From herbs to raising chickens, everything you need for a
healthier, greener home.
Herbs for health
Thyme is easy to
grow, attractive in the garden and very useful in the kitchen
Mint is perfect
for tea – and Pimm’s
Lavender works
well in chocolate recipes
Scatter dill and
mint over potato salad
Create a kitchen garden and reap the natural benefits of
these plants
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They look good, smell good and herbs can also do you good. That’s
the mantra of award-winning organic gardener and herb expert Jekka Mc Vicar.
‘They are the only plants I think worth growing; we shouldn’t be afraid to use
them in our cooking and our homes,’ she says. Here’s how:
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Add herbs to salads. Try wild rocket, which has a peppery taste,
helps stimulate digestion and is high in sulphur, which is good for healthy
skin, hair and nails.
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Make a herbal tea. Use either a sprig, fresh leaves or 2 tsp
dried herbs. Add boiled water, cover and leave to brew for 5 min. Strain if
necessary. Try rosemary to help boost your memory and mood, or make one of
Jekka’s three hand-blended teas; Bright and Breezy Brew, 3 pm Tea, and Good
Night Tea (3 x 50g bags, $ 23.4 including p&p), can be bought from
jekkasherbfarm.com
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Fragrance your home with relaxing herbal scents. ‘The easiest way
is to add herbs such as mint and lemon verbena to flower arrangements,’ says
Jekka. ‘Stand them on a sunny windowsill, as the sun helps bring essential oils
to the surface of the leaves.’
Cooler nights
Cool comfort:
Seville Organic bedlinen collection including Sateen Duver Cover, from $ 203
for a single, The Fine Cotton Company
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Make summer evenings more comfy by choosing bedlinen in the right
fabrics
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Duvets Wool is a natural choice and, as it’s breathable, helps
regulate your body temperature, helps regulate your body temperature, while
silk has the added bonus of wicking moisture away from the skin. The Gingerlily
range at John Lewis has 100 per cent silk duvets in a nimber of weights,
including a summer edition. For a synthetic option, try the Breathe collection.
If you feel the cold (or heat) more than your partner, TwoTog, also from John
Lewis, is one duvet slpit down the middle with a different tog rating on each
side.
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Bedding Look for quality cotton bedlinen with a 400 thread count
from The Fine Cotton Company and The Best Bed Linen in the World. The higher
the thread count, the finer the yarn, so the cooler you are. Organic cotton,
with untreated fibres grown to maximum length, gives greater absorbency and a
smoother and softer fabric. Look out for words such as ‘mercerised’ and
‘percale’, signifying superior strength and softness.
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Mattress The Octaspring by Dormeo uses a revolutionary mattress
ventilation system. Octasprings are made from memory foam rather than metal
springs, woven into a honeycomb construction, which, along with the innovative
mesh mattress sides, ‘airs’ the mattress as you move around. Sealy’s Sprillow,
a pillow with pocket springs, adopts a similar principle.
