Finally! ~ Distilled Some Lavender

It has been a goal ever since the row of Grosso lavender went in, that some of it would be distilled. Now we are nearing a critical stage where all of the lavender is trying hard to bloom, so today was the day.

It was an interesting distillation. Normally, we fill the little white bucket with ice, and just about the time the ice is all melted, we have 16 oz. or so of distillate. Of course, we normally have only a few drops of essential oil - sometimes none, depending on the plant used. So, I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out where the water went. Maybe the lavender in the biomass flask soaked it up? Anyhow, it took us quite a bit longer than usual to get a decent amount of distillate, and we had to refill the bucket with ice. We got more essential oil than even mints or lemon verbena.

I took pictures as we went along, just because it was so darned cool!

First, the lavender still on the plants. There are still several plants waving around out there, but 3 of them got good haircuts.

This is one of "the girls" after the haircut.

Next, you can see the amount of lavender that was cut compared to the biomass flask - which holds about a gallon, give or take. We only used the tops of the spikes, or the flowers.

This is how it looks all ready to be fired up.

The cloudy band in the collector is the essential oil. Gradually the cloudiness went away (air bubbles, I think) and the band got wider, to about 3/4 of an inch.

Here you can see how dark the water got in the boiling flask, how pale the lavender got, and how much essential oil we obtained. The two blue bottles are hydrosol.

So that's it. The still is all cleaned and ready to go for another adventure.

The Essential Herbal in the news again!

Posted on Wed, Jun 25, 2008
The Donegal Ledger
Market vendor publishes book
By Jason Gauz; Editor
Tina Sams, a regular stand holder at the Mount Joy Farmer's Market, held a book signing there on Saturday, June 14 for her new book. "Under the Sun" is a compilation of the first five years of the author's "Essential Herbal" magazine.Sams began the magazine in 2002, and it grew from a newsletter to a 32-page magazine published every two months. It includes articles, recipes and ideas for health, first aid, gardening and crafts, all concerning herbs, by writers from across the country.

Sams said she compiled most of the articles from the first five years of her magazine because the material was great, but few people had the opportunity to see it.

"I just want people to learn," Sams said. "People will spend $20 on something they could pick in their back yards. If we were to walk down this [Appletree] alley, we would find five or 10 useful herbs."
The author noted a few everyday herbs that can be used for a variety of purposes. For instance, she says plantains can help to quickly clear up a bee sting, and the herb grows pretty much everywhere not sprayed for weeds. Also, elderberries can have antiviral properties and coat cells.

However, most doctors are unlikely to recommend these treatments. "If a doctor tells you to use something with herbs that's not approved by the FDA, they could lose their license," Sams said.

"Under the Sun" was published by the Sibling Group of Manheim. The book will be available for purchase at the market stand shared by Sams and her sister, Maryanne Schwartz. Schwartz owns Lancaster County Soapworks and sells her wares alongside Sams', which include everything from "Git Spritz" bug spray to lip balm to "tub teas," a teabag of herbs for the bathtub. All of the products are made from natural herbs.

The Mount Joy Farmer's Market is open each Saturday until Oct. 11 from 8 a.m. until noon in the parking lot of Union Nation Bank, 101 E. Main Street. Sams still edits and publishes "The Essential Herbal." Subscriptions and more information are available at www.essentialherbal.com.

I've been tagged...

Thanks Maryanne :-). So that means that I need to answer 5 questions and then tag some other players. Okie Dokie.

Ten years ago...
I was trying very hard not to concentrate on how unhappy my marriage was. I had a 7 year old who was the light of my life (still is!), and the shop was growing by leaps and bounds. We were giving the weekly classes on Friday nights, talking to groups at least a couple of times a month, and staying very busy. The Herbal Adventures of the Twisted Sisters (currently out of print, but we're working on that) had just been printed, and we were having a ball with that.

Five things on today's to do list ...
~ Address and mail renewal reminder postcards
~ pack and ship a couple of orders
~ finish putting away the laundry
~ pay household bills
~ weave some lavender wands

Snacks I enjoy...
It would be easier to list things that I don't like, but I LOVE Mentos mint chews, crystallized ginger, almonds, pretzels, and Wheat Thins. Fresh fruit is always good this time of year. Really... no kidding, I like just about everything, and it shows.

Things I would do if I was a millionaire...
I'm going to pretend that a million dollars is a lot of money like when I was a kid. First I would double the size of the magazine and send writers on great assignments. *Maybe* we would use color. Then I would strong-arm my sweetheart to retire and relax a little bit. I'd make sure Molly had a great education and a little cushion to get started on, some security for her. Not too much else would change. Make sure the people I love are ok, mostly. A vacation now and then sure would be nice, though. It would be nice to travel around the US and see it up close. Maybe leave the country. New Zealand and Australia sound interesting.

Places I have lived....
Other than a brief ill-fated sojourn into beautiful south central VA, I'm a Lancaster County girl, born and bred. The only place I've ever visited that I wanted to move to was Bermuda. Then again, there's a lot I haven't seen.

There. Now off to tag some other bloggers :-)
like...
LittleBigVoice
PossumCreek
GreenSpiral
HerbsFromtheLabyrinth

Lavender Wands - so far this year

Last year we started what seems to have become one of my favorite new traditions. I was participating in a "Home Grown" swap, and needed about 25 wands. We just kept going and had lots to take to market and put up on the website. It was so much fun at the end of the day to catch a cool breeze and catch up. We've been looking forward to it for months, and now the lavender is ready.
At some point during the day, I pick a sheaf of lavender and allow it to wilt a bit in the shade. When the sun goes low enough that shade hits the deck, my sister (and this year her son) comes up to weave. Supper is done and washed up, and there is nothing left to do but just enjoy ourselves.

