The various herbal salves from Garden Delights are handcrafted from organic oils, farm grown herbs and essential oils.
Garden Delights sells cat and dog herbal infused flea collars that fight infestations for up to three months.
Herbs are among the most nutritious greens, rich in phytochemicals that fight disease, antibacterial and full of anti-inflammatory properties.
Soothing of nausea, protection against dysentery and blood pressure regulation are a few examples of their benefits. Erin Harwood of Garden Delights Herb Farm in Brush Prairie said the benefits of eating herbs are extensive.
“I grew up in a rural area with a rural lifestyle where you couldn’t just go down the street to urgent care,” said Harwood, a lifelong gardener who specializes in herbs. “We learned to take care of ourselves with what we had.”
Harwood’s mother, Eloyce O’Connor, has also been perfecting the use of herbs for most of her life. In 2005 the pair opened up Garden Delights Herb Farm, which offers products ranging from culinary blends to bath salts and flea collars for pets.
Garden Delights has culinary blends for those cooking in the style of Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean Greek, veggies, soups, seafood and 11 other categories.
“They (herbs) are a really great substitute for salt,” Harwood said.
To drink, a handful of teas are also available at their home store and are named by how they aid bad health, such as “stress relief herbal tea” or “cold calming herbal tea.”
Bath and body products at Garden Delights include hydrosols, foot soaks, salves, bath salts and even herbal sachets to put inside pillows. Harwood said herbs provide great skin care and relaxation to the body. She said her son, for example, used to suffer from eczema and hives but found cures through the family-made herbal products. Her son’s experience is why she began testing out the medicinal uses of herbs. Eventually, the bath and body products found their way on the shelves.
Garden Delights’ pet items are primarily catnip toys and flea preventing sachet bags and collars. Everything costs $2-15. Harwood said her expertise comes from experimentation and research.
“I have an extensive library of herb books I’ve acquired over the years,” Harwood said. “There are thousands of different types of herbs and tons of other ingredients you can mix with.”
Olive oil, beeswax and several butters such as mango are a few of Garden Delights most popular combinations with herbs to make into products.
“That’s the great thing about it all, with just those few ingredients and different combinations of them with all the different herbs out there, you can make so many things,” Harwood said. “The only limit is imagination and a willingness to experiment.”
Harwood said one of the biggest benefits of buying herbal commodities from Garden Delights compared to big box stores is people can get to know the supplier and ask questions. Harwood and O’Connor also offer occasional classes, the most recent of which taught attendees how to make their own lip balms from herbs.
“My goal is honestly to empower people to do it yourself,” Harwood said. “No matter what happens in the world, you’ll be okay if you can take care of yourself.”
