Masks of Mechanicsburg - highlighting The Rosemary House

The Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership is sponsoring a social medial spotlight on downtown businesses and how they have adapted to the Covid 19 pandemic. Area businesses large and small have struggled during this time, trying to maintain normalcy in unique times while safely operating their business and offering a safe haven for customers. Below is the story that Susanna shared about The Rosemary House, including a recipe for a do-it-yourself disinfecting spray. 

The health and well-being of customers has always been a primary concern at The Rosemary House.  Whether it is suppling herbs and seasonings to enhance your daily meals or whether it is providing relaxing and fragrant essential oils to elevate or calm the mood of your personal space. For over 50 years The Rosemary House has always been there for the well-being of their customers. Currently, staff are happy to have “masked” discussions with customers about which herbs will best suit their needs. Looking to spice up your cooking or seeking herbs to help you sleep or support your immune system or simply want a tasty cup of tea? The Rosemary House is your local source for herbs, spices, teas and gifts.

Want to make your own disinfecting spray to wipe down those high touch areas? Here is a quick and effective recipe that The Rosemary House uses to keep their doors and counters clean:

• 1 cup alcohol (either rubbing alcohol or vodka)
• Add 30+ drops of your choice of essential oil (orange is uplifting, tea tree is anti-viral, lavender is relaxing, or eucalyptus to open sinuses, all are available at The Rosemary House!)
• Add ¼ cup distilled water
• 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
• Mix all together, bottle, and spray and spritz as necessary

The Rosemary House, your one stop herb and spice shop, was established in 1968! Herbs, Tea, and Gift items. Established in 1968, this family business is owned and operated by Susanna Reppert Brill. Parking in the rear or on the street. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

For more about the Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership, follow them on Facebook!

Poison Ivy Blues

We were out Geo-caching (a treasure hunt based on GPS coordinates) the other evening as our socially distancing activity and it was up, still small, but growing vigorously in the woodland edge where we were hunting for our geo-cache.  Poison Ivy. Ugh. Fortunately, we recognize it in the many stages of growth so were able to avoid the dreaded rash. If you are not so fortunate, this summer, we have some help. Happy Camper Soap is excellent for rash relief from Poison Ivy or even from other gardening issues like pulling out weeds. It is an old fashioned soap with some added jewelweed and plantain, two weeds that offer comfort for the issues a poison ivy rash presents additionally it has other healing essential oils, kaolin clay and beeswax. We wash with Happy Camper Soap immediately after contact with the poison ivy to remove as much of the poison ivy oils off our skin as we can and also use it once the rash has presented itself.

Hiker's Releaf made by the Essential Herbal is a soothing spritz of jewelweed, plantain, and sage extracted in apple cider vinegar.  This is to spray directly on a poison ivy rash.

Both of these natural products are available in the shop, or online. Curbside pickup (we'll deliver to your vehicle) is also available.

Garden Club Educational Display

Lemon Balm can be added to a pitcher of water to
give the water a pleasant lemony flavor.

Another category to compete in at a Federated Flower Show, like the one Penn-Cumberland Garden Club recently held is in the "educational displays". This was one of the categories Susanna competed in. Her educational display was on Culinary Herbs and featured cut specimens from our herb garden, all labeled with how they are used. It also had tips on making herb vinegar and on drying and preserving herbs.

Our favorite way to mince herbs with kitchen scissors.

Tea Pots Galore!

We have a nice selection of tea pots and tea time treasures available in the shop!

 Looking for a special gift? The Rosemary House is your place!

Damiana Bitters, Aphrodisiac

Spotted in a little nook of a historic mansion, this bottle totes Damiana as an aphrodisiac. And indeed,  Damiana (Turnera diffusa) has been used as an aphrodisiac by the Mayan's. Grown on sunny hillsides in dry areas, (TX, Mexico and Central America) this herb relaxes mild anxiety and nervousness, which could have aphrodisiac effects.






Drunk as a tea, as warm as you can, it will increase tingling, oxygen levels in the genitals and is known to increase desires! It is a pungent flavor but not quite as bitter as this old bottle would indicate. 