This year there is so much lavender that we pushed it and went from 19 to *about* 25 stems. I say about, because nephew Rob is a math guy. It is impossible for him to just simply weave. Oh no. He has no choice but to try to figure out mathematical sequences that will turn out interesting wands. He even did one with two colors of ribbons, but said, "never again", so that one is now a part of the family trivia collection. Of course we see what he turns out, and then we have to try it too. We turn up each night with new ideas. I'm percolating a stair-step weave right now.

We have a few more evenings of weaving, stopping at 50 before we try distilling some of the flowers.

The wands are available on our website and the book, Under the Sun (also on our website) has written instructions with photos.

Cherry Cobbler ... yummah!

Last week we were coming home from the post office, and right there where the peaches will be in another month were these gorgeous cherries. We have this great farm stand where they sell the county's best peaches every year. After peaches they have many varieties of apples. This is the first year for cherries, though.

The cherries were just a tad tart to eat out of hand, so I looked up the cobbler recipe that we used last year for berries:
http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2007/08/gobble-up-some-cobbler.html and just slightly altered it. Instead of lemon juice (which I didn't have on hand), I squeezed an orange over the cherries and sugar. This recipe is like a giant cookie - all terrible ingredients. It would be improved with the use of raw sugar and a whole grain flour, but once or twice a year we make it just the way the recipe suggests.
It is so simple, just a few ingredients, and it looks so delicious before it goes in the oven.

40 minutes later... ummmmm umm! The edges are just a little crispy and the cherries are perfectly suited to a cobbler.

The Essential Herbal ~ July/Aug '08

The latest issue is starting to reach subscribers and shops, so it's time to post it here.

We've got another great issue out. It's full of great summertime ideas and helpful information. There are some recipes and good instructions for using the herbs that are out there this time of the year.

Here is a look at the Table of Contents:

Crossword Puzzle - Terms for Therapeutic Actions
Field Notes from the Editor
Suburban Herbie - The Green Zone, Geri Burgert
Yooper, Yooper, How Does Your Garden Grow?, Karen Mallinger
Summer Skin Care, Cindy Jones, PhD
Down on the Farm - Preserving the Bounty- Safely, Michele Brown & Pat Stewart
List Article - Calendula Uses
Lavender - Beautiful & Useful, Mary Ellen Wilcox
The Soap Pot - Exfoliation, Alicia Grosso
Herb-be-que - Grilling with Herbs, Betsy May
Making the Best of Your Busy Show Season, Sue-Ryn Burns
Making Balms and Salves, Tina Sams & Maryanne Schwartz
Louisiana Lagniappe - Gazpacho, Sarah Liberta
Flower and Herb Pressing, Susan Evans
Using Dyes in Soaps, Maryanne Schwartz
Summer Potpourri, Tina Sams

We've been blessed with many wonderful writers and advertisers. If you'd like to be a part of the magazine, drop me a line and we'll fit you in!

Rochelle Shenk wrote about the new book in the Sunday News

Here 'tis:

Herbalist's Magazine Grows Into Another Book

Sunday News
Published: Jun 14, 200823:45 EST
Lancaster
By ROCHELLE A. SHENK, Correspondent

When Tina Sams was a child, her grandfather, who knew all the herbs and their uses, would point out the plants to her.

"Through that I developed an interest in herbs myself. That passing of herbal knowledge to other generations is important," she said.

To do that herself, the Manheim-area resident and editor of The Essential Herbal Magazine has edited and published a new book, "The Essential Herbal: Under the Sun: The First Five Years.

"It's a compilation of the best articles from the magazine's spring and summer issues from 2002 to 2006. The magazine, which began as a newsletter in 2002 and morphed into a magazine in 2004, is now published bimonthly.

"There's so much you can do with herbs and a number of ways to use a specific herb," Sams said.She noted that the interest in both growing and using herbs for both culinary and medicinal purposes has grown over the past year or so. "It goes in cycles; herbs were popular in the '60s, and now they're popular again," she said.

Sams and her sister, Maryanne Schwartz, began operating a seasonal herb shop at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in the early 1990s. Soon they had a retail herb store in Landisville, which they sold several years later. Today they share a stand at the Mount Joy Farmers Market. Schwartz, owner of Lancaster County Soapworks, also collaborates with Sams on her magazine and books, doing layout.

Three years ago Sams published "Wild Foods for Every Table," a spiral-bound cookbook and field guide, partly based on the magazine content.

"The writers who contribute to the magazine are like me: They want to share what they know with others," she said.

Sams' new 224-page paperback, published in May by The Sibling Group, Manheim, has more than 100 food recipes and ideas for the kitchen, better health, herbal first aid, gardens, crafts and herb-based businesses.

The book is available for purchase 8 a.m.-noon every Saturday until Oct. 11 at the sisters' stand at the Mount Joy Farmers Market, located in the parking lot at Union National Community Bank, 101 E. Main St. It is also available at the magazine's Web site: http://www.essentialherbal.com/.

Slow Time (Insert Maniacal Laughter Here)

I just got in from Sense of Wonder Camp, where I taught the girls how to make herb beads using the method I developed and published with instructions in Under the Sun. They were guided by Park Ranger and Naturalist Lisa Sanchez - who uses some of her vacation time every year to lead this wonderful camp - to gather leaves from plants that smelled good, and I took along some freshly ground peppermint, lavender, rosemary, oakmoss (that was an experiment that needs some work, although it will be worth it), and red and yellow sandalwood. The girls had piles of spice bush and sweet cicely waiting when I got there. They also had unripe black walnuts, which would have had a great scent, but we couldn't grind them.

One of my oversights which turned out to be a spectacularly good thing was that I forgot to take along any finished beads as examples. It hit me in the car, but instead of going back to the house to get them, it seemed like maybe they would do better if they followed their own whims. They did a GREAT job, coming up with unusual shapes and sizes that would never have happened if I had shown them the small, regular round beads that I usually make.

Unfortunately, even though the camera was ready in my purse, 22 spirited young'uns made me completely forget to get pictures until we were all headed out to the creek where they were excited about swimming. The deep red sandalwood and the bright green sweet cicely looked beautiful next to beads made from less brilliant plants. The oakmoss looks almost silver. I really regret not getting pictures of the girls working on their beads.

