Garden beauty?

[sewer rat]

Hi Bibliobeck
Checked through my mags this evening but couldn't come up trumps for you - sorry. However, have had a look on google, and if you type "growing a loofah UK" into the search engine, there are loads of sites that come up offering advice.

[yoanbob]

mmm shame about the insurance thing, would be good to swap lotion recipes. if i give anything away i just put camomile and lavender as both are "relitivly" safe. and not too strong. i find a big sprig of rosemary in the bath peps me up no end, but i'm not an expert, and a little knowledge can be dangerous.

[Bibliobeck]

Absolutely - I totally understand about the medical side of this. Shame though I would have liked advice from those more experienced than me. Thanks for looking for that rat - I'll be googling and goggling at those sites later. Hopefully I'll be posting pics galore of dried loofahs this time next year

[yoanbob]

if you find it biblio could you post it, you've started me thinking.

[dexterdoglancashire]

BB you've got to tell me, how the heck do you GROW loofas? dexterdog

[Bibliobeck]

I won't pretend I know much about it being the novice that I am, but loofahs are just a type of gourd. They need to be grown in the greenhouse I believe because they are native to hot countries. I found this while googling...

http://www.floridata.com/ref/L/luff_aeg.cfm

Found a couple of places online selling seeds so I'm definitely going to give it a go next year - think I'll start as early as poss because of the long growing season. I like the fact they grow 'like weeds' - I'm good at that in my garden

If you make your own soap you can attach a slice to the bottom - good for scrubbing gardening hands

[Earthbabe]

I like the sound of that bibliobeck. May well join in with the loofah growing.

Re the soaps etc. you can probably still make stuff for presents, there is a lot of info on the Aromantc site but if you have any specific queries you can PM or e-mail me.

Other books to have a look at (probably in your local library) Patricia Davis: Aromatherapy An A-z and Julia Lawless - The Encyclopaedia of Essential oils. Both should be easily available.

Have fun

[Bibliobeck]

Thanks Earthbabe - have PM-ed you with some queries!

[martini]

Hi Bibliobeck
First of all I hope GYO don't shoot me as a traitor Was in Asda the other day and while the OH was looking for TV Times I thumbed thru a rival mag - there's an article in it about making things from flowers. Didn't get time to read it all but my eye caught the bit about making calendula cream/ointment from pot marigolds. A long time ago (after giving birth) I found the shop bought version of this very good - won't go into details on how I think it's also an ingredient of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream (about £15 a tube!) which is great for sore skin.

[Earthbabe]

Calendula

Yes martini calendula is super for skin care. To make an easy cream/ointment stuff a jar with flower heads and pour in sunflower/grapeseed/peach kernel oil. If you are really flush use jojoba it's the nearest you can get to the skin's natural oils. Leave on a sunny windowsill for two to three weeks turning occasionally. Strain/filter. You should have an orange oil. Warm a small amount gently in a pan and add approx 5g beeswax to every 30mls. Put in a clean, sterile jar. If you like a softer ointment use less beeswax. If harder, more. You can add essential oils once it is cooling. Use a good book for guidance (see above) on what to use and how much. Remember less is more with essential oils. Leave to cool. Should keep up to 6 months if it lasts that long.

[nick the grief]

Amazing that as the mediaval peasants used to mix it with animal fat & beeswax for an ointment & it was free

[dexterdoglancashire]

Oooh! martini how could you? dexeterdog