Learn to grow an organic garden for a more wholesome and self-reliant life. Live Simply, Grow Your Own, Make Natural Things.
Hello, I’m Tanya Anderson, an organic gardener, soapmaker, beekeeper, and green living enthusiast on the Isle of Man, British Isles. On Lovely Greens, I share regular garden tours, gardening tips, and DIY projects, including handmade soap and natural skincare. My garden is zone 8b/9a and is similar to the climate of the Pacific Northwest in the USA. I also get a lot of questions about where I'm from - I'm American-born but have lived abroad for most of my life.
I'm also the author of A Woman's Garden Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things and also offer ebooks and the new Natural Soapmaking for Beginners Online Course: bit.ly/soapmakingcourse
What's the point of the two week straining if you're just going to put it back into the jar with the lemon balm? Why not just leave it infuse for longer?
@@Lovelygreens Sure you did. You showed how to make a stronger infusion by straining the oil and then putting it back into the jar with the lemon balm. That step doesn't make sense.
Your apple archway trellis is breathtaking! I know you have briefly mentioned it in videos before, but have/could you go into a little more detail on how you did that? How to prune it, what varieties, etc.?
Your garden is lovely even in the throes of Fall. Mine is about done here too. My tomatoes and cucumbers are still producing. I have onions, melons, winter squash, pears, and pumpkins still going but I am ready for the great clean up. Tuesday and Wednesday we are to have temperatures in the mid 80’s and that will be the last hot hurrah. Then back to more seasonal temperatures until frost sneaks up on us. We are supposed to have a cool, rainy summer next year so I’m considering that in my future garden plans. Have a wonderful week! TeresaSue
Thank you, I have been looking for this, yes there are other videos out here, but this video made me realize that i was on to something and i also realized that i had materials that i had overlooked, while trying to figure out what i could do. I would also, suggest to views that if you barter with your neighbor, you could increase your level of creativity (no costs). Thank you for this video. I am so excited I have 2 doors to do, but I may just go crazy and make a garland or something for my white curbside fence ( it also has 2 gates).
8.45 look to your left from the cauliflower beds, you'll find her in a pot. Sweet sweet Maggie!! Sorry Tanya, i,m distracted again by your lovely furball.
One question, Tanya - how do you get coriander to grow so tall and so bushy? We are lucky to get plants to grow even a foot tall, by which time they have already run to seed.
Hi Alasdair, Aside from loving rich soil and moisture, coriander thrives in warmth and places protected from wind. The ones in the greenhouse get this while the coriander I grow outside doesn't. That's why it's so big. The plants I grow outside are more modest in size.
Yes, you can! There's a tiny amount of alcohol (drying to the skin) in the oil, but it should not be an issue. It can mainly evaporate off during oil and skincare preparation. However, if there is some still in the oil, it won't stay dispersed. During storage, it will collect at the bottom of the container, and you can avoid using it.
Whoa no you shouldn't dig it up every 5 years its in its prime by then and producing well. Maybe it's where you planted it they don't like full sun all day and need feeding and watering their leaves, and stems are large! Only divide if you want further plants from the crown.
If it's producing well, there's no point in dividing unless you want to grow more plants. But big clumps or those not producing benefit from division every five years.
I like to heavily prune the bases of my summer crops and then sow or plant my winter crops around them. Then as the summer crop deteriorates, I just snip them to ground level, remove the tops, then the roots can become food for my new crops.
@@ando5899 The placement, size, and design of the Polycrub mean that it stays warmer for longer. Notice the shrubs around the greenhouse-they block light. Single-paned glass also loses heat quicker than the double-walled plastic sheeting that the Polycrub is made of. Lastly, moist soil absorbs warmth and radiates it out at night. The large raised beds in the Polycrub help keep the interior warmer for longer.
Hello TLG . Well another season comes and goes.Time stands still for no one . I did manage to get a small harvest of Tomatoes after what was for the most part a cold wet overcast so called summer . Ah well!!! Onwards and upwards. Soon be Christmas and all that brings.
thank you for sharing your peaceful, calming garden with your followers...nice to see the Mag-ster bopping around the garden...the greenhouse always shines so lovely after your cleansing...i remember the video when you first cleaned that greenhouse years ago...have a beautiful week
Great video, I'm a little envious of your poly crub, looks like such a great place to grow and extend the season. Also just somewhere to hang on rainy, chilly days. Your compost bins are doubling as an agility course for Maggie. 😅
@@janekoebele3271 So do I :) They do occasionally get in trouble with me for weeing in the beds, but mostly, they leave them alone once crops/plants are in. Maggie, in particular, prefers doing her business outdoors than in the litter tray. Fortunately, she goes in the grass rather than the beds, though.
Hi, I have started rhubarb wine put it in the bottle for the second fermentation with bubbler, but it hasn’t started burping at all. Did I do something wrong?
It can take several days for it to start fermenting enough to produce bubbles. Make sure the wine is kept in a warmish place both day and night and wait. If it doesn't start again, then come back. You can also read the comments of others who have experienced the same over here lovelygreens.com/rhubarb-wine-recipe/
For home use, it doesn't have a specific shelflife. However, if you use old ingredients to make it, there's a higher chance of the soap going rancid quickly. Rancid soap smells bad, and that scent lingers on your skin if you use it. For selling soap, the shelflife is dependent on the ingredients you use. The closest best-by date is the best-by date of the soap.
Thank you for sharing this video! When your indigo was settling, didn’t it smell bad? My indigo liquid has strong smell when it’s on settling and drying process… not sure it’s normal or not.
Just made a double batch of this tonight! I made soap for the first time Thursday and have made 6 batches since! All following your recipes and instructions only! I’m literally so excited that I can hardly go a day or two without making a new batch or two!😍