But speaking of beads, my sister has started working on tiny teapots. She has made several of them using glass rods and an oxygen torch. You can see quite a few on her blog, but my favorite is this green one that looks like a miniature antique. I adore the way the frit she used along the sides look like tiny roses and leaves.

In a minute here, I'm going to head out and replant the garden that was too chilled early on. All of the vegetable seeds decided not to come up. Luckily, I saved 1/2 of all the packs, so we'll just have a late harvest this year. The produce from the Mount Joy Farmers Market will serve in the meantime (and beyond!).

Oh - and we spent the day yesterday at Penn State/Hershey Medical Center with a relative who needs to get on a transplant list. They did ALL of the testing and conferences in one day, and gave us some very good news. All in all, it was one of the most grueling 12 hour days we've spent in a while. Someone should have told me that the instructions mentioned packing a lunch, because by the time we got out of there I was ready to gnaw on the car seat.

I got home to find that someone, somewhere (thank you, whoever you are!!!) posted an old blog entry to an email list, and hundreds of people came to read. Several decided to subscribe to The Essential Herbal. It was a good and tiring day :-).

Lavender Harvest

I've been cutting the Munstead Lavender daily for about a week, and putting in bunches for market. That is almost done, and the buds that are left have mostly flowered.
In the meantime the Grosso Lavender was getting close to being ready and today one of the plants needed a good haircut. The others have a few days to go. Strange too, because this one was in the middle of the row. The two varieties side by side:

The Munstead is really beautiful, and until you see it next to the Grosso, it doesn't look like such a pipsqueak. These in the picture are about 8" long. The bunches that went to market looked nice wrapped in white tissue cones. For a deep purple flower with a nice scent, Munstead can't be beat in our zone (5b).

The Grosso stems are well over a foot long with spikes over 3" on some. They will be left to wilt today, and then Maryanne and I will spend the evening on the back deck weaving wands. I stocked up on ribbon last week when I found it on sale.
After working all week with the Munstead, I almost waited to long for the Grosso. You can see that some of the buds have flowered. It is just so pale that it can be deceiving.
The other plants will be ready within the next week or two. By the time we've plowed through one or two plants' worth of wands, we'll be ready to toss some into the still just to do something OTHER than weaving with it. This will be the first year there will be enough for that, and I can't wait!

Our last herb festival for the spring of '08

Ah.... we are finished with the wild hubbub of herb festivals for this year. We still have that one big hairy weekend (the Twisted Sisters' PA tour, as we like to call it) in July, but otherwise it's just the Saturday morning farmers market in Mount Joy for a while.
It has taken me almost a week to get around to this blog entry. The July/Aug issue of The Essential Herbal was delivered while we were away at the Alloway Creek Art and Garden Festival, so for the first half of the week that needed to be prepared for mailing. It has become quite an operation - first the bulk mail to the subscribers is prepared and taken out to the PO, and that is followed by the shop copies, writer's copies, and the advertiser's copies. Sometimes it takes me well over a week to accomplish, but I'm patting myself on the back to have gotten it done in short order this time with no loose ends hanging.

So on with the story....
Last Friday and Saturday we set up at Barb and Roger Steele's herb farm to take part in their festival. The kids were all set to handle the farmers market, and we'd packed two complete "sets" of crates - one for them, and one for us. The weather turned HOT just prior to the weekend, so we girded ourselves for that, but I must say that there was really no preparing for the heat that arrived on Saturday. Nuff said there.
One of my favorite things about going to Alloway is the gardens. I feel the same way about The Rosemary House, or when I visit Sarah Campbell's labyrinth. I LOVE the people, but really, really enjoy seeing the way other people create gardens. All of them add touches of whimsy and demonstrate unusual techniques or ideas that inspire me. At Barb's, I saw my first lavender hedge, something that stayed with me, nagging, until I had my own long row of lavender along the split rail fence out back.
Herb and veggie plants are huge this year. It always is something you see at herb festivals - people loaded down with boxes, flats, wagons, and wheelbarrows full of plants. It really seems to me that there are more people gardening than ever before. A tomato plant here, a basil there, maybe a pepper or two. We all have to start somewhere, and it feels like more people are starting this year than ever before. The current tomato scare will only fuel that, especially following the problems we've had with lettuce, etc. in recent years.

These poppies were some of the most photographed flowers of the garden. They are so strikingly beautiful and colorful. Who could resist?
Barb Will of Sugar Grove Herbs in Somerset was there with her garden decor. The wooden star beside her is a historic reproduction of barn stars from Somerset County, and they are made by her husband, Fred. There are some really beautiful stars and I'm still trying to figure out where and how to put one on my house because they are so cool. I snapped some more pictures over the weekend because everything was so lush and gorgeous, full of blooms. I wish I could have captured the constant bird-song on a picture. That was extraordinary, and we were just far enough south to see several varieties of birds that aren't around here.
This elderberry bush is perhaps 20" wide and just as tall. It was covered with the elder blow. There is something so delightful about the flowers, so delicate and sweet. There will be enough berries on this bush to keep the birds happy for a while, with enough left over to create some syrup, tincture... and maybe even dry some. I don't know what Barb does with them. There are probably several bushes in the fields surrounding the farm.

