I?ve lived in the wine country my whole life ? but it wasn?t until I actually moved out to the country, and conquered my fear of spiders, that I started to see potential spa products masquerading as heaps of yard clippings around my property.

Lavender, chamomile, rose petals, *calendula, mint and rosemary are among the many ingredients that can be used in creating a soothing bath tea.

Here is one of my favorite recipes:

Mix these ingredients together and store in a container.  When you’re ready to use them, add  ½ cup of the mixture to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.  Strain and add to your bath water

1 cup rosemary
1 cup lavender
1 cup rose petals
1 cup mint

*note: pronounced kulen?jula ? not kalen?doola, the latter will result in some serious mocking.   Heed the voice of experience.