DIY Life

Sure, herbs smell great and taste even better --- but have you ever considered decorating with them? Kelly Edwards has the scoop:



Why should you decorate with herbs? It's easy --- not only are they super functional when cooking, but they happen to be gorgeous and smell fantastic. Plus, they last longer than flowers, which is great for someone who always forgets to throw away their dead plants (hanging my head in shame over here...).

Want some fresh (pun intended!) ideas on storing and displaying your own little interior herb garden? Try placing a few small herbs in a teacup or mug for an unexpected look. Or, double up on functional storage by placing a potted herb in an ice bucket when not in use. Even better? A cake stand doubles as a decorative element to create a circled montage of your favorite herbs. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks, Kelly!

A trip to the farmer's market last week had me stopping to smell the flowers, and unfortunately -- spotting the flies. Fruit flies were everywhere and happen to be one of my biggest pet peeves, so as soon as I returned home, I did a bit of research on how to fight the good fight. Fortunately, the solution happens to be found at my local florist!

A potted basil plant's scent will drive those flies away. Although humans find basil's strong aroma to be pleasing, and in some cultures, healing, flies despise the scent. A few other herbs flies like to steer clear of? Lavender, elder and mint. Try a few herbs as centerpieces for your next outdoor party and watch the flies fly far, far away.

Want a more inexpensive solution that won't upset your allergies? Vinegar water keeps bugs at bay all through your home. Proof that you can stay bug-free this fall without toxic sprays and/or solutions.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products, and other useful blends.

There's nothing like a cool drink to refresh on a hot summer day. Last week, we explored drinks made with fresh mint and essential oils. Now it's time to think beyond the mint.

Did you know that most citrus and herbal essential oils are sold to large food companies as flavoring? Hydrosols, which are the water left behind when plants are steam-distilled into essential oils, are also safe to ingest in small quantities when they're organic and top quality, according to Suzanne Catty, author of Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy.

Make sure your oils and hydrosols are organically grown and of good quality, then read on after the break for drink recipes -- citrus, herbal, and even some floral -- made with essential oils, herbs, and hydrosols.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

The mint in my yard is running wild just about now, begging to be plucked and used. That sure is handy, since it's hot outside! I could really use some cooling fresh mint in my beverages, to combat this sweltering heat.

I'm sure you must also have some peppermint essential oil around the house, right? You've got to have some left over, after making your chocolate mint lip balm and ant repellent, so pull it out and add some cool to your summer drinks.

After the break, I'll share recipes for simple syrup with mint, which can be used for a number of summery delights, and other refreshing minty recipes to keep your beverages interesting -- as well as hydrating.

Dreaming of a Mediterranean-style oasis in your own yard? Me too! Okay, let's get inspired!

So, what makes certain gardens "Mediterranean," anyway? Well, for starters, they're designed to withstand both lots of heat and irregular rainfall. The garden designs are visually appealing, true. But they're also low-care and eco-friendly. Because plants are selected for toughness, and lawns are absent or insignificant, there's less need for chemicals and watering.

1. It's all about contrast.
Mediterranean styling is pretty easy to imitate. The essential element? Contrast. That is, contrasting hard, structured surfaces with soft, unstructured foliage and blooms. Think tumbling vines atop high stone walls. Think paved walkways next to climbing roses. Think clipped hedges fronting tall, slender cypress trees. You get the picture.

Every spring, I have to get my long haired Black Lab shaved. If I don't, he spends his days in absolute misery, due to ticks and fleas constantly biting him. I try to keep up with the ticks as best I can, but his fur is so thick that I miss many of them.

It is still pretty cold at night, and the days haven't warmed up past 70 yet, but I know that fleas will be making their rounds soon, and that once again Jake will be scratching up a storm. When the ticks let up, the fleas will come knocking at his door, looking for a home. I can stop them by making my own herbal flea powder.

Using Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Lavender, Fennel, Yellow Dock, and Pennyroyal, you can make your own herbal flea powder for your treasured pet too. All you have to do is mix as many of the ingredients as you can find in a shaker-top jar, and then apply sparingly to your pet.

Be sure to read through the comments, as there seems to be some confusion as to whether or not Pennyroyal is acceptable to use on cats and dogs. It would seem that using powder is okay, whereas Pennyroyal oil is toxic to animals.

My inspiration came from my uncle's tobacco farm where the leaves are hung on racks with spikes piercing the leaves. I'm sure this has probably been done before by gardeners around the world, but I thought I should share my version. Using two 1x2 furring strips, a hinge, screw hooks, and some carriage bolts with wing nuts, this can be assembled pretty quickly. A drill and some pliers are the only tools needed.

More after the break, hit the link below.

Have you begun your spring planting yet? Here in the northeast, spring planting is just beginning to enter my mind. The good news is that my snow cover is finally gone, the bad news is that it won't be warm enough to plant for at least another month.

What I have been thinking about is how I can bring the scents that I love in my soaps out to my yard. We began this process last spring and fall when we planted lavender along our walkway and mint along the stone wall, so that the fragrance wafts to our visitors as they proceed to our front door.