This is our tent, nestled in right under the paw-paw grove. That really helped to keep us in the shade. Little gold no-see-ums seem to like paw-paw trees. They liked us too. We used some of our Git Stick the first day, and escaped their wrath, but forgot on Saturday. Maryanne's legs got pretty well eaten up. You can see the standing displays below. They were just put together during the week prior to the show. They kept the lipbalms and the lotion sticks up-right and miracle 0f miracles, we didn't have any melted product. However, we did lower the tent overnight on Friday, and condensation dripped on some of the shrinkwrapped soaps. About 10 bars needed to be unwrapped and air-dried for a while. No problem, though. They're fine.
This little potting shed catches my eye every year. See the elderberry bush beside it? That's just a wee portion. I don't know what the thistle is growing in front, but I just love the way it was allowed to grow in front of the door. There's that whimsy.
The yellow striped tent held about 6 vendors. There were some unusual hostas and water plants, along with some antiques and one booth with some really fascinating artwork done with found objects. I really loved her stuff, and regret not getting a particular box from her that was decorated with baubles, glitter, and dolls heads. It was just so out-there, and even though it sounds weird (well... I guess it was, really), it turned out to be a thing of beauty. Last time we did this show, we shared the yellow tent, but decided to be stand-alone this time. It's fun both ways.

Tina one - Weeds zero ...for today anyway.

We've had a couple of beautiful days here. Mild temperatures, low humidity, and a nice breeze. These were about the first really perfect days we've had for a while, with cool and wet being the typical forecast in May. So, like any self respecting gardener, I set about reclaiming the gardens. They aren't all under control, but it is a darned sight better than it was. There really should be some "before" pictures, but honestly that would have been to embarrassing. To begin, let's start out with my $1 wheel barrow that I found at the barn sale down the road last week. Don't ask me why (or even how) I've been working on all the different areas here without one. It was ridiculous. So that would explain why I swerved into the farm lane and tossed this baby into the back of the car. It reminds me so much of my first car. Looks like crap, but does a fine job. The fact that it's already been WELL broken in means that I won't have to feel bad about scratching it with a shovel, or leaving it out overnight when it might get a little rust.
The row of Grosso lavender is getting ready to bloom. You can see here the thousands of spikes starting to form. It's time to stock up on some ribbons for wands, and this year we'll have plenty to sell in bunches at market. Maybe enough to distill, too. Just a few short days ago it was hard to tell where the field ended and the row of lavender began. Is it just me? Or do all gardeners suffer anxiety attacks when their gardens are looking invaded? Just looking at that crisp row makes me feel so much better! The Bergarten Sage in the foreground is just barely blooming this year, spending all of her energy on putting out those lush leaves. That's fine with me. The leaves are the part we use anyway.
At the far end of the lavender row we have a lush Lemon Thyme, some Mountain Mint, and Tarragon. They form the corner of the berry patch (protected by the lattice panels). Inside are lots of blueberry plants and some very healthy elderberry bushes. The blueberries aren't doing anything except growing yet. Same with the elderberries. I'm hoping that the warmer temps and the mulch will give them a little shove in the direction of blossoms. If not, there's always next year. However, 2 of the blueberries that I had considered nibbled to death by the rabbits or groundhogs have decided to start growing again. That was a pleasant surprise. Those varmints chewed them off right down to the ground. An elderberry facing another direction is already in bloom, but the leaves are yellow - possibly too close to a white pine? This is her third year. Last year there was just one umbel. The frothy elder "blow" is such a pretty thing. It's hard to decide whether to harvest the flowers or wait for the berries (and fight the birds for them). The birds are incredible this year too! Yesterday I saw an Oriole, brilliant orange swooping over the pines. The Gold Finches are everywhere, and a hummingbird sipped at the chive blossoms. Bluebirds? Yeah, we've got 'em.

In the middle of the yard is a little oasis of Chamomile. Just last week I picked off every single bloom for the still, and you can see that didn't give them a moment's pause. They just put out more flowers. They need another picking, but we're talking hours here. It is no small feat to pluck that many flowers. It is akin to picking the violets for syrup, except that the violets snap away from stem more quickly. Chamomile requires a small pinch to keep the stemmage to a minimum. It's such a cheerful little spot. I love to sit in the grass next to the patch, and watch the sun go down over the flowers while picking.
Out by the front door is the Valerian. It is in full bloom now, and the scent is amazing. Off to the left is an old-fashioned, late-blooming lilac bush. The day the lilacs stopped perfuming the entrance, the Valerian went into bloom, giving us a non-stop, breath-taking welcome to the outdoors every time we step outside.
Soon we'll be greeted with Bog Sage and Bergamot, but nothing will again come close to the fragrance outside the door for the rest of the year. It's hard to believe after seeing all the seed pods (and picking those that were reachable), but so far the Moonflower hasn't shown up.
Every year is a surprise. It never fails. Even if nothing new comes up, there are always plants that were forgotten somehow, and as they show up it's a little gift to brighten my day.
For instance, out in the front garden there is a Munstead Lavender that is starting to bloom. Next to it is a smaller version that came up on its own last year. It has a couple of little spikes this year. This is the first time I've ever had a lavender mom and baby. That was one of those great surprises!

Where did May go?

I was downloading pictures that were taken yesterday when I noticed that there were some from quite a while ago. That's when it hit me.... I've been falling down on the blog!

It's been a very fast month. The book came out, a new issue of the magazine went to the printer, there was the farmers market and a couple of other festivals to do. In between there were all sorts of plants that burst through, needing some form of attention.

This was May of '08 in fast-forward mode.....


The week after Landis Valley Herb Faire, we went up to The Rosemary House to help celebrate their 40th anniversary. Maryanne was one of the featured artists participating, and I sold and signed books. It is still cracking me up that after 3 years, the Wild Foods for Every Table book has caught fire. It is surprising how interested people are all of the sudden. But I digress... It was fun to be a part of this momentous occasion, and watch the family together. Here are the beautiful Reppert women, toasting the past 40, and looking forward to many more. Susanna, Nancy, Marge, and Cary.
Next is the fabulous array of herbal goodies that Nancy supplied for the celebration. My goodness, that woman can cook! The strawberries were my favorite. She stuffed them with a marscapone cheese blend and sprinkled them with crushed pistachios. I could have eaten a whole platter, but there were witnesses. Sharon Magee brought that darned "crack" pictured in the front. The saltines covered in butter, brown sugar, and chocolate. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! I wound up bringing home a fig tree and a couple of poppies, among other things.

