Gardening the Natural Way...with Essential Oils!

The weather is warm and the dirt is ready....it's gardening time!

I come from a long line of green thumbs, but unfortunately it didn't get passed down to me.  One thing I have noticed about our new  home, North Dakota is great for gardening and pretty hard to kill things, even for me!  So with that, I set out on a quest to find natural ways to help in the garden...and it had to include essential oils

.  Here is what I found......

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The All-Around Insect Spray

TerraShield is called the Repellent Blend for a reason!  More effective and safer than DEET, this blend is great at repelling just about any insect.  You can spray it on you to keep the insects from biting, or spray directly onto your plants to keep the nibblers off them!

For a body spray, try 16 oz of witch hazel to 30 drops of the Repellent Blend and apply liberally. 

For the plants, try 16 oz of water, 1 tbs of a natural soap like castile soap, and 25 drops of the blend.  Make sure you shake well!

Thyme and Lavender are great at protecting your plants, also.

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Insect Blends

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Some critters in your garden can be helpful, some not so much.  One of the main problems with using a chemical insect killer is it kills everything and poisons your crop.  Here are some natural blends to repel the pests and keep you safe.....

For specific insect problems, try mixing 8 oz of water in a spray bottle with 1/2 teaspoon natural soap, and 12 drops of the doTERRA essential oil from the guide below – remembering to shake the bottle frequently to keep the oil mixed with the water:

ANTS – Peppermint

APHIDS – Peppermint, Sandalwood, White Fir

BEETLES – Peppermint, Thyme

CATERPILLARS – Peppermint

CHIGGERS – Lavender, Lemongrass, Thyme

CUTWORM – Thyme

FLEAS – Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint

FLIES – Basil, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary

GNATS – Patchouli

MOSQUITOES – Lavender, Lemongrass

MOTHS – Lavender, Peppermint

PLANT LICE – Peppermint

ROACHES – Eucalyptus

SLUGS – White Fir

SNAILS – Patchouli, White Fir

SPIDERS – Peppermint

TICKS – Lavender, Lemongrass, Thyme

WEEVILS – Patchouli, Sandalwood

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Ways to Apply

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When we use essential oils on our bodies, we use them 3 ways- aromatically, topically, and internally. We can use them in similar ways on our plants.

Sprays: Add drops of essential oil to water in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of natural liquid soap such as castile soap to act as a surfactant, which will ensure uniform coverage on leaves and insect bodies. Spray directly onto fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc.

String: Soak a string in a mixture of water and essential oils. Hang the string between crops in the garden. This will deter flying insects.

Cloth Strips: Use a drop of essential oil on strips of fabric and hang throughout the garden. Add more drops as needed.

Cotton Ball: Use for animals or pests that like to burrow. Place directly on top of nests, burrows, etc.  This works great in your pantry BTW.....

Cartons & Containers: Bury the carton into the ground up to the top of the container. Add drops of essential oil to deter slugs, snails, mice, ground insects, etc.

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Mildew & Fungus Spray

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According to St Clare Seeds, conditions that favor mildew formation include wet foliage, high humidity, low light and moderate temperatures. These conditions cause the vegetable garden plants to never dry out, creating the perfect environment for the powdery mildew fungi. Pro active steps to avoid or minimize this risk include:

Buy disease-resistant Heirloom / Open Pollinated varieties.

Provide adequate air circulation by not crowding plants.

Plant your garden plants where they will get sufficient light.

Avoid over-fertilization. Leaves are more susceptible within 2 to 3½ weeks of unfolding.

Of course, this is only one kind of many plagues of mold and mildew in the garden.  Here is a great remedy to try..... 

1 Teaspoon High Proof Alcohol (alternatively, leave this out and add 1/2 tsp. of Baking Soda dissolved in the water.)

6 Drops each Melaleuca, Oregano, Thyme

8 oz. Water

Combine the first two ingredients. Shake to incorporate. Add water to oil mixture and place into a spray bottle. Spray in the evening when the sun cannot burn the leaves.

Remember – A little goes a long way!

Essential oils are powerful, so apply to plants sparingly. Begin by spraying the solution on the plants, making sure to spray underneath the leaves as well as the top. You can also apply the solution with a brush if you want to be more precise in your application to a specific area. Several applications, every few days, may be necessary.

