Herbal Healing for your Household

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Sarah Hughes - Herbalist

Wormwood and Sage Moth Repellent Sachets

Ingredients:

. 2 tbsp dried rosemary leaves
. 2 tbsp dried wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) leaves
. 2 tbsp dried sage leaves
. Dash of vodka

Method:

1. Mix all herbs together in an open shallow bowl, and sprinkle on a dash of vodka.
2. Put a little of the dried herb mixture into the centre of a small muslin square. Tie with raffia. Repeat until you have used up all the herbs.

USE: Pop the herbal sachets into cupboards and drawers to deter moths. When they first stop smelling, give them a squeeze and a bash to release more volatile oils. Next time, they will need replacing.

The anti-pet pong spray

Ingredients:

. 1 heaped teaspoon dried fennel
. 1heaped teaspoon dried mint
. 1 heaped teaspoon dried rosemary
. 1 heaped teaspoon dried wormwood
. 200ml water
. 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
. 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
. 10 drops teatree essential oil
. 10 drops thyme essential oil

How to get the herbs from your plant dried:

There are two ways, you can put them in an oven for anything from 3-5 hours or hang them up in a well ventilated dry place for 2 weeks.

Method:

1. Place all dried herbs in a glass bowl and pour boiled 200mls water over. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Strain.
3. Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in liquid and add the essential oils.
4. Pour into a spray pump.
5. Spray onto pet bedding once to twice a week - more if you have a smelly dog!

About the Spray:

This will keep for a month. The dried herbs last longer than the fresh as they don't have water in them.