The other day I got the still out to try working with the vast carpet of chamomile out back. It took a couple of hours to get enough flowers to HALF fill the still. There was no oil, but the hydrosol is luscious. It was good to get the still cranked up. It fills the house with fragrance and puts me back in the mood to make things. I've been planting things specifically for distillation, so as they come up, I'll report in.

We went on a tour of some other herb businesses yesterday. First we stopped at Kathy's around the corner - Cloverleaf Herb Farm. She has the sweetest farm, and the landscaping is gorgeous. Her husband John can usually be found mowing or moving something around, but they both stop and chat for a little bit.
I loved the poppies under the sign I just had to get some for the house (nice bit of merchandising, eh?), and picked up a couple of "spare" plants of holy basil. And some other stuff too.
This is the entrance to one of her greenhouses. No matter when we stop in, it is always neat and tidy as can be. They must work during the night.

Next we stopped at Marian Miller's Lavender Patch Bed and Breakfast. Her gardens are just bursting with blossoms. The little gate (which leads into a lovely pool) was just covered with roses, and the peonies and flags were going nuts. Another wonderful bit of landscaping.

On the way home, we had to check on the horses up the road. The babies just kill me. They run and scamper and kick up their heels, and then all at once they are exhausted and throw themselves to the ground to rest. What a life :-).

Under the Sun - Contents

Things are finally starting to settle down around here to a dull roar. We announced the release of the latest book , " The Essential Herbal~Under the Sun" in the beginning of May, but never posted a table of contents. That is partly because the book is divided into 8 sections so full of articles, recipes, instructions and tips, that we used the sections as a table of contents and opted to use the index in the book to list individual articles, crafts, writers, and recipes.
Just in case you were wondering what might be in such a book, here is the very abridged Table of Contents. We think there is a lot there, certainly enough to keep us all busy for the spring and summer!

Gardening
~ Creating a Garden Journal
~ Starting Herbs from Seeds
~ Zone Chart
~ Designing a Moon Garden
~ An Aromatic Garden
~ Spa Garden (recipes included)
~ Collecting Scented Geraniums
~ Saints in the Garden
~ Making Hypertufa Pots
~ Container Gardening
~ Growing Lavender
~ Composting
~ A Visit to the Herb Farm
~ Our National Herb Garden
~ Preparing Culinary Herbs for Harvest

In the Kitchen
~ Magic in the Kitchen (3 recipes)
~ Soup is Good Food (1)
~ Quick & Easy Shrimp Creole or Jambalaya (2)
~ Portabello & Radicchio Rissotto (1)
~ Favorite Crab Casserole (1)
~ Easy Aspic (1)
~ Basil (3)
~ Tomatoes (6)
~ Salad Days - Making Potting Soil AND Vinaigrette
~ Raspberry Vinegar (2)
~ Herbal Picnic Basket (11)
~ Dips and a Syrup (5)
~ Herb Cheese Dip (1)
~ Goat Cheese Mousse & Herbed Pita Chips (2)
~ Recipes from Herb n' Ewe Cafe (3)
~ Lemon Herbs (4)
~ It's the Berries (1)
~ Blackberry Memories (3)
~ Cordially Yours (3)
~ Tropical Coolers (2)
~ Mint Julep (2)
~ Herbed Lemoncello (1)
~ Rosemary (2)
~ Fairy Tea Party Delights (3)
~ Kava Tea (1)
~ Viva la Romance Tea (1)
~ Lavender Fennel Tarts (1)
~ Desserts (3)
~ Omega Three's (6)
~ Ginseng (5)
~ Storing Herbs
~ Gifts from the Sea (sea vegetables)

Just Weeds (Ideas and Recipes for Using Weeds for Food and Medicine)
~ A Walk in the Wild with Children
~ A Weed Walk in the City
~ Tasty Wild Plants
~ Don't Get Mad, Get Eatin'
~ Chickweed
~ Poke Salad
~ Wait! We're Not Weeds!
~ The Wild Weed Gourmet
~ Nettles
~ Edible Flowers

Herbal First Aid
~ Inside the Herbalist's Medicine Chest
~ Hand Sanitizer
~ Epi-Moisture Salve
~ Bruise Butter
~ Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu
~ Reduce Stress to Reduce Illness
~ Herbal Help for Arthritis
~ Spring Detox
~ Something Going Around
~ When Mommy Gets Sick
~ One Minute Miracles
~ Mother's Home Remedies
~ Favorite Backyard Remedies
~ Herbal Aphrodisiacs

The Stillroom (Recipes and Instructions for Creating Herbal Potions)
~ Soapmaking
~ Spicing Up Hand Made Soap
~ Salt Spa Bars
~ Bath and Beauty with Herbs
~ Felting Soap
~ Soap Stones
~ Tub Tea for the Weary Gardener
~ Bath Salts and Brews
~ What You Can Not See May be Harmful
~ Cleanser and Ageless Beauty Salve
~ Lotion Bars
~ Glycerin: What is it?
~ Natural Spring Cleaning
~ Take Time to Smell the Roses
~ Ancient Echoes Potpourri
~ Cedar Incense
~ Simmering Potpourri
~ Making Herb Beads

Traditions (How We've Used Herbs Over the Years, and Continue to Today)
~ The Wheel Turns to...
...the Vernal Equinox
...Beltane
...first Litha and then Lughnasad
~ May Day Celebrations
~ The Bitter Herbs of Passover
~ Rosemary Kintyre, Moss Maiden of Norwood
~ Rosebud Kissing Ball and Garland
~ Tussie Mussies
~ Natural Herb Dyes
~ Weedy Shirts (plant prints)
~ Harvest, and Flower Pounding
~ Kids and Herbs
~ Something Old, Something New
~ Hunting Four Leaf Clovers
~ Herbs for Magic
~ Old Farmers Advice

