LAVENDER, GARDENING AND SOAP

As I've mentioned, The Brown Barn Bath Company began as an herb farm at our little old farm property in Abbotsford. Our goal was (and still is) to grow all of our own herbs, botanicals and fruit extracts. I was dying to be able to grow our own Lavender and Rose Hips but was stymied by our Zone 3/4 weather.  How do you grow zone 5-7 Lavenders and have them come back?  The only answer would be to somehow raise the zone on our farm!

To block wind and retain heat, we installed a large wooden fence attached to a gazebo made from our old milk house.  This picture shows the fence.  We purchased the fencing from Menards and have been very pleased with the result.  To keep bunnies and other critters out we ran low wire rabbit fencing around the bottom and finished with field stones picked from the surrounding test plots.

Alyssa and I quickly set to work planting a wide selection of lavender and roses from zones as high as seven. Thru the winter I watched our fenced area fill with snow, snow and more snow... to the point where eventually the snow tipped over the top of the fence and little critter tracks ran up and over the snow drifts.  The inside of the fence was the last to thaw this spring. I shook my head and declared the experiment a failure because of the heavy snow and long time it took to thaw. I was sure the entire area would be mushy plants this summer.

With the decision to open the Lake Holcombe store we knew we would have to temporarily abondon our poor little farm so as to move the business forward. Gardening forgotten, each week we made a visit to the little farm to collect more of our lab equipment and supplies. Weeds quickly consumed the test gardens and I did not bother to go down to look at the gardens in my rush to load things up. 

This week Alyssa ventured down to the gardens to find a wonderful surprise!!  ALL of our lavender and roses have returned this year and were in FULL BLOOM!!  We quickly grabbed the scissors and snipped off a few of the plants, which I am now bundling in the shop. 

In the spring we will be hiring a farm manager/grower to take over the Abbotsford operation. Our intention is to bring you some dried herbs from these great plants, decorate our stores with fresh flowers grown on the farm and to offer fresh facial products from our farm produce (such as blueberry masks, raspberry scrub or strawberry lotion).  You'll have to use the product upon purchase and they won't be available year round, only when in season. We think it'll be such fun to add these items to our product line!

This Saturday (July 9) is the Lake Holcombe Gardening club’s Garden Walk.  This is your chance to visit some of those gorgeous gardens you usually only get a peek at as you drive around the lake.  Being slightly voyeuristic myself, I love this walk and encourage anyone who will be in the area to attend. 

If you go to the walk be sure to sign up for the door prizes so that you get a chance to win one of The Brown Barn Bath Company’s gift baskets.  This basket will include gardener’s soap, salve, bath tools and anything else I put in, including a gift certficiate!

I feel I cannot sign off this week without taking a minute to give some tips for caring for yourself as you work in your garden.  (Please excuse the blatent product promotion…I can’t help myself! J):

·    Of course everyone says to wear gloves, but if you are like me, you hate the darn things! But you also hate all the dirt that becomes embedded in your nails. Run your fingernails over a bar of soap before going out to the garden. The soap will form a plug to keep the dirt out and when you wash up you’ll find it greatly reduces the grime. (If you are working with chemicals wear gloves no matter what!!)

·    I’m not a boot wearer either (I guess I’m more of a no gloves, run barefoot thru the grass kind of girl, HA HA) A pumice stone and foot brush should be in your arsenal of beauty care.  This week we are introducing “Foot Fizzies”.  Simply drop the tablet in a foot bath of warm water, soak and then follow up with your brush and some lotion.  You’ll be clean and smooth and as good as new. (Look for them on the web-site soon, we'll be adding a foot and hand care section by the end of next week.)

·    Wear a good sunscreen of at 30!!  And follow up with an After Sun Spritzer.

·    Know your bugs and ticks and please be aware of ground bees!  We have a nice set of natural bug repellents to choose from.  (These will be added to the web-site soon too).

Here’s wishing you a great gardening week!  Chris Untiedt