Sassafras, Brain Tonic

We love to read and collect old bottles. Sassafras is the herb that is often easy to recognize because of its mitten shaped leaf. The bark of the root is found in many different "Root Beers" as it has a very pleasant flavor. The PA German consider the root a "Spring Tonic". It is a very mild blood thinner and is used in the spring to get the body moving again after a sluggish winter. Sassafras is a plant native to the US and one the Native Americans also used for flavoring and as a tonic. The leaf of sassafras is ground up and included as one of the ingredients to make "Gumbo File" powder, a thickening agent in Creole cooking.

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas

Herewith are some holiday shopping ideas as suggested by Molly Sams, our thoughtful and enthusiastic intern:

Interning at The Rosemary House can be dangerous. There are always clever, adorable, and functional products that make it easier to incorporate herb
s into your everyday life. So for me, a novice herbie, it is almost impossible to leave empty handed. And I know I am not the only one!

So if you’re stumped about what to get your earth-loving 20 something cousin, your mother-in-law, or grandmother here are a few ideas.

Roastmary

Perfect for the master chef or the freshman in college, Roastmary has been a part of The Rosemary House since it began. It is a wonderful way to spice up any holiday dish or make your barbeque truly memorable when the warm weather returns.

SweetRemembrances Recipe Collection

If you have ever been to Nancy Reppert’s Tea House, Sweet Remembrances, you will remember the scones she made that seemed to be created out of sheer perfection. Well now you can have them at home! Using her recipe book you can recreate all of your favorite dishes and amaze your guests.

Relaxing Tea

This potent little pack of tea may be just what you (and everyone on your list) will need after the holiday season. It is jam packed with herbs that help you relax and unwind after watching your children, grandchildren, or niece and nephew rip apart their presents like wild jackals. The mixture contains passionflower, skullcap, and plenty of other wonderful herbs to help you drift off to sleep.

Fruit Shrubs

I’ve noticed some in my generation have begun to enjoy this colonial favorite for its all natural ingredients and fruity flavor. Shrubs are delicious vinegar based drinks that are often added to carbonated water. Another name being haymaker’s punch, shrubs can be a wonderful thirst quencher that has plenty of vitamins and other benefits from the fruits they are made from. Shrubs make the perfect gift for those who are moving to their first apartment or want to explore their culinary inspirations.

Carpet Stuff

Carpet Stuff can be a fantastic way to spruce up a room before company or the first step to spring-cleaning. By sprinkling the powder on your rug and letting it sit for about 20 minutes before vacuuming you can have a fresh smelling home. This can be perfect for a freshman in college who is moving into the dorm room or someone moving abroad who will miss the smell of home.

And a gift certificate, of course!

If you’re still stuck, give the gift of options! A gift certificate to the shop can be a great way of saying, “let your creativity run free!” It gives them the opportunity to buy that book they’ve always wanted, try that DIY syrup, or have a spice haul so big it would make Mrs. McCormick blush.

Happy Gift Giving!

Pennsylvania Senator Visits The Rosemary House

Pennsylvania State Senator Pat Vance recently came to The Rosemary House to film the "Vance Report". She features shops, museums and other unique places to visit within her District. The Senator represents the 31st District which includes Cumberland and York County. The Rosemary House is located in Mechanicsburg, PA in Cumberland County. We were pleased to be one of the businesses recently featured in The Vance Report. Susanna chatted with Senator Vance about the shop, the gardens and some of the special events we hold here. The video, about 15 minutes in length, captures a beautiful glimpse into The Rosemary House. 

To watch the video, follow this link.












Screen shots from the video show Susanna and Senator Vance spending a few moments in the spa section of the shop (above) and in the fairy corner (left). 

There was also a quick stroll in the garden where Susanna spoke about the herb Rosemary, of course! Thank you, Senator Vance for sharing your experience at The Rosemary House!

Pink April Showers

Our redbud tree is beginning its annual explosion of tiny sweet pea-like flowers. How cunningly they clamber up and down the woody trunk and branches. It seems impossible to have old wood perform like that.

I pick the clusters to toss in salads or, better, decorate puddings and desserts. This native American tree is an important legume, a nitrogen fixing plant valuable to old woods as well as gardeners. Penn's Sylvania abounds with these shocking magenta/pink flowers in spring.

I have one tree, a seedling rescued from a house being built, which edges our patio and is best viewed, in bloom, from our bedroom window.

