Keeping it all natural

The three rose bushes by the old laundry outlet are still going strong

Ronnie and I planted rose bushes when we first moved to our smallholding to live out our dream.  (The post about that can be found here:  https://ecofootprintsa.blogspot.com/2013/11/welcome-and-anniversary-surprise.html)

Two were planted in front of the house, and the other three at the washing machine outlet outside the old garage (which is now my cottage).

The three stages of my conifer tree seed and pod production

My conifer trees produce flowers which age / dry into small wood-like cones.

I harvest lavender flowers from my bushes when they're flowering.

Venting the excess heat from the dehydrating fruit

  

I dehydrate lemon slices (from our lemon orchard) in my solar oven - that tends to make them a bit dark coloured (as the temperature isn't so easy to control) so I'm waiting for a couple of consecutively hot-enough days and I'll use my solar dehydrator and see if the end result is more what I'm looking for.

   

Slightly darkened dehydrated lemon and gorgeous dehydrated orange slices

 

A local fruit farm has reject oranges at harvesttime and I have arranged to collect some when they are harvesting.

Add some delicious herbs and spices, and what have you got?

The potpourri comes with a small bottle of essential oil 
to freshen up the potpourri if, and when, necessary.

Three different potpourri scents...

Pity I won't be able to simmer these on the Rosie
- but I have tried on my gas hob and they're gorgeous

...and three different simmer pot "flavour" packages.

I don't like using commercial room spray fresheners but, with two (sometimes wet) dogs who sleep inside at night, one needs to be able to freshen up the space a little.  And what better way than by using what nature so willingly gives you?  Just like it was done in days of yore.

A local farmstall has placed an order for both the potpourri and the simmer pot mixtures and I will be delivering this coming week.

A girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.

(if you'd like to buy any Foothills Potpourri or Foothills Simmer Pots for yourself, please drop me an email - perhaps I can make a plan to get it / them to you.)

The simmer pot will obviously work on a wood burner and I have searched online for local mini crockpots or mini hot plates for those who do not have wood burning stoves.  They're all too expensive as I would have to import them.  Ditto the glass "simmer pot" pots.  Would've been nice to offer a complete package to those who are eager to try my simmer pot mixtures.

Lets see how the sales go - perhaps I can offer that additional option in future.