Is Herbal Academy Worth It? + Lavender Oat Scrub Recipe [Review]

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Herbal Academy Botanical Skincare Course

This fall, Herbal Academy generously gifted me the opportunity to become a student and experience their Botanical Skincare Course. I have been passionate about using natural products in my skincare routine for many years now, and this was the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into learning all about making my own DIY skincare products using natural ingredients.

What does the Herbal Academy Botanical Skincare course include?

The Botanical Skincare Course from Herbal Academy has everything you need to begin making your own natural skincare products at home. The course is separated into three units - unit one covers the anatomy and functions of the skin, providing a detailed but understandable scientific overview of exactly what and how our skin works. Some of this information will probably be common knowledge, but I found the included illustrations, charts and graphs extremely helpful.

Unit two covers skincare from the inside, offering a comprehensive holistic approach to skincare that went further than I expected a skincare course to go. But this is exactly what makes the Herbal Academy courses so special - rather than just throwing a bunch of great recipes your way and leaving you to fend for yourself, this unit really cements the importance of whole body care and all the ways that how we eat and live impact our skin health, with great tips for aiding digestion as well.

This unit also covered alternative wellness practices from other cultures including ayurveda and chinese medicine - these are of less interest to me personally, as I try to align my herbalism with my own celtic culture and avoid appropriating other cultures in my practice. I found it off-putting that the module on Chinese medicine in particular did not take the opportunity to feature an instructor from the Chinese community in the lesson - while the white male instructor seems to be very knowledgeable and qualified, I would have loved to see better cultural representation in this unit.

Unit three covers skincare recipe formulation and more of the technical creation of actual recipes. To be honest, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much the course included - for how small of an investment this course is, I would have been happy with just the content in unit three, so the other two units really felt like a huge bonus. You have access to the online coursework for one year after you activate it, but each unit offers the option to download a PDF version of all the content within the course to access indefinitely. The downloadable PDFs alone are over 600 pages of course material, so this one will keep you busy for a good long time!

Is the Botanical Skincare Course for beginners?

This course would be great for herbalists of all levels who are looking to expand their knowledge and explore natural skincare product creation. There is a good mix of basic to intermediate content.

Is Herbal Academy Worth It?

Yes, I feel Herbal Academy is definitely worth the investment. You can click here to enroll in the course. You’ll have the option to purchase the companion book alongside the course - I highly recommend you do so, as the book alone is packed with recipes that you’ll want to try during and after completing the course.

Since lavender is one of my favorite plants to grow and to work with, I decided to make the lavender oat scrub from the companion book that goes along with the course. You can purchase this book separately from the course, but together with the course you are able to really dive deep into the methods and skills needed to make your own non-toxic skincare products.

What Are the Benefits of Using Lavender on Your Skin?

Aside from its lovely scent, lavender’s anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties make it an incredibly useful plant for our skin.

It can soothe and calm skin, help fight acne, and even help heal minor cuts and burns. It is useful for rashes and skin irritations caused by medical conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. Some studies have shown that the antioxidants in lavender may even help to reduce wrinkles.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil has a long history as a medicinal treatment. It is important to make the distinction between lavender oil and lavender essential oil. Lavender oil is purely a scent, while lavender essential oil is what we want for medicinal or herbal usage.

Lavender essential oil is made by steaming dried lavender flowers. The heat of the steam releases the oils from the blooms.

Uses for Lavender Essential Oil

Aside from home uses, studies have proven that lavender essential oil can increase the effect of antiseptics commonly used to combat staph infections for patients who are having surgery.

At home, the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties of lavender essential oil can help cuts and burns heal faster and fight infection. It is very soothing for sunburn and insect bites, as well.

As an antifungal and anti-inflammatory, lavender essential oil can reduce the inflammation caused by eczema and help treat psoriasis, while helping to balance your skin’s moisture barrier.

One unexpected use for lavender essential oil is to prevent and treat acne. It may seem that adding oil to oily skin would be counter-effective, but lavender essential oil can help regulate your skin's oil production.

A common treatment for acne is to use a stripping product to remove oils from your skin. What happens when you do this is that your skin becomes too dry, and tries to compensate for that by making more oil. Pores become clogged, and combined with acne bacteria, you have the perfect environment for pimples.

Like these products, lavender essential oil can kill off the bacteria, but without drying out your skin and continuing the cycle of oil production. It is non-comedogenic, so it doesn’t clog your pores, and its anti-inflammatory properties help soothe any acne you do have.

Lavender essential oil is also useful as a hair product. Its antibacterial and antiseptic properties protect your scalp against bacteria, and it can help with dry scalp and dandruff. As a bonus, it is also believed to boost hair growth.

How to Use Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil should not be applied directly to your skin, because it may cause irritation.

For use as a skin cream, add it to your regular moisturizer or combine it with a carrier oil to create your own serum. Jojoba is a good carrier oil for most skin types. For dry skin, argan oil is very moisturizing, while for sensitive skin it might be best to go with rosehip oil.

To use your serum, apply 2-3 drops to problem areas.

To use lavender essential oil for acne, dilute it with carrier oil and apply it to your skin after washing your face.

You can also make a skin toner by mixing 2 or 3 drops of lavender essential oil with 1 teaspoon of witch hazel. Gently apply it to your face with a soft cloth or cotton ball.

To use lavender essential oil for dandruff, dilute the oil and scrub it into your scalp. You can wash it out after 10 minute or wrap your head in a towel and keep it on overnight.

For sunburn, combine lavender essential oil with aloe vera.

What Are the Benefits of Using Oatmeal on Your Skin?

Besides being a powerhouse of nutrition for our bodies, oatmeal is a great choice to use on our skin. People have used oats for centuries to treat rashes, eczema, and itchiness.

Oats are all natural, suitable for all skin types, inexpensive, and easy to acquire. Their amino acids, antioxidants, and fatty acids are all beneficial to our skin.

Using oatmeal on your skin can help it to maintain just the right pH, which is especially helpful for sensitive skin, and also provides your skin with vitamin E, which helps to retain moisture.

Oats work very well as an exfoliator, gently removing the dry outer layers of skin and working to remove the dirt and oil beneath, leaving your skin smooth and glowing. If used on the scalp, oatmeal can help to reduce dandruff.

