USING HERBS

Any time you buy an herb, check a garden book or one
of the herb sites on the net and see if it's invasive.
If it is, and you want to keep it in bounds,
grow it in a container, or at least put an edging
around it in the ground.
Mint, for example, will spread rapidly and take over a bed.

As for bath salt mixtures,
I like mint and lavender together.
Melissa (lemon balm) makes very nice
salts, as do old fashioned roses with strong scents.
I tend to stay away from culinary herbs, since most people
don't want to smell like a pot roast. *smile*
Any of the scented mints by itself
will perfume salts, and they're nice
bruised and dropped into plain soda water
with a wedge of lemon, for a scented non-caloric drink.

One fast amd easy thing to do with herbs is to make bath salts.
Just crush about a quarter cup of fresh herbs into a couple
of cups of sea salt or pickling salt.
You can use a mortar and pestle,
blender, or a food processor if you have one.
Add a handful of the salt to hot bath water for a refreshing soak.
You can have a lot of fun making
your own special mixes, and they make lovely gifts.

The bath salts that I make seem to last about a year
before the scent starts to fade.
I just checked the remains of some that
I made three years ago and it still has a faint scent.
(Of course, if it's for yourself,
you can always grind some more herbs
into a faded mix to rejuvenate it.)
You can add a couple of drops of food coloring
to the salt-herb mixture, just to "fancy it up."
This looks especially nice in a clear jar,
with a matching ribbon tied around the neck.


Preparing Herbal Remedies
Preperation of Herbs
The Apothecary