Read on to learn how to create a fragrant herb garden.

The quiet stirrings of the water with every slight movement, the all-over soothing warmth, the big wet water hug. Can you tell I enjoy a good bath (as does my son in the picture!)?

Baths can be therapeutic as well as relaxing, and have been for years. Herbs and essential oils can intensify the healing properties of a bath.

Third Age has some great tips on how to create your own amazing bathing experience. They suggest dry brushing before a bath to stimulate blood flow to help release toxins more efficiently.

Some other tips they mention:

When things start to melt, I get really excited. Maybe it is the fact that I can see my lawn again, or just that the air is starting to lose that cold little nip. Even though I can't pin down exactly what it is, the promise of springtime excites me.

With Spring's arrival, though, comes some new concerns. Capri pants and short sleeved shirts, for example. Not only do you have to start shaving your legs again, but you have got to do something about that winter dry skin.

Read on for recipes to get your skin ready to be bared, with scents to bring the fresh springtime air right into your bath.

When you go to the grocery store, do you buy fresh herbs or do you head to the spice aisle? Not all of our recipes call for fresh herbs, so many people just buy the dried herbs, but it is so much easier to make your own herb garden so that you can have fresh herbs all year around. Cheaper too!

You can have freshly dried herbs all winter long when you make your own herb dryer. To make the dryer, you will need recycled metal fly screens, four trays, pull handles, and a crate or pine frame. You can paint the frame with Estapol paint so that it will look attractive wherever you set the herb dryer.

You'll want to place the frame where you can observe it on a continual basis, as herbs dry fairly quickly. Gather your herbs in the morning, and place them in airtight containers when they are dry. You'll have freshly dried herbs all winter long, and save lots of money in the process. Don't forget to make your own basil butter!

There is nothing so lovely and relaxing as soaking in the bathtub after a long day. A bath helps to ease away stress; loosen tired, achy, knotted muscles; and is just an excellent way to get some time for yourself. I very rarely get to take a bath, as a shower is all I have time for these days, but when I do get to take one, I love to fill the bathtub with wonderful smelling bubble bath.

If you like to take a bath too, then check out this awesome post I found on TipNut.com. The author gives you lots of recipes on how to make your own homemade herbal bath bags.

To make the herbal bath bag, first, make a bag that will hold about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite herbal bath recipe, and then fill the bag with the herbs. Tie the bag tightly so that no herbs can try to make a getaway, hang it on the water spout, and let the water run down the bag. Another method is to steep the bag for 20 minutes in pre-boiled water, and then put the entire contents of the pan: hot water and steeped herbal bag, into your bath water.

The author gives you many great herbal recipes to make your herbal bags. Dried lavender, rose petals, sage, basil, and oatmeal are all ingredients that you can use to make your herbal bath bags. I am wondering though, what do you do with the contents of the bag after you are done taking your bath? Maybe, just maybe, you could follow Maureen's advice and make your own potpourri.

Problem: you want to live green. You don't like using these products, but you can't stand the thought of going back to messy, slippery bar soap. You're not alone -- yuck! So how about going the DIY-route and concocting your very own eco-friendly liquid hand soap? You can store your finished product in the regular old pump-action bottles, but you'll have peace of mind knowing it's Earth-friendly.

The website Green Living has a suggested "recipe" that, mercifully (for those of us short on time), sounds pretty straightforward. You basically use a cheese grater to grate all-natural bar soap, which is then melted into hot, distilled water. Click here to read more, including ways to gussy up your DIY-soap with herbs and other sweet-smelling substances.

Herbs and spices were originally used to hide the taste of rotten or potentially rotten foods. Now they are used to enhance flavours and complement dishes. Growing an indoor herb garden is easy and you'll love having access to fresh herbs right at your windowsill. While there are herb garden kits or you can start with mature plants, I thought we'd talk about starting your garden from scratch, in true DIY'er style.

What you need

1. Terracotta pots - with enough space for your mature herbs. A 13-15" container will hold 4 grown plants. If you choose smaller pots you will need to transplant at maturity.
2. Water
3. Sunlight
4. Seeds
5. Potting soil

How to start your herb garden

1. Choose your seeds - Basil, summer savory, dill and parsley all grow well indoors with sunlight. Just about any herb will work. Consider what you plan to use these for and how much of each you'd like on hand.
2. Prepare your soil in the pots - Soil should be equal part mixtures of sand, loam and peat moss. Soak the soil.
3. Place the seeds in the pots about a 1/4-1/2" deep, covering them loosely with soil.
4. Place a piece of light clear plastic on top of the pots. Make sure that there are a couple of holes in it.
5. Place the pots at a window that gets a good amount of direct sun.
6. Water the plants regularly. The soil should always be damp. Check it daily.

The University of Saskatchewan put out this list of 10 easy to grow herbs. This list is particularly useful in describing conditions if you decide to transplant your herbs to an outdoor garden. Some herbs will take 8-10 weeks to come up, so don't get discouraged if you don't see signs of growth right away.

[via Herbs of the Earth]