Because it helps clear your pores, oatmeal is an effective option for helping to treat acne breakouts and reduce the redness they cause.

The starches in oatmeal help maintain your skin’s moisture barrier by attracting water to the skin, and the saponins have soap-like properties that make it an effective skin-cleanser. They were used for that purpose as far back as ancient Rome.

An oatmeal bath is a cooling way to calm skin inflamed by chicken pox or shingles, and its anti-inflammatory properties help to soothe itchiness. Along with itchiness, an oatmeal bath can also be helpful for sunburn, eczema, and psoriasis.

How to Use Oats for Your Skin

To use as a body cleanser, make lavender oat scrub from the recipe below.

For dry skin, use colloidal oats mixed with a bit of rose water. Colloidal oats are a finely-ground oat product. You can make your own by pulverizing or grinding oats yourself. Let it sit on your skin for 5-10 minutes, then rinse.

You can make a face mask with 2 parts oatmeal, 1 part honey, and a bit of rose oil. Leave the mixture on your skin for 10 minutes, then rinse.

To make an oatmeal bath, use water that is not too hot. (Heat can irritate skin.) Pour a cup of colloidal oatmeal under the faucet as it runs. If you don’t have colloidal oatmeal, you can put oats into a sock, tie it up, place it in the water, and swirl it around until the water looks milky.

If you are ready to give oats a try on your hair, mix finely-ground oats with your shampoo and wash as normal.

Lavender Oat Scrub Recipe

Lavender oat scrub is the perfect way to combine the benefits of the lavender and the oatmeal. It can be used as an all-over body scrub to exfoliate and moisturize your skin.

DIY Lavender Scrub

It is quite easy to make lavender oat scrub, which makes it a nice way to try your hand at herbal remedies, if you never have.

Mix some up for yourself, or gift a friend with their very own lavender oat scrub!

The recipe below is from Herbal Academy’s Botanical Skincare Recipe Book. The book is a great resource, with 194 all-natural recipes for body care products from an herbalist perspective. Click here to purchase it alongside the companion course for a fully immersive experience.

What You Need to Make Lavender Oat Scrub

1/4 cup oats

4 tsp sugar

2 tsp lavender buds

¼ cup jojoba oil

Lavender Oat Scrub Recipe

Directions:

Grind the oats, sugar, and lavender into a powder. (You can use a food processor, blender, spice grinder, or mortar & pestle.)

Combine the powder with the oil and stir well.

Using Lavender Oat Scrub

To use your lavender oat scrub, apply it to your skin and scrub in a circular motion.

Rinse off with luke-warm water and pat your skin dry.

Note: This body scrub can make your tub slippery, so be sure to wipe it down afterwards.

Click here to start your herbalism journey with Herbal Academy!

Homemade Gifts For Everyone on Your List

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Most everyone loves a handmade gift, and in these times of over-consumption it is more important than ever to be mindful in your gift giving this holiday season.

Holiday waste is a huge problem, both for our budgets and the environment. Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash. Think about it - how many trash bags have you probably filled with just wrapping paper in your life? A lot of it can’t be recycled or composted even if we wanted to because it uses shiny plastic coatings or glitter that won’t break down. This is an issue that we can easily avoid by simply changing some habits and using fabric or kraft paper wrapping instead. The plus side is fabric wrapping can be reused year after year and kraft paper is totally recyclable and compostable.

That number doesn’t even include all of the wasted packaging and wrapping materials that end up in landfills. Each year Americans alone use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper valued at over seven billion dollars. Fifty percent of that wrapping paper ends up in a landfill. That's 2.3 million pounds of used wrapping paper clogging up landfills.

I know I’m not the only one who struggles after the holidays are over to try and absorb all my presents into our home and our lives. As much as I’m grateful for the thought, and know that I am privileged to be loved by so many people who want to express that love through gifts, it is a challenge when the gifts themselves don’t fit into my life. A handmade gift, however, will always bring me joy and be a useful addition to my home.

And who really enjoys the stress of holiday shopping? Dealing with shipping delays or crowded shopping centers isn’t my idea of a good time.

You can even take it one step further and choose to do experience gifts instead - this can be anything from paint night to skydiving, a museum membership, massage or a baking class. Experience gifts allow you to deepen your bond with the gift recipient and create lasting memories that you can look back on for years to come. 

Whether you’re looking for DIY Christmas gift ideas, Chanukah gift ideas, zero-waste gift ideas, food gift ideas, or just the best homemade gift ideas out there for anyone on your list, you’ve come to the right place.

50 DIY gift ideas for everyone on your list

1. Candles - Making candles is as simple as melting wax, adding scent if desired, and setting a wick into the wax before it hardens. Throughout the year, collect containers suitable for candles. This could include jars or tins, things you bought food in or found at a thrift store. Candle Science is a great source for purchasing candle-making supplies. I like to use their Golden Bran 464 soy wax when I make candles. 
   
   

2. Coasters: You can make coasters out of tiles or slices of wood. For instructions on making tile coasters with Mod Podge and paper, check out It All Started With Paint
   
   

3. Vanilla: To make homemade vanilla, simply slice vanilla beans down the middle and let them sit in vodka for a month. Distill into a pretty jar and tie a ribbon around the top.
   
   

4. Ornaments: You can make ornaments by doing small embroideries and framing them with mini embroidery hoops like these circles or these oval ones. Other ideas for ornaments are painting wood discs, or using colored air dry clay. 
   
   

5. Calendula balm: Use homemade calendula oil to create a balm. Package it in an attractive tin.
   
   

6. Playlist: In the old days, making a mix tape for someone was a big deal, and the same is true these days of making a playlist. Take time to choose meaningful songs, and the recipient will feel the love.
   
   

7. Wreath: With a wreath form, some floral tape, and dried flowers, you can put together a beautiful wreath for any season.
   
   

8. Tea: Make your own teabags using cloth drawstring sachets and homegrown or purchased dried herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs is my first choice when buying herbs. If disposable tea bags aren’t for you, mix your desired herbs and gift them in a Ball mason jar with a pretty reusable lid. 
   
