The Stylish Gardener

The Many Faces of Sage….

Sage, as its name implies, is said to carry powers of wisdom, as well as longevity. It was considered a valuable commodity in 17th century China, when merchants would trade 3 to 4 chest of tea for one chest of sage.
Sage has been used as a cure-all for thousands of years. The American Indian mixed it with bear grease to make a salve for wounds.

My interest is more on the culinary side, there I can really attest to the value of all it has to offer.

Sage has a light lemony flavor; when dried it has a stronger, mustier taste.

Dried sage is a staple in poultry seasonings. The herb is compatible with rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and bay.

In the summer garden the lovely blue or dark reddish flowers make a special and colorful addition to a tossed salad.

If you are thinking of growing sage, know that it needs a sunny location in light, dry, alkaline soil. It can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Harvest the leaves before the plant flowers, and cut the plant back after flowering. It must also be pruned frequently.

Most often the plant will become woody after about 3 to 5 years and must be pulled up and re-planted.

A few faces of Sage are: Clary….A wild variety that grows in America’s Southwest. It’s used in American Indian foods such as breads and cookies.

Mexican Sage….Grows up to four feet tall, has beautiful gray-green leaves and lavender flowers.

Variegated and Golden Sage….Has a very mild flavor and not my favorite for the kitchen. It is lovely in a garden bed.

Pineapple Sage….Has large pale green leaves that blushes into scarlet in the late summer and peaking in December. Has the most awesome red flowers. When touched it releases a heavenly pineapple scent.

Then there is Purple Sage…my favorite. Extremely aromatic with soft, purple foliage. It has a strong flavor that is perfect for tea.

Sage as many other herbs make wonderful plants for flower beds and require much less tending.

Why not get to know this awesome herb and introduce it into your garden and your life.

Bea Kunz

Beautifully Healthy…Skin… A Journey

ATTN: I will continually add info and recipes that can be easily and affordably made as needed or in weekly batches.
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What does medicine have to do with skin care…Everything!

If the inside isn’t healthy, the outside will not be healthy…..
Good health cannot be bought from the most talented of doctors…
Healthy/beautiful skin cannot be bought at the most expensive cosmetic counters…..

Drugs weren’t the starting point of ancient medicine. First came diet, in the broad sense of your whole way of life, including food, drink, exercise, excrement and sleep. Health was seen as the balance of different fluids in the body. The focus on diet was never a call to eat raw foods, whatever the claims of modern charlatans who use the name of the ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates to sell their diet regimes.

A patient’s condition was thought to result not just from the balance of their body, but from how that body relates to the environment. With diseases related to obesity and mental health today taking an increasing amount of doctors’ time, it’s not surprising medicine is turning more and more to a Greek-style holistic approach.

Take a minute and read this site…..interesting food for thought…

http://theconversation.com/five-things-the-ancient-greeks-can-teach-us-about-medicine-today-43729

Without getting into our individual belief’s …. it doesn’t take a genius to know…without plants…medicine as we know it today would not exist…could not exist …..

Another thought to keep in mind…..In the late 1800/1900’s…two businessmen/one a politician put their heads together and agreed…”If we can discredit Holistic medicine/doctors/hospitals etc., we can copy the treatments, reproduce them in a lab and become famous and rich.” And so the modern miracles of “pills” began… ( more on this in another blog.)

But now….back to the lovely subject of our skin and how to make the most of who and what we are given at conception.

Diet, no question…without a proper diet, we will not have healthy/beautiful skin….Lots of clean/earth water…little to no alcohol, no cigarettes/tobacco and little to no white/refined sugar…..

The remaining diet has to be tweaked and tweaked…food today is not food of earlier times…..Caution!!

For a deeper understanding of that issue…Join me here and we will journey together. https://sagehillgardens.com/healthy-after

Yes….Miracles still happen….
Some come to us in small amber bottles called…Essential Oils!

The judicious use of essential oils in skin care helps to rejuvenate and beautify the face and body.
Essential oils are healing, nourishing, moisturizing, restorative, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic , full of vitamins, minerals, and on and on….the benefits are endless…when we use them correctly.

Interesting…Frankincense is my go to for skin care needs, it can be blended in different ways for a plethora of uses. Frankincense is a powerful astringent, meaning it helps protect skin cells, reducing and/or eliminating blemishes, large pores, reduces and prevents wrinkles, lifts and tightens the skin(also used in healing of surgical wounds.)….The interesting part…In ancient Greek usage it was the tool for embalming the dead…..Soooo….explains why it is so fabulous for tightening and over-all upkeep of our skin today. Improves circulation and in return reduces joint and muscle pain, digestive disorders and asthma.

All the Recipes you will find here are designed for dry, sensitive and mature skin. Whether we think we do or not…anyone over 55 has, at core level the making of dry skin…..

My blending recipes are simple, easy, and affordable….

Cleansing/Scrub …Face and body. (once a week)
2 tablespoons Shea Butter
2 teaspoons organic raw honey
4 tablespoons coffee grounds ( organic is best)
8 drops carrot seed oil
6 drops tea tree essential oil

Directions:

Pour the coconut oil into a small glass (dark) jar
Add coffee grounds and blend ( small wooden spoon or spatula is good)
Add carrot seed oil and tea tree oil (blend all until well combined)

Store in refrigerator for a week.

While this is basically a Scrub…I add a small amount to my nightly Face Wash…
Which is a small amount of my favorite all purpose lotion…gently removes make-up, dirt, bacteria etc., rinse and apply a very light amount of the Lotion with 3 drops of Frankincense oil…..
Or, blend enough and use as a full Body Rub.