A thrilling sight now while its glory builds to a crescendo. I gather the much curved branches for graceful bouquets. Often the flowers dry on the twig, then reserved for later use in a wreath. When the tree fades and breezes scatter showers of fragile pink florets, I spread old sheets under the tree to claim my rightful harvest, a rich colorful bonanza for potpourris. A tree herb? Who dares dispute the many uses of redbud beyond its beauty?

Of all the months that fill the year,
Give April's month to me,
For earth and sky are then so filled
With sweet variety.
~Letitia E. Landon


 

Please Note: Today's blog post is an excerpt from Bertha Reppert's TwelveMonth Herbal written long before blogs were the norm. Although the Redbud tree of which she speaks is at the old family homestead, these photos are taken of the Redbud planted in front of the tea room. It is beginning its explosion of spring color, and will eventually transition to pretty heart shaped leaves. Alas, the tree is on a main roadway in the borough, so we do not harvest the tiny edible sweet pea-like blossoms.

Looking Ahead to 2014 Events

We are in the thick of Working the plan for our 2014 events!  It is promising to be another terrific year of culinary events, workshops, and bus tours.  Just to give you a sneak peak:  

Fairie Kerriwyn will teach us to make these charming fairy gourd houses! 


Alisa Dupuy will return as Violet Crawley at out Downton Abbey Tea Parties in April!

Hats and Bags are a part of our year with Marcella Farina speaking on Women of Hats and Diane Baird addressing Hand Bags.  

Susanna Reppert will cover Making your own Herbal Medicines Part 1 And Part II as well as the Tastes and Flavors of herbs.  

In the Spring you can make a Strawberry Jar of Herbs,  In the summer a Canning class is being held and in the fall,  Fairy House's again -- only this time with Pumpkins.  

By motorcoach we will travel to the NY Botanic Garden for the orchids and azaleas, to Winterthur for the Downton Abby clothing exhibit and to Cape May for an overnight tour of herb gardens and tea rooms. 

Just a little peak into our year.  Our full schedule of events will be ready by Valentine's Day.  And if you ever have an idea for a class or program let us know.

The Witness Tree

Traditionally, a Witness Tree was a surveying tool to mark a section or quarter section for mapping purposes.   This tree is located on the original highway between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.  On Oct 25, 1794, it has been documented that George Washington was here because one of the horses in his entourage threw a shoe.  The Tate's were the local blacksmiths.  Of course, the 1863 date reflects the Battle of Hunterstown, part of the battles of Gettysburg. I imagine the tree has witnessed many things perhaps someone's first stolen kiss, or  the burying of a beloved pet.

 

Meet Dr. Jim Duke

This is Dr. Jim Duke,  I first met him when I was in my late 20's.  He asked for people who worked in herb shops to write to him about how African Americans were using herbs so that he could write an article for Black History Month.  I wrote to him and met him two years later and he remembered my letter and its contents.   That is just a small story of how comprehensive his memory and knowledge is.  Fast forward another decade and I was lucky enough to travel with him not once but three times to the Peruvian Amazon Rain Forest.  



Dr. Duke is an ethno- botanist, so he studies how indigenous cultures utilize the plants around them in a capacity for food, lodging, canoes, ceremony, and of course medicine.

He has retired from the USDA where he fought hard during his years to "give herbs a fair shake".   To include herbs in the studies and not just pharmaceuticals and also to evaluate studies that included herbs to insure they were fairly done.   His database of active medicinal constituents of plants is so valued the USDA still hosts it.   In addition to all this, he sings a mean streak too.  About herbs of course!  Here he is singing about Ginseng, a common aphrodisiac in China,  the chorus goes:  "Makes an older man cock sure and a younger man endure, Makes an older woman younger and a younger woman hunger, Ginseng, Seng Gin......"



Dr. Duke's a joy to be around and if you are looking to add another herbal to your bookshelf his Green Pharmacy book is one of my favorites. 

Oak Trees - Is it White or Red?

There is a handy little trick to remembering the difference between a White Oak Tree or Red Oak -- The pointy leaves are Red Oak because the Native American's had arrows.  The rounded leaves are White Oak because the white man had bullets.