   

9. Cookies: Who doesn’t want to get cookies? No one, that’s who. Package them in a compostable paper box or a reusable tin.
   
   

10. Plants: Take cuttings from your own houseplants, root, and pot up in a bowl, cup, or pot from the thrift store.
    
    

11. Cloth napkins: Use fabric scraps or repurposed fabrics to create cloth napkins
    
    

12. Beeswax wraps: Mountain Rose Herbs has instructions for how to make the very best beeswax wraps.
    
    

13. Rope baskets: Check out Happiness is Homemade for step-by-step instructions on making rope baskets, without sewing a stitch.
    
    

14. Hand warmers: Simply sew two pieces of fabric together to form the shape you want, then fill it with rice to make hand warmers that can be heated in the microwave.
    
    

15. Sugar scrub: Mix ½ cup coconut oil with ¼ cup sugar for a simple sugar scrub. Package it in a glass jar, like these from Mountain Rose Herbs.
    
    

16. Jelly: Homemade preserves are always appreciated! Get your Christmas gift-making done in summer and have more time for fun in December.
    
    

17. Granola: Follow my recipe for homemade granola.
    
    

18. Peanut brittle: Peanut brittle can be made in the microwave, making it a great gift idea to do with kids.
    
    

19. Write a story or poem: Give a little piece of yourself by writing something just for them.
    
    

20. Bind a journal: Binding paper can be done by beginners. Check out Skill Share for instructions. 
    
    

21. Knit a mug cozy: Ravelry hosts endless options of styles that are free to download.
    
    

22. Homemade game: Make a homemade board game. Think creatively – pretty pebbles make good pieces to move around the board, and sturdy cardboard can be used for the board itself.
    
    

23. Pendant: Make a pendant with polymer clay, and hang it on a pretty ribbon.
    
    

24. Macramé: A macramé hanging plant holder is a classic, and doesn’t need to be too complicated. Check out Sarah Maker’s simple tutorial.

25. Affirmation cards: Everyone could use some good thoughts to brighten their days. Use colored, blank index cards or pretty bits of decorative paper to share some.
    
    

26. Marbled greeting cards: Marbling paper is simple, fun, and only slightly messy.
    
    

27. Soap: You can make cold processed soap using lye, or create bars of soap with the melt and pour method, which uses a premade soap base.
    
    

28. Bookmarks: Use decorative or marbled paper and add ribbons, tassels, or other pretty bits and bobs.
    
    

29. Keychains:  Drill a hole in a good-looking, small rock or a sanded tree branch to make your own keychains.
    
    

30. Scrunchie: Scrunchies are a great beginner sewing project.
    
    

31. Stenciled tote bag: A simple white tote, some paints, a stencil and a sponge are all that’s needed to make a custom tote bag.
    
    

32. Ring bowl:  Make a small ring bowl using white air dry clay. Once it’s dry, paint it however you’d like.
    
    

33. Decorated glass: Use glass markers to decorate vases, glasses, or bowls.
    
    

34. Walking stick: Search out a stick of the right length, with a bit of a curve on one end. Sand until smooth and apply mineral oil.
    
    

35. Washi tape headbands: Check out The Crafting Chicks for instructions to make washi tape headbands. 
    
    

36. Bath tea: For a relaxing gift, make Pumpkin and Princess’ bath tea.
    
    

37. No-sew flannel scarf: This no-sew flannel scarf is simple enough for anyone to make.
    
    

38. Lavender eye pillow: Sew two pieces of fabric together and fill with lavender buds for a soothing, sleepiness inducing eye pillow.
    
    

39. Seeds: Save seeds from your summer garden and package in homemade paper envelopes. 
    
    

40. Pressed flower tray: Use craft glue to carefully apply your pressed flowers to a wooden tray. Arrange them in the way you’d like, then pick each flower up one at a time, brush it with glue, and put it back in position. When everything is placed, use Mod Podge to give it a clear finish.
    
    

41. Terrarium: Use a glass container and small plants and mosses to create a terrarium.
    
    

42. Recipes: Create a box of hand-written recipes to share.
    
    

43. Mittens: Use felted sweaters to make mittens by cutting to shape and sewing.
    
    

44. Chocolate covered spoons: Make delicious chocolate-covered spoons using this Betty Crocker recipe
    
    

45. Peppermint bark: All you need for this project is chocolate melted in the microwave and crushed up candy canes. Spread the melted chocolate on parchment paper and sprinkle with candy.
    
    

46. Butter: Impress someone with homemade butter. No one needs to know all you had to do was use a mixer to beat cream and add a little salt.
    
    

47. Decoupage soap: Count on Mod Podge to think of every possible item that can be decoupaged! 
    
    

48. Hot chocolate bomb:  Throw some chocolate their way with this recipe from One Good Thing.
    
    

49. Jersey knit bracelet: This is a neat way to repurpose t-shirts
    
    

50. Chalkboard coffee mug: Martha Stewart has a very simple idea for adding some individuality to a coffee mug.

What’s in my apothecary cabinet

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Why Keep an Apothecary?

Here’s the thing about an old jam cabinet full of dried plants: it may not seem like much, it may not even seem necessary, but for me it is essential, and here’s why:

An apothecary is a source of comfort: The herbs within an apothecary provide relief and warmth and the sense of being well cared for.

An apothecary heals: Maybe not best suited for your worst ailments, but a steady hand you can look to. A cup of calming chamomile tea for when you can’t sleep, calendula tea for inflammation and nerves, mint tea when you need a quick pick me up, and red raspberry leaf tea for cramps and more. 

An apothecary increases your independence: In times when essential supplies may run short, as happens with pandemics and supply chain issues, having a stocked apothecary provides a backup. Stored correctly, these dried plants are rich in essential vitamins needed for survival. 

The Healing Powers of Tea + Tisanes

What is the difference between tea and tisane? Tea comes from one specific plant, the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea is always caffeinated. Technically speaking, any other herbal plant matter steeped in hot water is a tisane. However, most of us use the word tea interchangeably, so that is how I will refer to all my herbal teas and tisanes here. While herbs can be used to make poultices, tinctures, and creams, their most common use today is as an ingredient for tea.

