GROWING HERBS AT HOME FOR HEALTH:
I’m an avid home gardener, with a focus on growing organic food for my family. Growing herbs not only adds aesthetic value to your garden, but it offers a wide range of natural remedies at your back door. To see more of my gardening photos, say hi to me on
Here are a few of my favourites:
Chamomile:
Chamomile tea is packed with antioxidants and contains properties that may assist with sleep and digestion. For a pretty effect, sprinkle some seeds in an old metal wheelbarrow at the end of winter and watch as they grow through spring. Pick several flower heads and boil in a cup of water. Drink in the evening to help you unwind or during the day if you have an upset stomach.
Lemon Balm:
Lemon Balm tea has powerful sedative effects. When I am stressed or have been sleeping poorly, I pick several leaves and infuse in water to create a herbal tea. The effects are quick, and you will find yourself relaxing or falling asleep in no time. Lemon Balm is also helpful in aiding with digestive problems including sore stomach, bloating, gas, vomiting, and colic.
Calendula:
Calendula flowers are like splashes of sunshine in your garden. They self seed readily, which means you only need to plant them once. The petals are edible and can be thrown into a salad to add colour. Calendula can also be applied to the skin to reduce pain and inflammation. If you have a little time, use the petals to create infused calendula oil. The oil can then be used to create a balm which can be used on the lips as a moisturiser, and wounds and ulcers to reduce swelling and pain.
Rania Battany lives with her husband and three children in the beautiful Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia. When she isn’t getting her hands dirty in the garden, frolicking with her chickens or dog, or chasing after her three young children, she is writing contemporary romance novels that tug at the heartstrings or curled up with a cup of tea and a book.
Rania Battany on the web:
Fleeting Moments
Maya is floundering. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, is isolated from family and friends, and her father—the only person that ever truly understood her—has been gone four years. When her boyfriend leaves her for another woman, the rocky foundations of Maya’s life crumble to dust, and she sinks even further into the pit of grief and despair.
Until she meets him. Sam. The one with the animated smile and gentle eyes, who always sees the positive no matter how bad the negative. And the one who reignites Maya’s passion through his enthusiasm and zest, helping to rebuild her life, piece by piece.
But when ghosts from Maya’s past resurface, her decisions almost destroy the few important relationships she has left, and the happiness she’s so recently found is threatened. She must overcome her demons and decide what matters most—the familiarity of the past, or the hope, love and possibilities of the future.
Until she meets him. Sam. The one with the animated smile and gentle eyes, who always sees the positive no matter how bad the negative. And the one who reignites Maya’s passion through his enthusiasm and zest, helping to rebuild her life, piece by piece.
But when ghosts from Maya’s past resurface, her decisions almost destroy the few important relationships she has left, and the happiness she’s so recently found is threatened. She must overcome her demons and decide what matters most—the familiarity of the past, or the hope, love and possibilities of the future.
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