My best friend, Janice, gave me a start of 'soapwort' or bouncing bet several years ago. I put the plant along the east side of my deck, so that I could keep an eye on it and not lose it among all the other plants.
Bet or 'soapwort' is a plant that will actually create a soapy lather (from its leaves) and is the best soap to wash antique material and your best linens. The best thing about bouncing bet is that it washes out so easily. This cuts down on the number of 'rinses' you must do to get your antiques completely free of any soap residue. It grows wild and can be found quite frequently along railroad tracks. In my case, Bet decided to grow under the deck and come up and join me.
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Weather today has been blistering hot. Heat index was way over 100...while our actual temperature reached 95. Flowers are still hanging tough...with a lot of water. Mother nature gave us 4 inches over the weekend. Sometimes my husband has come behind me and watered without my knowledge. Several flowers are showing some stress not from the heat...but from wet feet.
Even my dog a black Labador, Cheyenne, will not come outside in this heat...but then who can blame her. I'm trying to get my gardening finished by noon each day. Tomorrow the temp is suppose to be 98 with a heat index of 105. I hit the jackpot today...finally got my lavender...which was on sale! Great price...4 inch pots at 2.00 each nice and hardy. Now the fun begins...where do I put them?
And I picked up 2 pots of white coneflower...
Got my shipment of Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil today...plan to mix up my own bug repellent. Studies have shown that Lemon Eucalyptus is just as effective against insect bites as Deet. And we all know Deet is not good for us! I think I will test it tomorrow.
And...I wore my apron on day! :)
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