There is a medicinal tea for just about every common ailment, from headaches to fever, acne to stomach upset. Along with its medicine, tea offers us comfort, companionship, and ritual.

Cups of tea in the morning calm stiff and aching joints, wake up your groggy mind and bring comfort after a long night tossing and turning. 

Cups of tea in the afternoon, when mom stops by and you talk about whether or not the world is ending, bring you back to the here and now and away from worrying about the what-ifs and the should-haves and the would-have-beens.

Cups of tea after dinner wash away the endless news articles and likes and comments and to-do lists and the never good enough feelings and the Sunday scaries and the imposter syndrome and the pandemic and the climate crisis and the political climate and the war, war, war.

Cups of tea in winter warm your hands and lift your spirits, both essential in the stretch of long, dark days.

Cups of tea filled with petals dried in last year’s garden sun, cups of tea to mend you and energize you and bring you closer together.

It’s never just a cup of tea.

Have you ever made your own tea blends?

Maybe you’re used to getting your tea in individual sachets from the grocery store. The idea of loose leaf teas sounds like something that only real tea connoisseurs would do.

But did you know that most of those little pre-packaged tea bags actually contain plastic?
You can’t even throw them in your compost because they won’t break down properly due to the plastic. And the heat from the water can release harmful compounds from the plastic tea bags into your cup.

This is true even of many “organic” tea brands that are available. Many tea companies will refuse to even tell you what materials are used in their tea bags, which is doubly concerning. If you can’t compost them, they’ll just end up polluting the landfills and taking decades to break down.

Making your own tea blends from scratch doesn’t need to be intimidating or difficult. You can start with the most basic ingredients and work your way up from there. Since I have a more extensive herbal library, I’ll be talking about my apothecary in depth - but don’t be afraid to start small at first.

The benefits of loose leaf tea are many - they are medicinal, and generally available in higher quality than pre-blended teas.

Once you get the hang of making your own tea blends, you can even mix up batches to give as handmade gifts for friends and family. Just pour your tea into a nice jar or other container and add a simple ribbon for a zero-waste gift that everyone will love.

Are Plants Good Medicine?

The use of herbs, berries, and spices as medicine and comfort goes back tens of thousands of years. Women gathered plants, experimented with them, and treated all manner of health conditions. They passed this wisdom from generation to generation, sometimes orally, and sometimes in the form of recipe books. 

While male physicians did, at points, take an interest, conduct studies, and publish papers on the use of plants as medicine (without mentioning women or allowing them to become doctors themselves), somewhere along the way, this once-vital knowledge was stripped of its importance, as the work of women so often is.

Luckily,  this information didn’t completely disappear. Women continued to teach their daughters. History (her story, to be more precise) was studied and old wisdoms brought together in books and finally to the internet, where it is available to educate any budding herbalist.

An Invitation for Ease

Close your eyes and picture this. You're standing in the kitchen of an old farmhouse with wooden windows and creaky floorboards underfoot.

The fire is crackling nearby, and the scent of woodsmoke lightly punctuates the stillness and chill of winter.

You wash the our your teapot in the sink and listen for signs of life outside your window. All is calm and silent as the first snowflakes begin to land on the earth outside and the ground is coated in a hard layer of permafrost.

The work you set out to do is done, and you are tucked away at home with the rest of the afternoon stretching out before you.

This is your invitation to find ease in your day. Pour yourself a cup of tea, and put your feet up for a while.

The Best Way To Learn Herbalism

If you’re ready to begin your herbalism journey I highly recommend enrolling as a student in one of the many online courses at Herbal Academy. Their fully digital classroom offers professional guidance in an easy to navigate format that is welcoming of students of all levels and backgrounds. Click here to learn more

learning herbalism: book recomendations

I can’t attest to any of these books personally since I exclusively utilize Herbal Academy’s blog, courses and textbooks for my own education, but they are popular within the herbalism community and may be a good place to begin your learning journey. Click the images below to shop.

What Herbs should you have in your apothecary?

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some common plants I would start with when first building your apothecary:

• Chamomile - for anxiety and stress, a cup of chamomile tea will quickly calm your nerves. Roman chamomile (the variety you want for tea) grows very easily from seed and each plant produces a large number of flowers. 

• Peppermint - for bloating, gas, and some abdominal pain, mint tea also has a soothing aroma. Mints grow so well you’ll want to plant peppermint in a place you’re happy to let it spread, or in a container.

• Ginger - a powerhouse with antimicrobial properties and a huge range of health benefits. Combined with peppermint, it makes the perfect tea for any upset stomach. Ginger grows from pieces of the root, and prefers shade. In warm climates it can be outdoors year-round, but in cooler climates it should be grown in a pot and brought inside for the winter.

• Red clover - used for menopausal symptoms, arthritis, psoriasis, and respiratory problems such as bronchitis. Red clover is thought by some to be a weed, but it can be used as a lawn replacement, a nitrogen-fixing cover crop, or groundcover.

• Dandelion - used to stimulate digestion and calm hot flashes, among other things. Dandelions are, of course, happy to plant themselves for you!

• Lemon balm - calming, and is used for headaches, cold treatment, and digestive issues. It has a lemony aroma and is a tasty addition to any tea. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family, and like its relatives will be happy to take over your garden. It spreads mostly by seed, so cutting it back before seeds form will keep it in check.

• Calendula - antifungal and antimicrobial. Helps prevent infection and heal injuries to body tissues. Calendula is also known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components, which might help to fight cancer, protect against heart disease, and ease muscle fatigue.

• Echinacea - an immune-boosting herb that may help your immune system fight off incoming viruses or infection. Studies have confirmed that echinacea can shorten the duration of the common cold, lessen the severity of its symptoms or even prevent it.

• Red Raspberry Leaf - excellent source of potassium. Red raspberry leaf contains useful antioxidants including vitamin E, tannins, and flavonoids. Can provide support during all phases of the menstrual cycle.

• Yarrow - reduces inflammation, acts as an antispasmodic useful in treating Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)

• Oregano - if you can only start with one herb, let it be oregano. This powerful plant has antibacterial properties, anti-inflammatory properties, may protect against cancer, diabetes and depression. I have personally cured an ear infection with a simple routine of one drop of oregano oil in the affected ear two to three times per day.