Favorite Tussie Mussie Holders

This is one of my favorite vintage nosegay holders.  It features an intricate Ivory handle and a small mirror.  I love the thought of checking your rouge in the mirror or perhaps holding it up to secretly keep an eye on your beau at the ball.

This unique filigree posie holder is Susanna's inheritance from our mother's collection.  What I love about it is that it has three little feet at the bottom and makes a perfect centerpiece at the table.

Victorian Posie Holders

Over the years our mother collected Victorian Posie Holders.   These holders were used in the Victorian Era, when no proper lady went out strolling without a little nose gay.  Some of the streets (and the people) were a little foul smelling and you would want something sweet, fragrant and pretty to hold to your nose.  Once our mum learned of this wonderful custom she would save her pennies until she had enough to purchase another one to add to the collection.  Most of the holders came from England.  They came in a variety of metals from pewter, to silver, to ivory handled and more. 

The pin in the photo above would be used to hold the flower stems in place.  Stems would be wrapped in moist moss so they would stay fresh for the day.   The ring would be worn on your finger which would allow you to drop the holder and keep your hands free to shop the market or to dance.

This Tussie Mussie, or nosegay, holder is Nancy's inheritance.  She found that lovely embroidered hankie to go with it.   More photos of our tussie mussie holders tomorrow and for more samples on Tussie Mussie holders and more history on Tussie Mussies and the Victorian Era refer to this blog post from last year.

Victorian Posie Pins and Holders

During the Victorian Era it appeared as if nothing passed by without that little extra touch of elegant perfection, down to the smallest detail.  Certainly you would want your calling card to be represented with some fragrant and symbolic flowers.  This antique stand up card holder has two miniature vases attached to each side to hold some colorful posies.

Lapel Pins and stick pins were also popular, the more ornate, the better.   Some fragrant Lily of the Valley or a simple rosebud, not to mention a heavenly Camellia blossom would be a perfect complement to these miniature posie holders.  Cornucopia style or metal filigree lace, Ivy or  Pine cones,  they are all perfect for the gentlemen and ladies too.

History of the Bee Skep

Egyptians were keeping bees as early as 4,000 years ago. Colonies of bees were floated up and down the Nile on barges. An integral part of British economy, the main product of British and Tudor apiarists was the wax, used to make candles. The name skep, introduced in the 16th century is generally regarded to have been derived from the Norse word skeppa meaning a container and measure for grain equal to half a bushel.

Keeping a skep of bees dry was an important part of bee keeping. A bee bole or three sided shelter is the best protection. In the 17th century, German immigrants that settled in America brought with them their bee skeps and knowledge of skep making. Rye straw was used as coiling material and hickory, ash and white oak splints were used to bind the straw together. Over the centuries the domed shape of the common bee skep has changed little. These bee skeps are no longer used for hiving today since you need to destroy the hive to get the honey. In 1871 Lorenzo Longstroth introduced the beehive that revolutionized bee keeping throughout the world: the wooden beehive with removable super. Although the modern beehive is the greatest blessing, it's the straw skep that continues to symbolize the world of bees.

Many many thanks to Lisa Head, an extraordinarily talented basket maker and bee skep maker. These photos are of her very tightly coiled bee skeps and she also shared the history of the bee skep. Please visit Lisa's website, here.

Herbs of Shakespeare

Here's flowers for you;
Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram. The Winter's Tale, IV, 4
Many herbs and flowers have been featured in Shakespeare's writings. He wrote about them lovingly using expressions that were not only poetical but also described what was observed on a daily basis. Flowers and herbs were also something his audience also could observe and understand and Shakespeare used many common roadside flowers for this reason.

The list of herbs and flowers used in his writing is long: Balm, Chamomile, Fennel, Garlic, Hyssop, Lavender, Rosemary, Parsley, Rue, Saffron, Thyme, Wormwood. Flowers include: Aconitum, Bachelor's Buttons, Carnation, Eglantine, Flags, Lily, Mallow, Oxslip, Poppy, Rose, Vetches and Yew. Then there is a long list of trees as well including: Apple, Cedar, Cherry, Hawthorn, Holly, Mulberry, Oak, Pear, Plum Quince and Thorn.

There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember. . . Hamlet, IV, 5