The Herbs (Articles About Single Herbs)
~ Lavender
~ Making Lavender Wands
~ Lavender Recipes
~ Roses, Queen of Flowers
~ The Incredible, Edible, Healing Rose (4 recipes)
~ Rose Petal Jelly
~ Rosa Rugosa
~ Stevia (6)
~ Cilantro/Coriander (4)
~ All About Thyme (8)
~ Comfrey is a Comfort
~ Vetiver
~ Dents De Lion
~ Albizzia
~ Ginger, the Oldest of Spices (3)
~ The Wisdom of Growing Sage (2)
~ Sage in Your Garden (1)
~ Hoodia
~ Sweet Cicely and Chervil
~ Mugwort
~ Echinacea

Herb Business
~ Running a Retail Place
~ Getting Away
~ Processing Herbs for Tea
~ So You Want to be a Vendor
~ It's Show Time!
~ Be Careful What You Wish For

So there you have it... an idea of what is inside. There are also some tidbits sprinkled over the pages, some poetry, cartoons, and herbal trivia. Under the Sun is available on our website - www.essentialherbal.com

Mount Joy Farmers Market

Oh, joy! We can once again set up and work our booth at the Mount Joy Farmers Market. If you've never checked it out and you're local, the market runs from 8 am until noon on Saturday mornings. It is held in the breezeway parking lot of the Union National Bank on Main Street. Lots of free parking, and tons of good produce, baked goods, plants - and us, with our soaps, potions, books and the magazine. If you are visiting Lancaster County on vacation, this is a great little taste of local flavor, right on the way to Hersheypark or the PA Renaissance Faire.

For the last two weeks, our kids (my daughter Molly, and Maryanne's son Rob) have taken care of it for us while we vended first at Landis Valley Herb Faire, and then last week at The Rosemary House's 40th anniversary celebration.

How cool is that to have the kids pitch in and actually run the booth for us? After all these years they are both coming to find an appreciation for the things we do, and enjoy helping out. We never pushed them, feeling bad enough that we were taking so much time away from them, so it is a good feeling to have them come around on their own. Naturally, their days at the market seemed to revolve around the bakery stand and trips down the street for the all-important coffee blends, but hey - they were there. That was all that we really required :-).

I can't really say why it is so much fun. Over the winter we really missed it, and discussed it several times. We both love a *little* retail, for the reactions, the feedback, and because we really do love to see our customers. Because it is such a small dose, there are none of the negatives that come with a regular shop --- which I won't go into because it just isn't worth it. If you've done it, you know. If you haven't, there's no point in talking about it.

One of the really great parts of doing the market is that it gives us an answer to the eternal question of, "Where can I find you and your products?" While we were at Landis Valley, we probably told 50 people about the farmers market. People who live close by, but never knew it was there.

So I'm looking forward to Saturday. The weather forecast is gorgeous. The local berries and peas will start showing up, and our friends in the neighboring booths will be there to gossip with. What better way to spend a Saturday morning? And... I get to come home with a basket full of locally grown and produced foods.

fortunately, I like weeds...

We've had a perfect spring for weeds here in my neck of the woods. Everything is lush and green and WET. Lots and lots of rain. Combine that with the recent release of the book and the deadline of the next magazine, and you will understand that the gardens are looking ...um... shall we say neglected? May 15th is the date that we are safe to put out tender plants, so normally it is when I just get rolling - give or take a week. This year, I fear that I may not find the gardens when I finally get around to toiling in them. Want to see why?

I didn't have the heart to take a picture of the whole row of lavender. Just a couple of plants and the sage show here. The penny or field cress is all over the place, along with the false strawberry. They both have root systems that are based in China, I believe. I'll have some serious hard work to do to clear that path. Behind the fence is a mass of some white-flowered bladderwort thing that spreads like crazy too - and some lovely crab-grass.
The lavender is all grosso, and the sage is Bergarten, which has lovely oval shaped leaves. It has a huge amount of essential oil, so little is needed for culinary purposes. It makes the most wonderful wreath base!

Next is the patch that I look out the office window to see every day. The chives are so pretty right now, and the Roman chamomile and rosemary (with a couple blooms right at the top!) are doing well in this weather. This little spot has a good amount of mulch, so I've been able to find these plants and keep them safe so far.
The little rolling wagon has become a haven for the guinea hens. They drink the water from the base on dry days. I leave it there and don't dump out the water. They might also think it is "one of their own". Odd birds, they've taken to teasing the cat through the door. I'm not sure who is more frightened.

This is a group of German chamomile plants (I hope I don't have the two chamomiles confused - it happens) that I rescued from a construction site last year. At the time, they were scrawny little wisps of plants, with roots clinging to gravelly bits of dirt. Now they have sprawled out to cover a 4X6 foot area. They seem pretty happy here, along with the cress, the lamb's quarters, and the poke root. Oh, and some wild mustard and chickweed. Yes, everything just growing a mile a minute...

The vegetable garden-to-be. It's already been planted with beans, peas, beets, squash, turnips, and cucumbers. The tomatoes and peppers will go in shortly. All around the edges, the false strawberry creeps ever closer. At the top of the plot, the weeds are a wild variety of field weeds. All seem to have strong taproots. And all are already going to seed. It's a space about 10' X 100'. This should be quite a challenge. Oh - and see those holes in the dirt? Those are deer tracks. Big ones and tiny little ones. How sweet of the mama doe to teach her baby where the tender little bean sprouts grow. Grrr....

Finally - something that doesn't give me an anxiety attack. Mom's lilacs. These bloom after the white ones in the front fade. They smell heavenly, and grow next to the valerian that will be blooming soon. Right outside the door, when a breeze picks up these scents.... ah... that must be why I love gardening. It isn't because of the need for order, that's for sure :-).

The drawing for the bracelet -

We decided that it wouldn't be any fun to just draw one name. I mean, come on! So there are some review copies of other books, a couple of t-shirts, soaps, lotion bars... ok, 14 prizes all together. I wish we had enough bracelets and could send one to everyone.