• Lavender - my personal favorite. A popular nervine, lavender has deeply calming properties much like chamomile.

You can find most or all of these herbs available for sale here!

HOW TO STORE DRIED HERBS

Storing dried medicinal herbs in your apothecary doesn’t need to be complicated. As a general rule you should store herbs in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, inside of airtight glass jars. These Mason jars are my favorite for storing herbs. The jars seen in the images in this post are antique, so you’ll need to hunt them down at the thrift stores!

Why should you store herbs out of direct sunlight?

Herbs are pretty delicate once dried, and in order to protect the active compounds within each plant that give them their healing qualities it is important to protect them from the elements. UV light from the sun can quickly break down the compounds within your dried herbs that make them so useful.

Why shouldn’t you store herbs in plastic?

There is the possibility that herbs stored in plastic can absorb some of the toxic chemicals present in the plastic itself over long term storage.

Handmade Zero Waste Tea Gift Idea

Most everyone loves a handmade gift, and in these times of over-consumption it is more important than ever to be mindful in your gift giving this holiday season. Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash. That waste doesn’t even include all of the packaging and wrapping materials that end up in landfills. Each year Americans alone use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper valued at over seven billion dollars. Fifty percent of that wrapping paper ends up in a landfill. That's 2.3 million pounds of used wrapping paper clogging up landfills.

A handmade gift of tea is a thoughtful way to show someone that you care and provide them with a gift that they will be able to use over and over again. You can mix up three different blends and find a set of matching jars to give as a little tea sampler, or make up one big batch of tea and distribute into a larger mason jar like the rose tinted jars from Ball. You don’t even have to wrap your handmade tea gift in paper - just add a simple ribbon with some dried fruit, pinecones or cinnamon sticks tied alongside it. Or, you can add a special mug to your gift that you know the recipient will love. Pour your tea into a cloth drawstring bag and place inside of the mug with a cute stirring spoon.

Wondering what flavor of tea to choose for your handmade gifts? Pick something that you know everyone will love such as chamomile or mint and add your own flair to make it unique to your personality or that of the gift recipient. You can personalize your tea gift any way you like with different add-ins like chocolate chips, candied fruits or flavored sugars.

Click and Grow Smart Garden 27 Review: Does it work?

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My gardening journey with chronic illness

When I was 20, I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects my joints, and causes major fatigue and chronic pain. The nature of autoimmune conditions is that they come and go, and over the winter I found myself experiencing the worst flare up of my symptoms I’d ever had.

Suddenly, my homesteading journey had hit a snag - bending, kneeling, and lifting (all essential tasks on a homestead) were difficult. I wasn’t sure what gardening was going to look like for me in the spring, if I could garden at all.

It’s easy to feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself when your body doesn’t allow you to do the activities that mean the most to you. For myself, these were dark days until I found enough energy to make a plan. I knew I was going to need to modify my normal gardening routine in order to continue growing our own food, so we added raised beds. Suddenly the benefits of vertical gardening were crystal clear to me. So much of what makes gardening so difficult is the crouching required to plant, weed and harvest. With the garden raised to a more natural standing height, I felt way less limited in what I could accomplish and grow. I started to wonder - with our long winter months, were there options that could extend our growing season AND provide a more accessible indoor gardening system that wouldn’t hurt my back?

Here in New England, the majority of the year it is too cold to grow most vegetables and fruits outdoors. We have a very short growing season and limited amount of time to harvest everything we need to put away for winter. I knew that if I could find a way to combine an accessible raised gardening system with indoor grow lights, we could continue growing food in the colder months and reduce our grocery bill at a time when produce prices continue to skyrocket. My love of vertical gardening continued to grow.

Vertical gardening systems

Vertical gardening is for everyone. Whether you’re interested in designing a vertical garden of your own due to physical limitations, space constraints, or you just enjoy experimenting with different gardening techniques, vertical gardening is an easy way to add a unique and functional element to your gardens and grow food more efficiently.

If bending, kneeling or lifting is something that is hard for you to do, vertical gardening allows you to reduce the amount of physical effort involved in your everyday garden tasks. There is usually little to no weeding involved, and watering systems can be set up to automatically keep your plants hydrated. Harvesting is a breeze because you won’t be digging through a tangle of branches or vines looking for produce - everything will be highly visible.

If you have little space to grow your own food or no yard at all - indoor gardening kits can help you bring fresh produce to your kitchen easily.

Why does it matter if your produce is fresh anyway?

When you buy and consume fresh grown fruits and vegetables, you are less likely to be ingesting harmful preservatives, chemicals, or dyes that have been added to your food to make them look more appealing. Produce actually loses its nutritional value over time, so the quicker it's eaten, the more nutrients that can be gained from it. Unfortunately even something like lettuce may be up to two weeks old by the time it reaches your local grocery store - and on average, our produce travels fifteen THOUSAND miles to reach us. That’s a lot of opportunity for lost nutrients.

Indoor Gardening Kit

There are lots of indoor gardening kits you can buy, but I decided to try the Click & Grow Smart Garden 27 vertical gardening system for a few reasons. This setup comes with three Smart Garden 9s (the 9 means each unit can grow 9 plants, so 27 in total) as well as a vertical plant stand in a modern white and wood finish. I really liked that the plant stand would fit into my existing home style, and allow me to stack the gardens so they would take up less space and be easy to access as needed. I also liked that the lights are included, and on an automatic timer so I wouldn’t have to fuss with anything or remember to turn it off and on every night.

The Smart Garden 27 isn’t a hydroponic garden - it uses a water reservoir that only needs to be filled about once a month, and Smart Soil blocks with nutrients and seeds already inside. The seeds and soil blocks are completely non-GMO and pesticide free, and use a patented nano-material that automatically releases nutrients, oxygen and water your plants need to thrive.

I also really liked the variety of plants offered by Click & Grow - they have over 75 different plants to choose from right now, including a seemingly endless array of swiss chard, arugula, sorrel, cress, mibuna, pak choi, and multiple varieties of kale and lettuce, bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, hot peppers and peas. Or you can start an indoor herb garden with rosemary, celery, mint, dill, parsley, lavender and many different kinds of basil. There’s flower seeds if you want to add some beauty and color. They also have seedless pods available so you can try your hand at growing anything you want.