( The lotion is (everyone Lotion)

Made with plant extracts and pure essential oils
(designed for face, hands and body)
Coconut and Lemon

Crafted from non-GMO and organic plant extracts and scented with pure essential oils. (Part of the Non GMO verified project….NO synthetics, No animal testing. www.eoproducts.com Awesome company Walmart sells the lotion and shampoo….some health food stores sells a full line….you can order directly from the company.
Comes in a quart size pump bottle…I Love it!!
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Hitchhikers In the Garden

I’m sure we all know at least one person who seems to always ride in on a White Horse wrapped in the coattails of another persons success.

In the gardeners arena we call that “compost!”

The bold and beautiful bounty that gets all the glory would not be if…the chore of Compost wasn’t working in the background…..

Reflections I snatched from the cyber waves today…..

Quote: “I am confirmed in my division of human energies. Ambitious people climb, but faithful people build.”

by Julia Ward Howe-U.S. writer (1819-1910)

Behind Closed Doors~

Most always…the only barrier between what we want and actually having it…is a closed door…The only action required is opening the door and walking in~

For the best education about and around our food, our health, our legacy to the next generation…simply join us at…

https://sagehillgardens.com/healthy-after

Apple Blossom Time

Apple blossom’s, honey bees, and a fleeting butterfly here and there…
Could be the reason for the sleepy, dreamy look in my eyes and not that I was awakened in the wee hours of Sunday morning by the most beautiful songbird outside my window. The big question…why was he awake at 4 in the morning!!

A lovely spot to take a nap….the garden…

Living In Color

“Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”

Jim Rohn~

“Don’t just get through the day…see each hour, each moment in color….show up, be alive, aim high, eat well, dress well, sing and talk when no one else is around to hear……the inner you will appreciate the gift.” ……Bea Rigsby-Kunz

Spring Tune-Up

Spring Tune-Up~

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Just as spring brings heavy raims to clean and refresh the fields and streams, we should make a practice of cleansing and refreshing our system…inside and out.

Plant a garden, in the ground or in a container.

Lettuces, all manner of veggies and greens can be grown in small spaces.

These are the things that will aid in flushing toxins from our system that have built up over the winter from heavy foods, toxins from heating fuel, and medications that many people take in an attemp to stay healthy.

Get outside, thirty minutes of early morning sun will give you a good dose of vitamin D.
Committ to a daily walk, morning is best, this is when your energy level is the highest.
Sing, meditate, and pray. These things nourish the spirit and the soul.

Do something for someone else every day.
There are always those in our community, church, neighborhood, and family who could use a helping hand.

Don’t forget the critters that mother nature loans to us, that is her helping hand to us. Make sure they have safe food, water, and a place to call home for the time they are with us.

Happy Spring from Sage Hill Farms!

Please join us for a very educational course in how to get and stay healthy.

https://sagehillgardens.com/healthy-after

A Sage Way of Living.

Living with intention is intentional…it requires us to think, reflect and know the reason we face each new day….accept it…or, wipe the slate clean and design a new one…..tweak, tweak, tweak…build up, add to, make better…all from the design made just for you, me…

Welcome to Spring-time at Sage Hill Gardens…..

A Sage bed worthy of its name…..Common Garden sage, Russian sage and Pineapple sage…..each has a purpose, fills a need, rewards the senses and taps the desire to create…my sweet mother would be in Sage heaven!!

Dedicated to my special friend who inspires even when she is in need of inspiration. Joanne M.Bush …a very Sage Lady!!

Valentine’s Day…My Way

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with A Dark Chocolate and a Cup of Ginger Tea~

Wishing you all a beautiful Valentines Day~

Share your love~and your chocolate…..hmmm…maybe

XOXOXO

The compounds in Dark Chocolate that benefit your health (antioxidants and phenols) are in the cocoa solids. The more cocoa solids your chocolate has, the darker the chocolate will appear. But you can’t rely on looks or marketing alone since any chocolate can be labeled “dark,” even if it doesn’t contain a high concentration of cocoa. The first ingredient on the label should be cocoa, chocolate, or cocoa liquor. Choose a product that contains at least 70 percent cocoa. This percentage should be listed on the label.

Be choosy about your chocolate. Bypass the colorful chocolate candies, skip the milk chocolate hearts, and turn away from the fancy bonbons.

A few chocolate tips:

Many mainstream chocolate manufacturers use cheaper vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter, including Hershey. Steer clear of anything that includes added fats and oils (look for cocoa butter as an ingredient).

Stay away from any label that doesn’t say “chocolate.” …. “chocolaty,” “made with chocolate,” and “chocolate candy” all imply diluted chocolate.

Most supermarket brands are diluted by milk products and are semisweet, milk or sweet chocolate rather than dark chocolate. Pass them up and splurge on real “dark” chocolates (found in the “health” food section of most large grocery stores and available online).

Some dark chocolate to try*

Dagoba
My picks: Lavender/Blueberries,Hemp/Pumpkin/Sunflower Seeds/Chili and Cacao Nibs.
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Endangered Species :
My picks:
Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans

Equal Exchange:
My picks:
Very Dark Chocolate.

Green and Black’s
My picks:
Ginger
Cherry

EatWell-BeWell~

February 5th-2018…It looked like spring, it felt like spring…
I dressed for spring….Alas, as hard as I tried….my temp gauge reminds me it 32 degrees outside tonight with not much change for tomorrow…
Meaning, spring is still a far ways down the road…back to sweaters and boots…

We can hope for an early spring…Yes…we can!

In the meantime…pop over to the www.sagehillgardens.com and
catch up on the Blog postings…..you’ll find stuff to your liking I promise.
I’ll meet you in the gardens…a bit later!