Harvest your rosehips

As summer is coming to an end roses are starting to lose their petals and will be forming rosehips. Rugosa roses as well as wild roses are excellent for their rosehips.  Rosehips contain a high amount of vitamin C, even more than citrus fruits. Dr. Weil has some excellent information on how to use them at http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA326573. I attached a pdf of more information on rosehips and petals. I include information on how rosehip oil helps with aging skin. Studies have shown how rosehip oil gives the same benefits to the skin as Tretinoin without the negative side effects. Rosehips and Petals

Sleeping Bee

We found this bee sleeping on one of our flowers one evening. It flew away the next morning when the sun started to shine.

It makes you wonder if the bee was just totally exhausted or it thought this was the perfect place to sleep!

Meet our Butterflies!

This is a picture of one of our two butterflies that we raised from very small caterpillars.  It was exciting to watch all of the stages that a monarch goes through. If you have ever noticed the gold coloring on the chrysalis and wondered where it came from – we found out that it comes from the milkweed that they ate.  This butterfly took a drink from one of our zinnias right when we set it down – it was actually drinking before it was off my daughter’s hand.  If you look closely you can see it getting a drink.

Stop and smell the roses!

Stop and smell the roses!

This famous saying tells us to take the time to enjoy the things in our lives like the fragrance of the rose. Not only does it help us to relax from the busyness of “life”, but the fragrance of the rose also benefits our bodies.

The roses are blooming in our backyard here in Minnesota right now. As my daughter and I were admiring their beauty and fragrance, I got to thinking about how God made the fragrance of the rose to benefit our lives.

Roses not only give us joy from their visual beauty, but inhaling the fragrance of the rose soothes the nerves and mind, helping with stress and depression. Essential oil molecules are inhaled and transported to the brain, where they influence our mood. The brain receives these odor messages, releasing neurotransmitters.

David Steward, Ph. D wrote a book Healing Oils of the Bible that tells us about how God intended for us to live in an environment with the gentle scents of essential oils. He also says that scientifically, we now know that these natural aromas are more than just pleasant. They are emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically healing.

Grow better tasting and faster growing tomatoes with Borage flowers

Borage flowers provide us with many benefits – but one we may appreciate this time of year is that they make excellent companion plants for tomatoes.

When planted near tomatoes, Borage improves their growth, disease resistance and flavor – as well as deterring tomato hornworms and adding trace minerals to the soil.

The pretty, edible, blue flowers bloom most of the summer and resemble the flavor of a cucumber.

Borage seeds contain a very valuable oil which contains a high amount of the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid.- making it an excellent choice for dry or problem skin.

To rejoice at another person’s joy is like being in heaven!

To rejoice at another persons’ joy is like being in heaven.  – Meister Eckhart (1260-1327)

I just got this book at our local library book sale. It has religious quotes from the first to the twentieth centuries. There is something very special about quotes from others who lived many years ago. Reading them makes you feel as if you are back in time and focusing on what really matters in our lives.

Let us hang upon the lips of all the faithful for the Spirit of God is upon every one of them. – Paulinus of Nola (d. 431)

Unique gifts from God!

It is amazing to plant a tiny flower seed and watch how each different seed produces a beautiful flower; each one with its own unique beauty, fragrance and purpose.

Each one of us was also made with our own unique character, gifts and purpose for our lives. God created us to be who we are to fulfill His plan for our lives. He has called each of His children to a different path distinctly designed for us, because He has something very important for us to give to this world.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve, but the same Lord to serve. And there are different ways that God works through people, but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.”

God also made each flower to serve its own purpose. One may be used for healing, another more useful to the bee or the butterfly, and another with extraordinary beauty that brings joy to the heart. Each one is accomplishing the purpose of its creation, and all of creation is bringing glory to our Creator.

Bee and Flower Beeswax Power!

The power of beeswax candles is amazing! God’s creation just never ceases to amaze me! 

Burning beeswax candles improves indoor air quality by changing the ions in the air from positive to negative. These negative ions circulate in the room and attract dust, odors, molds, bacteria, viruses and other toxins.

Beeswax candles also stimulate the pituitary gland, increasing creativity, intuition and dream activity.

The fragrance of beeswax candles comes from the pollen the bees collect from flowers. The pollen from clover and wildflowers produces a lighter fragrance while the pollen from sunflowers and alfalfa produces a stronger fragrance.

Honey for the Skin!

As we age, our body loses it’s ability to replenish collagen and elastin, which are responsible for our skins flexibility, firmness and thickness. Honey helps to replenish these in our skin.

Honey contains many nutrients – nourishing our skin deeply and naturally.

A single flower…

is just a small glimpse of the glory of God. God’s glory shines through the brilliance of each individual flower and His love is seen in their intricate details.