How to Set Up the Vertical Vegetable Garden

The Click & Grow vertical vegetable garden is going to make winter gardening indoors so simple. Set up was easy - the included plant shelf comes together in less than fifteen minutes and has easy to follow instructions with no tools required. Next you just click together the light bar that attaches to the top of the unit with a few simple snaps and you’re ready to grow.

To plant the vertical garden planters, all I had to do was place each Smart Soil block into the pods that nest within the water tank. You cover each pod with a clear dome that is provided to create a moist environment that is then removed once your seed has germinated. I filled the water reservoir and plugged it in. That’s really it! I was kind of shocked by how simple it actually was. The water reservoir has a float on the back corner that will sink to let you know when it’s time to add more water. There’s even an app where you can track the progress of your gardens.

For my first planting, I’m growing lettuce, tomatoes, basil and dwarf peas as well as the Fruit & Veggie mix pack with strawberries, chili peppers and yellow tomatoes and the Asian Cuisine Mix with pak choi, red kale and mibuna. This will supply us with a continuous stream of fresh fruits and vegetables that are normally out of season during the winter months, allowing us to fuel up on fresh nutrient dense produce grown in our own home.

It takes about 3-4 weeks for your plants to reach maturity, depending on what you’ve planted. Then you can start harvesting continuously - each plant pod will live for about 3-4 months, again depending on the variety that you grow.

Now, if you’re thinking this is way too much vertical vegetable garden to fit in your own home stay with me because while I’ve gone all out here with the Smart Garden 27, there’s multiple ways you can configure this system to work for your space. First off, the Smart Garden 9 which is used on this plant shelf is available individually - so you can grab just one garden and pop it on your counter or table. If that’s still too large Click & Grow also has a Smart Garden 6 which is just a smaller version with only 6 plant pods. You could grab a couple Smart Garden 9’s and just sprinkle them throughout your house! Personally I love the shelf system because it means less bending and kneeling for me and it takes up less space in our kitchen. In terms of deciding where to place your indoor garden, the grow lights can be fairly bright so if that’s something you are sensitive to I’d recommend just choosing a location in your home that is a little out of the way.

Indoor gardening tips

So what tips should you know before starting your indoor gardening journey? Honestly, it’s so much easier than gardening outdoors in a lot of ways. With this system, it’s a good idea to periodically clean out the water tank before you plant a new round of seeds to prevent any mold from developing. Keep in mind that you’ll want a spot that you don’t mind having basically a bright lamp glowing on for 16 hours a day - those grow lights are for real! You shouldn’t have any problems with pests since you’re inside, and you won’t need to fertilize since the Smart Soil pods have everything your plants need to thrive. There’s no weeding to do and watering is only done about once a month. So long as you are mindful not to cut your plants back too hard when you harvest, you should enjoy a nice big continuous harvest from your indoor garden!

Ready to start your indoor gardening journey? Click here to learn more about the Click & Grow Smart Garden system!

Stovetop Elderberry Syrup Recipe

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Elderberry season is drawing to a close, and my freezer is filled up with this useful fruit. I spent the late summer months periodically checking for ripeness, clipping each branch back as the berries and stems turned from green to deep purple. Elderberries can be a challenge to remove, leaving your hands stained purple with the juice. That’s why I place my bunches directly into the freezer after harvesting, whole - this way you can easily remove the frozen berries in one fell swoop and preserve them at peak freshness for winter cold remedies, sweet syrups and more. A pot of elderberry syrup simmering on the stovetop is a welcome sight and essential addition to our herbal apothecary. You won’t have any trouble getting your children to try this sweet and fruity syrup when they feel a cold coming on either, since it tastes just like candy!

What Are Elderberries?

Elderberries are edible, small, dark fruits which grow wild in much of North America and other areas of the world. The bushes they grow on are attractive, making them a great addition to a yard or garden.

The bark, leaves, and roots of elderberry plants are toxic to humans and pets. But beginning in June, elderberry bushes produce eye-catching white blossoms in flat, disc-shaped clusters of tiny flowers. These clusters grow as big as 10” in diameter. They are beautiful and fragrant, and are also edible. The flowers can be eaten raw or cooked.

Of course, you don’t want to harvest all of the flowers, because then your bush would not produce any berries.

In fall, the elderberries themselves are ready to harvest. They should not be eaten raw, as raw elderberries may cause nausea, vomiting, and digestive problems. Cooking the berries removes their toxic properties.

What Do Elderberries Taste Like?

Raw elderberries should not be eaten, but we’re not missing much. Some people call them flavorless, while others find them bitter and tart. They’re much tastier when cooked with other fruits or sweeteners.

Uses of Elderberry

Elderberries can be used to make medicinal syrup, cordial, jelly, sauces, and wine. Dried elderberries are tasty in baked goods, and also make a soothing tea.

Benefits of Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry has a very long history of use as a medicinal plant, dating back as far as ancient Egypt, where it was used to help heal burns. It has also been used as a diuretic. Indigenous peoples used elderberry to treat rheumatism and fever.

Elderberry syrup provides significant antioxidant effects. The antioxidants in elderberries boost the immune system, and along with the berries’ abundance of vitamins A, B, and C, help to fight off infections. 

The syrup is also high in fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium, and is an anti-inflammatory. 

Elderberry Syrup for Colds, Coughs, and Flu

First, a note: People who have auto-immune issues may want to avoid elderberries, as boosting the immune system is only likely to make symptoms worse.

Both elderberry syrup and elderberry tea are good methods of delivery for elderberries’ many health benefits. Elderberry tea with a bit of honey and lemon juice is particularly soothing.

Studies have shown that elderberry syrup may help to treat fevers, headaches, coughs, body aches, and other symptoms of the flu and upper respiratory infections. 

Growing Elderberries

Elderberry plants are different varieties of the Sambucus tree. They are perennial, meaning you plant them once and they continue to grow each year. They can grow as tall as 12’, so they need a large area. They may tolerate partial shade, but won’t produce as many berries there, so it’s best to plant them in full sun. They do fine in both wet and dry soils.

