Grow your own Soap - Saponaria

[veggiechicken]

Has anyone grown Saponaria officinalis/Soapwort/Bouncing Bet and used it to make liquid soap?
Plus points - easy to grow, attractive to butterflies, flowers for cutting
Negatives - invasive once established, toxic to fish so keep away from ponds.
http://www.wildfibres.co.uk/html/soapwort.html

I feel a challenge coming on.

[SarrissUK]

I've heard of it, and that's as far as it goes

[veggiechicken]

I've grown it as flower, years ago. Don't remember much about it though!!

[Chrissyteacup]

I make soap... the hard sort not the liquid sort so then that’s absolutly irrelevant... shuffles off...

[nickdub]

The soapwort plant is a tough old thing - I found some growing here when I first moved in and its still knocking around alongside the path that goes from the lawn up to the area towards the road where most of my fruit trees are planted. It has double pink flowers on it every year - I believe it's the type some people call "bouncing Betty" - easy enough to mow out of grassed areas but you do have to be ruthless with it if it tries to invade a flower border. Once its established no amount of drought would seem to kill it so it might pull its weight as an ornamental for anyone who has a scorching hot dry bank they want some flowers on.

Never tried making soap from it - too lazy.

[Ocelot]

I've got loads of Saponaria Officinalis in the garden - it spreads like mint and lemon balm. Never tried making soap out of it though, although I know they used to.

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to try growing Luffa this year as well . Then I'll have a DIY shower kit.

[happyhumph]

I've been looking at the luffa as well - costs loads to buy in local no packaging shop! Let us know how soap making goes - I've fancied trying it for a while now....

[veggiechicken]

You'd better not wait for me - I haven't bought any seeds yet!
Get some yourself and join me.