Your backyard health spa

Flower & Garden Magazine, May-June, 1997 by Jessie Eisenstein

If visiting a health spa appeals to you but seems too extravagant, it's time to explore the potential pleasures in your own back yard. After hours spent gardening, imagine treating yourself to a restorative herbal mask or an aromatherapy massage. With some creative planting, these gifts from the garden can be yours.

People discovered that plants had medicinal qualities centuries before pharmaceutical companies even existed. While you may not be ready to start your own apothecary, here are some simple things to try, using ingredients from your garden.

Those pretty roses are more than just a feast for the eyes. Make a fruity tea with rose hips, which contain more vitamin C than oranges! In a coffee grinder, grind up the hips and steep one teaspoon of the grounds in a cup of very hot water (rather than boiling water, which decreases this tea's vitamin C content) for up to 10 minutes.

For an invigorating, lemony tea, try lemon balm. Steep 1/4 cup of fresh leaves in one cup of boiling water for up to 10 minutes. The lemon balm soothes nerves and aids in digestion.

Calendulas (pot marigolds) add a cheerful burst of color to your garden and they are reputed to act as a natural antiseptic, to boot. Pick flowers just as they begin to bloom. Mixed with oil, they help relieve cuts, burns, itchy skin and chapped lips.

For soft and supple skin, try a homemade herbal oil with lavender or calendula. To make the oil, fill a clear glass jar with calendula petals or lavender flowers and leaves. Gently crush the herbs with a wooden spoon and pour in enough oil to cover the herbs; olive oil is a good choice because it has a long shelf life. Cover the jar and place it in a sunny window. Shake the jar to mix it every other day. After several weeks, strain the oil through cheesecloth, pressing the herbs against the cloth to release the essential oils. Pour the oil into glass jars and store it in a dry, dark place. The oil should keep for up to a year. Massage the oil directly on your skin or add it to your bath.

Aromatherapy, the practice of using plant-derived fragrances to create or change your mood, is touted as a natural therapy. Aromatherapy combined with massage is a sensual delight. Massage increases blood circulation and aids in eliminating toxins from your body by stimulating the lymphatic system.

To make a rejuvenating bedtime herbal face mask, mix the following ingredients in a blender: 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons oatmeal and 2 tablespoons distilled water. Rub the mixture onto your skin and rinse after about 15 minutes.

A warm bath is a therapeutic way to wind down after a day's work in the garden. Although it may be more at home tossed in a salad, try lettuce in your bath water. To soothe sunburned skin, boil fresh lettuce with water and, after it has cooled, add this mineral-rich liquid to the bath.

Lavender is a calming herb that is often used to perfume bath water. Fill a cotton or muslin bag with the fresh flowers and leaves and hang it under the faucet. Run warm water over it, squeezing the bag periodically to release all of the lavender oil. It smells great and also soothes sunburn and insect bites.

Some vegetables are good for more than just eating. Place some cool sliced cucumbers over your eyes to reduce puffiness quickly. Cucumber juice, a natural astringent, can also be used to cleanse sensitive skin.

Grow your own loofah (Luffa aegyptiaca) sponge to use in the bath as an exfoliator. This relative of the cucumber is a climbing annual vine that thrives in full sun. Follow the instructions on the seed packet and, after harvesting your loofahs, soften them by soaking them in water. Peel the brown skin, remove the seeds and allow the loofahs to dry in the sun. Be sure to save the seeds to plant next spring.

Your personal health spa is not limited to the outdoor garden. The aloe (Aloe barbadensis) that you grow on your windowsill is a resilient plant known for its restorative properties. You've probably soothed sunburn with the sap of this succulent. It also helps to relieve cuts and other minor skin irritations. Just cut off a leaf at the fleshy base and squeeze. Did you know it also makes a fine setting lotion for your hair?

After cut flower arrangements have passed their prime, pluck the petals and lay them out to dry. You can make your own potpourri, or simply have the petals on hand to add to your bath at a moment's notice.

You can enjoy these healthy recipes long after your garden stops blooming for the season. Make some herbal oils and store them in decorative bottles to use year-round. And if you have an overabundance of vegetables, herbs and flowers this season, share them with friends. Everyone can use some gifts from the garden!

Editor's note: A source for loofah seeds is listed on page 70. Suggested reading for making your own backyard health spa: Natural Beauty for All Seasons by Janice Cox (Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996; $16.95; 265 pages), Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul Through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and Flower Essences by Anne McIntyre (Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996; $22.50, 287 pages) and Medicine of the Earth by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi (Rudra Press, 1996; $16.95; 320 pages).