Dishes (& what to make with all that candy!)
And all at once summer collapsed into Fall. Oscar Wilde I can’t believe Fall is finally here. Here in Arizona we all look forward to the cooler temps of Fall, although we are still warm here in the city, up north the temps are getting cooler. I love that. I decided before heading up to… Continue reading A Sunflower swag for Our Little Red House.
Many of us that live in colder climates where we get freezes in the winter are under the assumption that tomato and pepper plants (bell and hot) are annuals. In warmer climates where it does not freeze they are actually perennials. So the first way to get free tomato and pepper plants for next season… Continue reading Two Ways To Get Free Tomato and Pepper Plants In A Cold Climate For Next Season
Folks, it’s that time of year. Summer. Ew. When mosquitoes lurk around every corner, and poison ivy and thorns seem to meet you at every turn in the woods. In addition to these common skin irritants, I’ve noticed as I’ve aged that prickly plants – not just thorns like raspberries, but even summer squash and… Continue reading DIY Herbal Bite and Sting Salve
If you have poor garden soil you do not need to purchase amendments to make the soil healthier. There is a free way to do this, and it is organic if the rest of your garden is organic. It is a method called chop and drop. All you do is place existing plants leaves and… Continue reading Chop and Drop – A Free Easy Way to Improve Your Garden Soil
Guest post. A wonderful way to use peaches and rosemary from your garden.
Hello, my friends! Ah, I think you guys are really going to enjoy the pictures today. Remember Dad’s aesthetic mint green truck from my birthday post? Turns out it makes a wonderfully eye-catching flower truck! Mom has been growing so many flowers this year that we have too many to display ourselves, so she started… Continue reading In Which We Set Up a Flower Truck
Growing your own food means that you will always know what you are eating, where the food has come from, and that the produce is toxin-free! These days there are so many ways that you can grow your own produce, from caring for a few small pots on your balcony to running a farm or… Continue reading How Much Land Is Needed To Grow A Permaculture Food Forest?
Last weekend, Jim and I went to Long Row Lavender in Wright City, MO. It’s a cute little farm halfway between St. Louis and Columbia where you can pick your own lavender, take a stroll around the farm, and even get breakfast or lunch. We had a great time picking lavender. We got there early… Continue reading Lemon Lavender Scones
Now, while the summer season is in full swing, you should be making plans for your garden over the months to come. You might be thinking about ordering trees and shrubs to plant over the dormant period, buying seeds for winter cover crops, or even buying seeds in for next year. But while you may… Continue reading Tips for Sourcing New Plants For Your Garden in a Sustainable Way
There’s a reason why bread is considered a comfort food…it warms your body like your mother’s warm hug. The humble loaf of bread starts it’s life with such simple instructions yet, cared for in such a way. You create this “spiritual-like” experience from the aroma, wafting in the air. To the emotinal love you put… Continue reading Rosemary Garlic Artisan Bread
I’ve always wanted to grow my own food. While experimenting with and learning how to grow the gateway veggies like tomatoes, carrots, and herbs I came across the concept of “food forests”. Let’s briefly brush over what a food forest is, before I share my list of plants, cost and time involved, and a few… Continue reading Food Forest #1
I am a fan of Rain Country on Youtube. A few days ago my feed on Youtube came up with one of her older videos on making Calendula Soda. I have many Calendulas growing this year 🙂 So I watched the video, then excitedly went to my garden and picked a couple handfuls of Calendula,… Continue reading I Made Calendula Viola Soda!
Hey there! Thanks for visiting my blog. The garden is filled with lots of color, so I thought I’d take advantage of that and create a floral arrangement. Creating an arrangement is fun to do! It is great to be able to wander about the garden, gathering flowers and then being able to create something… Continue reading A summer floral arrangement with pizazz
I am always looking for new ways to use herbs. These summer mocktails or cocktails use herbs with other ingredients and there's also a recipe for mint syrup. Thank you for the wonderful ideas to the blogger that wrote this. I hope my readers enjoy it as much as I did. Combine herbs and juices… Continue reading Summer Mocktails or Cocktails
I had some blueberries I needed to use up so I made Blueberry Basil Jam. I did not can it because it only made around 4 cups and I plan on giving some to my dad. Plus, I'll eat toast with the jam for breakfast for a while. So it's more a refrigerator jam. 4… Continue reading Blueberry Basil Jam
Besides providing compost-rich soil and giving adequate water, a great way to get more flowers, vegetables and fruits from your plants is to deadhead or pick frequently. Deadheading simply means picking off old flowers that are past their prime. When we do not do this, the plant's energy goes into making seeds rather than more… Continue reading How To Get More Flowers, Vegetables and Fruit from your Plants
This is the Nasturtium I'm growing this year. I don't remember the name of the variety, I just picked out a packet at the store that looked pretty. They mound rather than vine. They are so easy to grow. Just plant the seeds in the garden, keep the soil moist and watch them grow. I… Continue reading Nasturtium: Easy-to-Grow Edible Flowers with Benefits for Hair Growth
This is a flower arrangement I cut from my garden to attract abundance. If you didn't know, flowers and herbs have symbolic meaning that has been gathered through the ages. To find out what the symbolic meaning is of particular flowers and herbs, you can google it. By making an arrangement of flowers and herbs… Continue reading A Flower Arrangement To Attract Abundance
Ideas and Advice for How To Live a Joyful and Empowered Life. 