Simplify

Your Possessions –

 Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. 

 They drain our bank account, our energy, and our attention. 

They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values.

 If you will invest the time to remove nonessential possessions from your life, you will never regret it. 

Vos Possessions -

 Trop de possessions matérielles compliquent notre vie à un degré plus élevé que nous ayons jamais leur donner crédit. 

 Ils drainent notre compte bancaire, notre énergie et notre attention. 

Ils nous empêchent de ceux que nous aimons et de vivre une vie basée sur nos valeurs.

 Si vous allez investir le temps de retirer les biens non essentiels de votre vie, vous ne le regretterez pas.

Bee Balm and its uses

I was looking for uses for BeeBalm since I have a ton of these flowers around my yard I found this article at https://altnature.com/index.html

Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot,
Herb Uses and Medicinal Properties

Bee Balm is edible and medicinal, the entire plant above ground is edible used as a pot herb, and it is also used as a flavoring in cooked foods. The flowers make an attractive edible garnish in salads. The plant is noted for its fragrance, and is a source of oil of thyme. The fresh or dried leaves are brewed into a refreshing aromatic and medicinal tea. An infusion of young Bee Balm leaves used to form a common beverage in many parts of the United States.

Monarda didyma, (red)  (purple)  Monarda fistulosa,  (pink)

Other Names:  Eastern Beebalm, Bergamot, Wild Oswego Tea, Horsemint, Monarda
Bee Balm leaves and flowers and stems are used in alternative medicine as an antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic and stimulant. An infusion is medicinal used internally in the treatment of colds, catarrh, headaches, and gastric disorders, to reduce low fevers and soothe sore throat, to relieve flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain, and insomnia. Steam inhalation of the plant can be used for sore throats, and bronchial catarrh (inflammation of the mucus membrane, causing an increased flow of mucus). Externally, it is a medicinal application for skin eruptions and infections. Bergamot’s distinctive aroma, found in both the leaf and flower is wonderful for use in potpourri. While a fragrant herb in its own right, Wild Bergamot is not the source of the commonly used Bergamot Essential oil.

Habitat and Description

Bee Balm is a perennial herb native to Eastern North America. It grows in dry thickets, clearings and woodland edges from Ontario and British Columbia to Georgia and Mexico. Bee Balm has showy, red, pink, or lilac flowers in large heads or whorls of about 20-50 flowers at the top of the branching stem, supported by leafy bracts, the leaflets are a pale-green color. The stem of Bee Balm is square, grooved and hard; and about 3 feet high. The leaves occur in opposite pairs, are rough on both surfaces, are distinctly toothed, and lance-shaped. Fine dense hairs cover much of the stem and leaves. Bee Balm roots are short, slender, creeping rhizomes.

How to Grow Bee Balm

Bee Balm is easily grown in ordinary garden soil. It also grows well in heavy clay soils, requires a part shade to sunny place to grow. This species thrives when grown in a dry soil and prefers alkaline soil conditions. Bee Balm is best started from plants which spread like crazy, but will grow from seed as well. Unfortunately, it often gets spotted with a mold like affliction.

How to Harvest and Use Bee Balm

Wild Bergamot flowers bloom from June to July. Gather edible leaves and flowers in bloom, dry on small bundles in paper bags in a dry, well ventilated area. Bee Balm can be used as tea, or as an aromatic suitable for sachets and potpourri.
(Bee Balm Photos by Karen Bergeron Copyright 2006- 2015. Permission required to use herb pictures from this site. )

Herbal Tea Recipe

"Medicinal" tea: To 1 tsp. dried herb, add 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 min. sweeten to taste, take at bedtime.

Folklore and History

The red variety is commonly known as Oswego Tea. It was used by colonists in place of English Tea after the Boston Tea Party, when they threw the English tea in the harbor to protest the high taxes imposed on it by the British. Read More about Oswego Tea
Bee Balm was used as a medicinal plant extensively by Native Americans who recognized four varieties that had different odors. Wild Bergamot was used also as an active diaphoretic (sweat inducer) for ceremonial sweat lodges. A decoction of the herb was made into hair pomade.

Bee Balm Links

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) By Monica Resinger
Bee Balm Garden Guide
Article by Deb Jackson & Karen BergeronCopyright 1999 - 2007

The life I wish I had

I would love to do this type of stuff all the time problem is a very tight budget and also lack of

resources where I live . Yes I know I could find all I need on the net  but ...   Someday and when so I will be sure to start blogging about it ! Check out this Ladies website https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/10-things-to-make-with-lavender/

Natural Squirrel Repellents

1. 1. Natural Squirrel Repellents

   

   A natural squirrel repellent is hot and spicy things. Substances like cayenne pepper sprinkled in the garden deters the squirrel from sampling the vegetables once they got to experience the miracle of the Scoville scale.
   

   Similar to mice, squirrels hate the smell of peppermint. They will avoid it because it gives off such a strong aroma.

     Another clever way to weaponize your plants is to make a spray using diced-up jalapeño peppers, vinegar and water. Let the solution sit for a day, then spritz the area that attracts the squirrels.
     Garlic is a great way to repel squirrels, too. You’re going to want to use the same solution as you did with the jalapeño peppers, only this time substitute the heat with the garlic. The only downside to both of these methods is that you’ll have to reapply the concoction after it rains.
     Similar to mice, squirrels hate the smell of peppermint. They will avoid it because it gives off such a strong aroma. Go to a local health food store and pick up a bottle. Put a few drops of peppermint oil on a bunch of cotton balls, then disperse the cotton balls in various areas of the garden. You might also want to think about surrounding your garden with live peppermint plants.
     We once heard that by taking an old pair of nylons and loading them with a few mothballs, it keeps squirrels away from hanging around the garden. Just tie the stockings to a 2-foot high tomato stake, but make sure you don’t rest the thing on a plant. You don’t want your vegetables to taste like naphtha.
    

   2. Other Squirrel Repellents

   Dogs and cats love squirrels, in a bad way. They’ll chase down any critter that likes to run away from them. As a matter of fact, there’s a breed of dog that was brought into being for the specific purpose of hunting down small creatures. It’s called the Rat Terrier.
     Maybe you can’t handle getting a pet, consider erecting a few barn owl houses. A family of these critters can eat quite a few squirrels a week. Talk to your local pet store expert on the best food to use to lure a few barn owls. Once they nest in the box you built, stop feeding them.

  Whatever you choose, be kind to these pocket monsters. Squirrels carry an important ingredient to the health of the environment. A living organism known as microriza develops and grows in the digestive tract of the squirrel and only the squirrel. As they relieve themselves, they spread microriza and this operates like nematodes in other plants helping plant growth.
  In other words, you don’t want to destroy something that actually has a place in the environment. You just want to bug them enough so that they’ll stay out of the veggie patch.

Dandelion uses

I found this wonderful website while I was looking for uses for dandelions I thought I would share .

 I will for sure try the wine recipe .
 Dandelions hear them Roar

Dandelion

Buy Local ,can your own !