So without further ado.....Winner of the bracelet is TARA ARMER!
Congrats, Tara.

Other winners:
82 Sensational Stevia Desserts by Lisa Jobs - Michele Brown
Blue T-Shirt - Gail Odegaard
Terra Cotta T-Shirt - NancyMcQuiggan
Herbal Playing Cards - JoAnne Farrell
Spa Soap Bar - Liana McCoy
Jewelweed/Plantain Soap Bar - Christie Sarles
Antique package of borage - Karen Mallinger
Women's Herbs, Women's Health by Christopher Hobbs & Kathi Keville - Michele Rice
Garden Voices, Stories of Women & Their Gardens by Carolyn Freas Rapp - Susan Hess
Small Sandalwood Fan - Elizabeth Doutre
Lavender Lotion Bar - Jennifer Halliday
Amber Lotion Bar - Rachel Johnson
Garden Buddy Neck Wrap - Elizabeth Lalwani

Congratulations everyone. Thanks for helping to make the debut a rousing and FUN success.

Stacks in the Racks, Piles in the Aisles!

They're HERE!!!

The books got here today and they have taken over the sunporch. This will seem odd to some, but it just never dawned on me when we placed the order that a skidload of books might change the aesthetics of the house. Most of them are stacked in this corner that was cleared yesterday in anticipation.

We hurried to get several boxes unpacked, signed, and into the waiting mailers. We even made it to the post office before they closed. The clerk looked frightened until we assured her that they were all ready, with postage affixed.

A few more boxes will go to the Landis Valley Herb Faire, and then we can settle in to our everyday stuff of getting the next issue together, making soaps and herbal preparations, and gardening. We might even be able to squeeze in a visit to the wildflower preserve!

Ah... I can't wait to get back into the garden. The chamomile that I "rescued" from a construction site last year has sprawled over it's bed and from the office I can see plump white buds ready to spring open. The other day I noticed an abundance of larkspur plants that were returning as volunteers from the beauties that were planted last year. The pink balloon flowers are up, and the chives are ready to bloom. More importantly, the mugwort is getting a firm grip on things, and there is a nasty little strangling vine popping up that snaps at the root when you try to pull it.

Oh! And the peas need something to climb!

I can't help it though... this book is really exciting. It has already had a huge response, and I just can't wait to share it with others and see what they think. If it's any indication, my brother-in-law was reading away earlier this afternoon. That's an enormous endorsement - lol.

This place is just nuts

I've been away from the blog for a while now. This time of year is so busy for all the herb businesses, and we are no exception. On the one hand it is exciting and wild. On the other, we don't get enough rest. There's a lot to talk about though, that's for sure!
First, a couple of my friends have new books out, and they are both really wonderful. I snared the photos from their websites.
Marge Clark (naturesgift.com) put out "Essential Oils and Aromatics". It is full of easy to follow information, complete with ideas for use, recipes and applications. This lady knows her stuff, and has always been very sharing with the information. This is a good one for the beginner or someone who already knows a good bit about essential oils. It is beautiful, too.
Rosanne Tartaro (sunrosearomatics.com) came out with "Chakra Balancing". This little book is crammed full of information, explaining the chakras and how they function, along with corresponding color, stones, and oils.

Then last week the farm market opened in Mount Joy. We had a pretty good time. Maryanne's son Rob is learning the ropes so he and Molly can take over while we do other shows and things on occasion. Molly is in the midst of SAT's, ACT's, and AP tests, so she was tied up. We took along my current friend "flat Stanley". One of our writers (and dear friend) Geri Burgert has a son whose class read about this character. Each kid in the class sent flat Stanley to someone in another part of the country, and we will all take photos and write a story about our adventures with flat Stanley. It is sometimes a struggle for my fertile mind to keep this a kid-friendly story... but I will. I promise.

We are currently waiting breathlessly for the truck to roll up with a skid of the new book "Under the Sun". Pre-order envelopes are stacked, addressed and waiting to be stuffed with signed copies.
We'll be taking them "on the road" this weekend at the Landis Valley Herb Faire here in Lancaster. As always, our favorite faire in the spring, it seemed like the perfect place to debut the book in person. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by!

End of April on the hill

The beautiful stuff outside is changing every single day. I can scarcely manage to see it all. Just feeling the sun and gazing at the array of greens (how many shades can there be?) is invigorating and exciting. This time of year is just so amazing and inspiring! It took a while to get the proofs completed for Under the Sun, and we still have a good week or two until the next deadline for The Essential Herbal comes up, so I am enjoying this time.
AND the Mount Joy Farmers Market opens on the third, AND the Landis Valley Herb Faire is the following week... so one gathers ones rosebuds while one may :-).
These tulips were planted by my mother. Every spring when they come up, they remind me of lipstick. I'm not a make-up-wearing kind of gal, but this particular color may one day change my mind about that. These bulbs have managed to escape the voracious appetites of the resident groundhogs (with whom I am currently doing battle, using fresh mountain mint and the essential oil of peppermint), unlike some of the daffodils, hyacinths, and the entire plants of the delphiniums. In the next shot you can make out the fence I've erected for this year's attempt to protect my berries from the blasted beasts.

Here you see the view from the deck, looking down over the valley, and the red soap and jewelry studio. You might be able to make out the posts from the new fence which houses the new baby pygmy goats that have made themselves at home, clinging to the craggy bank among the 20 or so (hopefully safe) rugosa rosebushes. At the very far left edge of the picture, there are trees blossoming in pink. They are the new hazelnut trees, and interspersed between them are the bayberry bushes. That is the path I walk to work with my sister on most days. Soon the hillsides surrounding those plants will be ablaze with poppies, echinacea, yarrow, and cornflowers, along with many other wildflowers whose names I can't remember right this minute.
The white lilac outside my bedroom window is in bloom, and the scent wafts into the room when the windows are open. It is a large bush, and the branches are covered with gorgeous, fragrant blossoms. Soon the vitex situated next to the lilac will bush out, but it will take a few months for the spectacular periwinkle flowers to form.

