Tag Archives: lemon

Natural Aphid Spray

I grow a number of herbs in little pots that stick to the inside of my kitchen windows, as I like to have fresh herbs when I need them, they look really nice and the plants always get plenty of sunlight.

A few weeks ago I discovered (whilst talking to and tending to my herbs, as you do….), that my beloved Basil plant, which I’ve been growing for MONTHS, had dreaded aphids on him!

I whipped up a quick batch of natural aphid spray to gently encourage them to vacate (some may be sadly killed in the process and, for that, I am very sorry).

I used the following:

• Clean spray bottle (I reuse everything I can, so jam and pickle jars become herb containers or jar spells, old candle containers get new candles made inside them from soy wax, colourant wax and essential oils, and spray bottles, which have contained liquids that aren’t too toxic (fabulousa or febreeze spray bottles are ideal for this, but avoid anything that contained bleach or other harmful chemicals), get thoroughly washed out and reused, as more natural cleaning product bottles);

• 400ml fresh filtered water (we have hard water so everything we drink, cook with or give to the dogs gets filtered);

• 10-12 drops Rosemary essential oil;

• 10-12 drops Peppermint essential oil; and

• 10-12 drops Lemon essential oil.

I popped all the ingredients into the spray bottle, gave it a little shake and took my plant outside (to give them a chance to escape and bother someone else’s plants!) to spray the heck out of it!

I checked back the next day and they were all gone! I then gave my Basil a good spray with moonwater, as a little treat to help it recover from the vicious aphid onslaught and because I use this Basil in both my craft and my cooking, so I want to remove as much essential oil off the plant as I can.

Mr. Basil is doing very well now and not an interloper in sight!

Lavender and Lemon Candle

Even though I love my job, it can be stressful and I can get anxious about certain aspects of it from time to time. My clients are usually the Environment Agency and local Councils, so I often have meetings with pretty important people, or have to meet with Consultees, such as Natural England, or the Marine Management Organisation, to discuss the environmental aspects of our schemes. They can make or break a project and it can be really stressful!

Therefore, I decided that the first candle I was going to make, with the coconut soy wax and box of coloured pigment dye I got for my birthday, would be one for calming and boosting my mood. As I’m still working from home (and still will be doing for a good time longer!) and all my meetings are online, I can light the candle next to me whilst I’m in these meetings.

Therefore, I decided that the first candle I was going to make, with the coconut soy wax and box of coloured pigment dye I got for my birthday, would be one for calming and boosting my mood. As I’m still working from home (and still will be doing for a good time longer!) and all my meetings are online, I can light the candle next to me whilst I’m in these meetings.

Lavender essential oil is great for having a calming effect and for boosting a low mood. It can also decrease anxiety and calm the nerves. Lemon essential oil can also reduce anxiety, helps make you feel more relaxed and is very effective at relieving stress.

Lavender essential oil is great for having a calming effect and for boosting a low mood. It can also decrease anxiety and calm the nerves. Lemon essential oil can also reduce anxiety, helps make you feel more relaxed and is very effective at relieving stress.

Here are some photos of my process. By the way, the glass receptacle I’m using is a recycled candle jar that a melted all the wax out of, along with another, to make a ‘new’ candle with new wicks, so it’s safe for the high temperatures.

Here is a photo of the finished candle! I think next time I’ll use more dye/pigment, as it set a lighter colour than a wanted, as I hoped it’d be a bit more of a vibrant purple colour.