Elderberry bushes provide a small harvest after the second year of planting. In their third year, they are mature, and can produce a 10-12 pound harvest.

Elderberry plants will spread through suckers, but are easily controlled by mowing them down when they appear. Propagating elderberries is easily done through cutting or ground layering.

Propagating elderberry bushes by hardwood cutting

To propagate an elderberry by cutting, check your plant for new buds, which will likely appear in February. Not every cutting will take root, so plant more than one to increase your likelihood of success.

Choose branches about the thickness of a pencil, with two sets of buds, and cut above and below each set. Cut the branch at an angle on one end to make it easier to push into the soil.

Plant directly into the ground or into a pot. If you use a pot, you can cover the branch with a baggie, misting regularly to keep the soil moist. Alternatively, you can place your cuttings in water until they begin to develop roots.

Elderberry branches take 8-10 weeks to root. If successful, you will see growth in the spring.

Propagating elderberry bushes by ground layering

By layering branches, we can force them to develop roots while still attached to the parent plant. This way they will continue to receive food and water without effort on their part. 

Instructions for ground layering elderberry plants:

• Choose a flexible branch that is growing close to the ground. 

• Remove any leaves that are on the area you want to layer. 

• Make a small cut on the side of the branch that will touch the soil, about 1/3 of the way through the branch.

• Cover that area in soil, and if necessary peg the branch to the ground.

• As the branch grows, you can stake the end of it into an upright position, being careful not to disturb its new roots.

• Once a good root system develops, you can cut the branch off of its parent and move it to your desired spot.

Harvesting Elderberries

Elderberry flowers should be picked on a warm, dry day. Snip behind the flowers to remove the entire cluster in one piece. 

Clusters of berries should also be cut as one piece. Snip with pruning shear or snips where the base of the berries meets the stem.

To make it easier to remove the berries from the plant, spread the clusters of berries on a cookie sheet and freeze them for two hours before using your hands to loosen from the branches.

Eating Elderberry Flowers

Elderberry flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. They are the only part of the elderberry plant that is non-toxic.

The raw flowers are crunchy, with a subtle floral taste. They are one of the sweetest-tasting flowers, and are sometimes described as tropical or pear-like.

Fresh elderberry flowers can be added to a salad or used to make a dressing. Fresh or dried elderberry flowers can be used to make tea.

Preserving Elderberry Flowers and Fruit

How to dry elderberry flowers:

To dry elderberry flowers, spread them in a single layer in a dark dry place, or hang them by their stems in a cool, dark location.

How to dry elderberries: 

Remove the berries from their stems and spread them in a single layer. Unless you live in a particularly dry and sunny environment, use a dehydrator or oven for best results.

Drying elderberries in a dehydrator:

Either remove the berries from the plant completely, or cut off the larger stems.

Spread the berries in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.

Run the machine for 12 hours at 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drying elderberries in the oven:

Spread the berries in a single layer on a parchment-covered cookie sheet, and place in the oven at your lowest setting (no more than 175 Fahrenheit). Cook for 12 hours, stirring occasionally. 

How To Store Dried Elderberries

Store your dried elderberries in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. A Ball mason jar is a good option. For longer-term storage, you can vacuum seal the jar.

Making Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup can be made with just four ingredients: dried berries, water, ginger, and honey. 

Supplies:

• Saucepan (I recommend non-toxic pots and pans from Caraway)

• Mesh strainer

• Jar

The Best Elderberry Syrup Recipe

herbal remedies, holistic recipes, elderberry syrup

herbal remedies

Author: The Cottage Peach

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Stovetop Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup provides significant antioxidant effects. The antioxidants in elderberries boost the immune system, and along with the berries’ abundance of vitamins A, B, and C, help to fight off infections. The syrup is also high in fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium, and is an anti-inflammatory.

Prep time: 4 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 34 M

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried elderberries
• 6 cups water
• ¼ ounce grated ginger
• 1 ½ cups raw honey

Instructions

1. Bring the berries and water to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Strain the berries, and return the liquid to the heat.
3. Add ¼ ounce grated ginger. Simmer gently for 45-60 minutes, or until 2-3 cups of liquid remain.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. Stir in 1 ½ cups of raw honey.

Notes

To store your elderberry syrup, pour your syrup into an airtight bottle, label it, and refrigerate. Use within 2 months.

Recommended Products:

Caraway Home Non-Toxic Sauce Pan

Silicone Spatula

Microplane Grater

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Storing Elderberry Syrup

Pour your syrup into a bottle, label it, and refrigerate. Use within 2 months.

Using Elderberry Syrup:

For medicinal use:

Take 2 teaspoons every 3 hours at the first signs of a virus.

Other uses:

Elderberry syrup can be used as a cordial, mixed with seltzer or water, or as a shrub for cocktails.

It can also be added to yogurt, pancakes or oatmeal for a tasty treat.

The garden tools I need to have in my shed

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

What Tools Do You Need to Garden?

The planting of seeds by humans is believed to date back tens of thousands of years. Even before that, people cultivated food forests by protecting useful plants and eliminating those which provided them with no benefits. 

In ancient times, a hole might be dug with a stone or stick, and water carried from a river in an animal bladder.

All that to say, it’s not the tools that make the garden. In the past, I have gardened quite happily with one shovel and a hand cultivator/hoe, but there’s no denying that having the right tool for the job makes the work of gardening easier and more enjoyable.

Are Garden Tools Expensive?

Garden tools are available at all price points. There will always be an endless chorus of marketers telling you this tool or that is better than the other, but remember you’re digging soil and planting seeds - not building a spaceship. You want something durable, but not necessarily fancy.

In some cases there is a real difference in quality between the cheaper and more expensive options. If you have a bit of money to spend on tools, the choice becomes, in which cases is an investment in a pricier tool a good financial decision?

But no matter what your budget is, there are sources other than the hardware store or internet from which to acquire tools. Just about every garage or estate sale has some which, while not brand new, have stood the test of time and have years of life still in them. Better yet, many older relatives have amassed a collection over the years and would be happy to pass them on to someone a bit more spry. Often these older tools are better made than what you’d find today. If they’re in rough shape, it’s easy enough to sharpen a hoe or replace a shovel handle. 