It's been a busy couple of weeks here, and you can tell by my lack of posts.
My friend Geri Burgert's son sent me "Flat Stanley", a cut-out character from a children's book, and Stan and I have been out having some fun adventures too. Maybe I'll post his travel story when it's done, although I must admit that my imagination is running wild. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for young children.
On another note, I received my copy of Marge Clark's new book - Essential Oils and Aromatics (available at Naturesgift.com). This is really a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in learning more about essential oils and responsible ways to use them for hearth, home, and health. Lots of information, a good number of recipes, and how-tos, all wrapped up in a gorgeous hard-bound book.
Off to enjoy some more spring!

The Essential Herbal gets a review :-) etc.

We were reviewed on this blog and it was so nice, I wanted to share it. Rachel has been a long-time subscriber, and has sent recipes and articles on occasion. Stop over and read what she has to say!

Yesterday Maryanne and I were at the Health Fair in Hanover. Our friend Marty Webster was one of the organizers, and although first year fairs are notorious stinkers, we wanted to go set up, be supportive... see what was shaking.

When I look back on my life someday, this will be another one of those 36 - 48 hour "we must be crazy" dream sequences. The short version was finishing the cover and getting the book to the printer... putting together the Friday night family dinner... searching the fields for spearmint under the moonlit skies (for a distillation demo yesterday)... putting together a talk on index cards....short sleep... pack the car... set up booth... set up still and get her cooking... give talk... sell stuff... pack up car... come home to hungry family... unload the car... feed said family... crash.
In between there were lots of emails and phone calls and normal everyday stuff.

The fair itself was very successful for a first time event. There was a good line waiting to get in at opening time, and the line-up of speakers kept most people there all day long. The Wild Foods for Every Table book was a huge hit, and I got some pre-release sales for Under the Sun. A bonus was coming home to find that the website had been busy working while I was gone :-). I wish I had taken Molly along because Marty brought her French foreign exchange student (Matilde) of approximately the same age. I suspect the two of them would have had a great time together and could have learned some language from each other.

Today I plan on finding some order here in the office. Lots of unanswered emails await, piles of paperwork, and (sigh) laundry are beginning to make me a little freaked out. A couple of good solid hours of work should set everything back into position.

Thankfully the past few days of exquisite spring weather have given way to clouds and a chill, so that temptation isn't quite as strong.

The Essential Herbal - Under the Sun!!!

After 6 months of editing, the next book is finally off to the printer. I am not sure I could be any more excited! Read on to find out how you can take advantage of my slightly altered state :-).

We are in the 7th year of publication here at The Essential Herbal Magazine. The first several years were filled with wonderful stuff, but the audience was very limited. Most of those issues sold out long ago. So we took the 15 spring and summer issues from those 5 years (Mar/Apr, May/June, and July/Aug), and put them together into a truly fabulous book. Over 200 pages, sized 8.5 x 11, filled with all the things readers have come to expect from The Essential Herbal. Internal pages are b&w, and it will be paperback bound.

We reworked some of the early stuff, combined things into reasonable chapters - like "The Stillroom", "The Kitchen", "Just Weeds", and "Herbal First Aid", and added a few surprises. There are articles on gardening, favorite backyard remedies, wild eats, and tons of crafting ideas.

The book will begin shipping on May 12. Between now and May 7th, we'll run a special on the shopping cart. Pre-order now, and instead of the regular price of $24.95 (plus $3.00 for shipping), the book will be just $20!

Hurry and take a 20% discount.

The Essential Herbal - May/June 2008

The next issue is starting to reach subscribers, so it's about time I get it posted! If you aren't familiar with The Essential Herbal, click on the link on the sidebar to download a free issue from last year. It will give you a good idea of what we do around here.
The new issue was such a pleasure to put together. It's always so much fun to see what comes in, but the spring issues are so exciting! Additionally, I got to interview my friends at The Rosemary House to celebrate their 40 YEARS in business.
It started as just an easy idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how instrumental the Repperts are and have been to the herb community as a whole. It was a great honor to include this interview, just as it has been an honor to consider Susanna and Nancy friends along with the entire Reppert/Brill clan.
Their mother was Bertha Reppert, a strong and energetic woman with the ability to impress an enormous group of people to embrace herbs and to share that love of plants. She influenced people all over the world, and in my part of the world she influenced how herb businesses interact. The PA herb businesses that have become old friends are open with their knowledge, sharing, and helpful towards each other. That was Bertha's doing, and her daughters continue that attitude. We are very lucky to have that here, and I expect that it reaches far beyond my scope of friends. If you haven't come across Bertha's books, you are missing a treat! Visit The Rosemary House on-line and take a gander.

But of course, that's not all... Here's the table of contents for the newest issue:

Wordfind Puzzle - Into the Garden
Field Notes from the Editor
Suburban Herbie - The New Garden, Geri Burgert
All in the Family - 40 Years in Herbs, Tina Sams
Healthy Garlic, Joe Smulevitz
Down on the Farm - Springing into the Growing Season, Michele Brown & Pat Stewart
List Article - First Herbal Experience
SouthRidge Treasures - Brightening Foods with Edible Flowers, Mary Ellen Wilcox
The Soap Pot - Lemon & Mint Soaps, Alicia Grosso
Getting Ready for Summer, Herbal First Aid & Travel Kit, Betsy May
Much Ado About Nothings, Sue-Ryn Burns
Never Enough Thyme - The Herb of Angels, Susanna Reppert Brill
With Seeds of Intention, Marita A. Orr
Louisiana Lagniappe - Microwave Lemon Curd, Sarah Liberta
Al Fresco Dining - Sensational Summer Salads, Susan Evans
Nettles, Kristena Roder

See? Lots of really great stuff! And yes, we did have to add 4 pages again. Someday I'll get a grip on how to whittle it down to the regular (hah!) 32 pages again.