To get your CPTG essential oils, email me at thenaturalcollective514@gmail.com then get planting!  How will you incorporate natural ways to grown your garden?

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This page is for informational purposes only, and is educational in nature. Statements made here have not been evaluated by the FDA. This page is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding in supplements or making any changes in your diet.  I would not recommend anything I do not use on myself or my family.

The Joys of Exploring the American West....with 5 kids....On a Budget

Recently my family went on a great adventure.  We explored the American West.  From June 4th through June 16th, we had the best time of our lives camping in various places from North Dakota to Texas....and it was AWESOME!

On day one, we started from our home in North Dakota, drove through the north western part of South Dakota, then to Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

We then back-tracked to Keystone, South Dakota and visited the Mount Rushmore National Monument.  That's my son Ethan holding up Roosevelt's head.....

Our plan was to have our first camp night around Lusk, Wyoming.  Due to flooding and our youngest daughter throwing up in the back of the car for two hours, we got a hotel in Wright, Wyoming instead.  Thank goodness for the digestive blend or it would have been much worse, I'm sure! 

After a good night's sleep, we were ready to roll!  From our stop in Wyoming, we ventured into the Rockies of Colorado by way of the Arapaho National Forest.  Let me just say, driving up a mountain peak at 10,000 feet is both amazing and anxiety filled!  But, I had my calming blend of Balance and Serenity to help me...and my 18 yr old daughter who fell right to sleep after applying it.  That pic above is the range we ended up topping.  There are so many cute towns on this path in Colorado that I will go into more detail about in my next few blog posts.  They are must visit places!

We finally arrived at our camp site in Cañon City, CO just in time to set up camp while there was still daylight.  

Once the older kiddos got over the initial shock of no service on their phones, they were happy with the warm fire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and telling ghost stories!

Upon waking the next day, after a beautiful sunrise with bacon and eggs, we set off for New Mexico.  We drove until we got to the Capulin Valcano National Monument.  This place was a lot more interesting than I planned on it being.  I highly recommend this on your trip.

Our next stop for the majority of our trip was the Mother Land.....TEXAS!  We stayed a couple of days in Odessa with family, then headed to Lake Brownwood State Park to camp for 4 days.

Lake Brownwood State Park is home to me.  I grew up here during the summer months.  As far as camping goes, it's pretty great.  They have good bathrooms and showers, the swimming area is great, you can boat, and the fishing is FREE!  It's even better now that the lake is full....but bring water shoes as the overgrowth from the drought has left the water kind of bushy in places.  Be prepared for lots of bugs..especially mosquitoes and ants...and heat.  You can get all you need to make effective and safe insect spray and sun screen from my doterra store!  Learn how to order!

When we left Texas, we were in for a treat.  Our next camp site was in the Gila/Apache National Forest in Quemado, New Mexico.  The weather was perfect, and the stars seemed so close!  Lots of Elk so drive careful.  And if the sound of coyotes and wolves howling put you to sleep, then this is the place for you!

From there we drove past the Petrified Forest in Arizona, to the Grand Canyon.  If you thought this was just a big hole in the ground, I encourage you to go see it!  Be prepared, this was the most expensive thing on our trip.  It cost $30 a car, so make your stay last a while.  It was so worth it!  Oh, and another tip.  When emailing pics from your phone to yourself, always save the original or largest size.  If you do the smaller size because it takes longer to send, they turn out kind of blurry like this....I forgive myself....

Our final camp site was in Shonto, Arizona at the Navajo National Monument.  This place is full of beauty and history, and will hold a special place in any one's heart that have Native American in their heritage like I do.  I will expand on this more in blog posts to come.

On our way back to North Dakota, we drove through Monument Valley on the Arizona and Utah side.  We planned to go through the Arches, but ran out of time.  We will go back, though.  The pic above is the Utah side.

We had one final stop in Parachute, Colorado by way of Palisade...probably one of the cutest towns ever!  We stayed the final night at a very nice and affordable Comfort Inn to hot tub and rest before our long 12hr drive home the next day.

We did all this for around $2,000 total!  It was so worth the effort.  My only regret is we were not able to do this before our two oldest boys grew up and developed responsibilities of their own.  Take my word on this.....take your family on a cross-country camping trip ASAP!

How are you spending your summer this year?





Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, psychological, or psychiatric problem, or a disability that requires medical attention, then you should consult your licensed medical doctor or appropriate health care provider. Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.