California Native Bulbs

Stopped by Tree of Life Nursery today and picked up some bulbs for next summer.

Allium unifolium (one leaf onion, oneleaf onion)

Calochortus luteus (yellow mariposa, yellow mariposa lily)

Calochortus superbus (yellow mariposa)

Dichelostemma ida-maia (Firecracker brodiaea, firecracker flower)

Triteleia ixioides (Golden brodiaea, pretty face, pretty face)

Calochortus venustus (Butterfly Mariposa Lily, butterfly mariposa)

Dichelostemma ida-maia x multiflorum (Pink Diamond, Firecracker brodiaea, firecracker flower)

Press n' Dry

 Pressed Columbine flowers and leaves!

 Sliced and drying Cumquats that i'm going to make solid perfume with soon.

Drying Chocolate Mint.

DIY balm

A few days ago I made my own blam. Next time I will probably use Jojoba oil instead of coconut oil because though I loved the results, the coconut oil over powered the sent of the herbs and ended up smelling like coconut cookies, which isn't a bad thing, but I really was hoping for the minty Yerba Buena and apple-y Chamomile to be the main scent. Oh well! Here is a step-by-step of my process.


Ingredients:
-coconut oil
-unfiltered bee's wax
-Marshmallow root
-Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii, California native)
-Chamomile
-mint oil

Step One:

Crush up 3oz of herbs of your choice.

 Marshmallow root, Yerba Buena, and Chamomile

 Chamomile

Yerba Buena

All crushed up

Step Two:

Mix herbs into a pot with one cup of coconut oil and heat on low (NOT BOIL) for 3 hours, stirring every so often.

Step Three:

After the 3 hours have elapsed, strain the contents leaving only (or mostly only) the coconut oil herby liquid. While no longer being heated, add about a 1/4 or less cup of bee's wax and stir till fully melted.

Step Four:

Now choose some hella cute jars to put it all in. Those little jam sample jars you see at breakfast places (like the one with the black lid below)  work perfectly.  I'd use more of those if I had more. Anyways, pour the liquid into the jars through another strainer and funnel. 

Step Five:

Finally, put them in the fridge until they are cool and you're done!

Now just label them and enjoy :)!

 (I know, I spelled Chamomile wrong on the jars :| )

Bulbs

Flowering season is pretty much over for all my bulbs, but I'm so excited for next year cause I have some new ones.
Heres a list of all the bulb flowers I have:
Ornithogalum dubium - Sun Star
Narcissus papyraceus - Paper Whites 
Narcissus asturiensis - Miniature Daffodil 
Muscari neglectum - Grape Hyacinth 
Polianthes tuberosa - Double Tuberose 

 Narcissus papyraceus - Paper Whites

 Muscari neglectum - Grape Hyacinth

 Ornithogalum dubium - Sun Star

Narcissus asturiensis - Miniature Daffodil 

Polianthes tuberosa - Double Tuberose 

Pressed leaves

Trifolium pratense, Red Clover, from my garden dried in a book and pressed in glass in a drift wood frame (:

Summer projects

This Summer I plan on making lots of different herbal soaps, lip balms, salves, alcoholic infusions/liquors & candles. I have a bunch of other herbs in my garden that I'm planning on drying and using as well :)

"Make Your Place: affordable, sustainable nesting skills" & "The Mental Health Cookbook: Creating a connection with food and herbs"

Bergamot Mint drying on paper towel

Camomille, Jasmine, Chocolate Mint, & Lavender

2lbs of unfiltered, unprocessed bee's wax

Valarian Root Valeriana officinalis

Marsh Mallow Althaea Officinalis

Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica

Woodland Strawberries

First two Woodland Strawberries of the season. They are about the size of peanuts.

Fragaria californica