These options not only save money, they mean less is produced and less ends up in a landfill.

My Favorite Gardening Tools

As I said, in the past I have gardened with two simple tools. But at this point, our gardening has expanded enormously, and we’re lucky enough to be able to carefully spend on tools which make our work easier and are durable enough to last a lifetime. Barebones Living is a favorite among gardeners because they check all these boxes - plus, they are a certified B Corp dedicated to protecting the environment. You can find my favorite selections from Barebones below:

Seed Starting Tools

One of the foundations of economizing in our gardening is seed starting. It saves so much money as compared to buying plants!

There are many cheap and accessible ways to start seeds. Egg cartons, newspaper, or even toilet paper rolls can be used to hold your soil.

How to Make Seed Pots From Toilet Paper Rolls

Step one is to rummage through your recycling for TP rolls. Better yet, skip the recycling bin and save them up throughout the year for use in the spring.

Once you have your empty rolls, just cut four 1 1/2” slits in one end of the tube and fold them over themselves to create a bottom. Fill with soil and your seeds and get growing!

Using a Soil Blocker to Start Seeds

These days, we use a soil blocker when starting seeds. It’s a simple tool that allows me to work a bit more quickly, which is helpful for those times when I’m not feeling well enough for a longer project.

Blocks are also great for the plants themselves. Because each block is planted directly into the garden, the roots are not damaged and the plants aren’t likely to experience any transplant shock, giving them a stronger start on life.

One potential drawback of this tool is that it might be difficult for someone with arthritis or other pain in their hands to squeeze the handle that releases the blocks from the mold, so that’s something to keep in mind.

How to Use a Soil Blocker

Soil blocking is really easy once you get the hang of it. You might read in a catalog or hear from another gardener that you need a fancy soil blend designed for soil blocking, and I’m sure it would be nice to have, but I’ll take the giant $15 bag of soil from Lowes please and thank you. I’m not about to ship $50 worth of soil to my house - call me lazy, or a bad gardener, but I never have and everything grows just fine.

Just take your soil, mix water in until it’s just a little drier than mud and get pressing. The trick is to really firmly compact the soil into the mold with your hand as hard as you can. The blocker will form a small divot on top into which you can plop your seed. Cover with a bit of loose soil, and that’s all there is to it!

Tools for Planting

There are endless options for digging a hole, and I’m sure you’re familiar with most of them. A shovel or spade is best for larger holes, but one tool I particularly like for planting seeds and seedlings is the Japanese Hori Hori knife.

Like any knife, it’s best to find one which has a full, or integrated, tang, which will make it much more durable. With a full tang, the metal extends the whole length and width of the handle. 

Why Use a Hori Hori Knife for Planting?

A Hori Hori has multiple uses, including weeding and cutting roots and small branches, but in the case of planting, there are two things that make it the right tool for the job. 

One is that the point is sharp, but wide enough that, with a twist of the wrist, you can cut a hole rather than just a slash in the soil. The second is that most Hori Hori knives are marked to show you the depth of your hole, which is really helpful when planting seeds. 

Tools for Weeding

I’ve used hand cultivators and spades, Hori Hori knives, standing hoes, and shovels to weed over the years. I still prefer a shovel for very large weeds, but the tool I use most often to weed is this Japanese Weeding Hoe.

This hoe is very sharp. I use it to loosen the soil under and around the weed so I can easily pull it up and not lose any roots. The blade is also narrow enough to use around things I have planted without fear of damaging them.

Tools for Watering Plants

Not rocket science here, any container or hose will do, but I do have my favorites. I have some difficulties with most hoses, which basically come down to the fact that I have a chronic illness. Most hoses are quite heavy and tend to kink. So aside from it being difficult for me to pull them out or coil them back up because of the weight, I have to walk back and forth any number of times to straighten up the hose so the water can flow through it, which quickly exhausts me.

I’ve found two hoses that solve these problems for me. 

Hoses That Make Gardening More Accessible

The Flexi Hose is a lightweight, expandable hose which does not kink. It’s available in lengths up to 150 feet and has solid brass connectors. We’ve had ours for three or four years now, and are very happy with it.

A more serious option if you’re looking to invest in a dedicated system is a Hoselink retractable hose reel. For me, this hose was worth every penny. Even with a lighter hose like the Flexi Hose, it can be difficult for me to pull the hose where I need it and then get it coiled back up. The Hoselink solves that problem by automatically retracting the hose when I give it a small tug. It still takes a bit of effort for me to pull it out to its full length, but it does not leave me fatigued the way other hoses do.

It comes with a wall bracket, and can be mounted on a pole or the side of your house. The longest length available for the Hoselink is 82 feet. I’d love a longer one, but it is definitely the hose to choose if you have a larger budget.

Pruning Tools

Like a lot of gardeners, I am fiercely loyal to my favorite pruners – the Felco F2 Classic hand pruners. 

Aside from being able to cut through fairly large branches, they are comfortable to use, have a thumb mechanism for one-handed opening and closing, and are easy to sharpen. On top of that, each of the pruner’s components is replaceable, meaning one pair, with some care, can last a lifetime.

How to Care for Garden Tools

It’s no use spending money on tools only to let their condition deteriorate over the years. Caring for your tools will make them last longer and be more pleasant to use.

Clean Your Tools

Give your tools a quick scrub or hose-down after using them. Be sure they are dry before putting them away.

In the case of pruners, it’s important to wipe them down with rubbing alcohol after each use. If you are pruning more than one tree, wipe them after you finish with each one, to avoid potentially spreading disease from one tree to the next.

Store Your Tools

It can be a pain to schlep everything back in when you’re tired out from gardening, but leaving tools outside is a recipe for disaster. Store them in a dry place, and hang longer tools so as not to dull their blades.

Sharpen Your Tools

Some tools come with their own sharpeners, but for those that don’t there are a wide variety available. Keeping your tools sharp will cut down on frustrations from them not working as well as they should when you need them.

Oil Your Tools

It’s a good idea to apply a lubricating oil to wooden handles and metal blades. This doesn’t need to be done every time you use a tool, but it’s great to do in the spring and fall. It will keep metal from rusting and wood from splitting.

Click here to shop my favorite gardening tools at Barebones Living