It's September! Stop Picking Those Roses

By now you should have collected and dried enough rosebuds to get you through your crafting season. Leave those roses on the bush, and start collecting the petals before they drop and blow away. Just the petals, mind you. You want to let the hips get nipped by a frost before you collect them for tea.


If you have an abundance of rose petals, use them to make rose water to use in beauty preparations. 




Homemade Rose Water

• Boil 1-1/3 cup of water.
• Turn the heat down so the water is just simmering.
• Add 1 cup fresh rose petals.
• Allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
• Strain into a clean container.
• Dispose of the rose petals.
• Return the rose water to the pan.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Add another cup of rose petals
• Repeat the process until 3 cups of petals have been simmered and strained.
• Pour into clean bottle or jar.
• Allow to cool.
• Cover

Rose water is used in scented beauty soaps, moisturizers, fragrances and bath preparations. Have enough rose water on hand to experiment with the recipes I'll be sharing.


If the steam from simmering the rose water gets to be too much, pour a bit of your already cooled rose water on a clean cloth and pat your face and throat. Cool, aromatic and refreshing, isn't it?


Lay out any rose petal that are left so that they can air dry and be ready for other preparations that I'll be writing about throughout the fall and winter. 


Check your roses daily. Don't let any of those precious petals go to waste. Keep making the water and drying the leftovers. Homemade beauty products and crafts made with roses are great for gifts if you have more than you can use yourself.


photo used with permission under morgueFile Free License


All written content ©2010 Patrice Campbell unless otherwise noted.

Start your 2010 Herbal Journal

Did you get your seed catalogs? If not, they should be arriving any day. Pull out your graph paper and pencil and start redesigning your herb garden.


As you look through the seed catalogs, gardening magazines and websites take notes and keep them in a 3-ring binder so you have your own herbal journal. You can always add sections for recipes using herbs, an herb wish list, and tips on growing, using and preserving herbs.

Sub divide your sections so you can easily find information herbal cooking, medicinal herbs, herbal beauty products, potpourri recipes, essential oils and decorating with herbs.

Another way the herbal journal will come in handy is to record how well your herbs grew so that next year you can try planting them in a different area of the garden or perhaps purchase the herbs from a different vendor.

Don’t forget a section for thing you might try someday. For instance, if you think you might want to make homemade herbal sachets and pillows for gifts, you might want to keep track of ideas and tips as you find them. Here’s your first tip:

If you plan on making herbal Christmas decorations for next year, get out now and buy Christmas fabrics at a deep discount.

photo under morgueFile Free License Agreement

Soothe Away Holiday Stress with a Homemade Herbal Facial Mask

Homemade, economical skin care is always available in a kitchen with herbs. Soothe away holiday stress with a homemade herbal facial mask formulated just for your skin type.

Start with a base of 3 tablespoons yogurt or buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of honey.

If you have oily skin, turn the mask into an herbal remedy by adding a tablespoon of chopped sage.
An herbal cosmetic aid for dry skin can be made by adding a tablespoon of dried elderflower powder.
Those lucky people with normal skin will benefit with an herbal face mask made by adding a tablespoon of dried chamomile powder.

• Mix the herb with the yogurt or buttermilk in a small bowl.
• Place another tablespoon of the chosen herb into a teacup or mug, cover with hot water and let it brew.
• Spread the mask over your clean face and relax for at least 20 minutes.
• Strain the cup of tea and use it to gently remove the mask.

If any of the herb is left, brew a cup of  herbal tea and continue relaxing.