Growing up, game night was one of my favorite things. Whether playing at a campground with my family by lantern light, or in my living room on a winter evening with friends while sipping hot cider, game night was something special to look forward to all year long. Much of the magic of game night was found in gathering with others and sharing the same activity. Now as a parent, I know that one of the best things about board games is how they engage our brains and cognitive process. What a great thing to combine that wonderful benefit with my love of herbs.

Vanilla beans are the ripened fruit of the tropical orchid Vanilla planifolia. This is the only orchid in the world that produces an edible fruit. Over the last year, we have seen prices more than double for this culinary favorite.

In late 2013, I came across an inspiring article from EarthShare about Green Teams. The idea is that a group of employees come together to have candid conservations and brainstorm creative ways to improve their sustainable business practices. I immediately saw the benefit for Mountain Rose Herbs to create our own Green Team, and in March 2014 we held our first meeting!

This blog was originally published in 2014, but we noticed it was a blog reader favorite, so we decided to update it for you. Enjoy! 

Combava petitgrain is a bright and uplifting essential oil that is distilled from the leaves and twigs of the Makrut Lime citrus bush, Citrus hystrix. This organic essential oil is used in fragrances and natural body care products. The oil has a soft, thick, citrusy scent with dry, woodsy back notes. It has a strong, long-lasting aroma, reminiscent of lemongrass and petitgrain.

For those of you who count on Mountain Rose Herbs for dried herbs and spices, we're honored! But we strongly encourage our community to support nearby farmers who grow beautiful, fresh botanicals too. Your buying power has the potential to fuel your local economy, reduce your carbon footprint, and promote the cultivation of local varieties of the herbs you love.

Buzzwords are everywhere these days and “sustainability” is right there at the top of the list. But what does it mean to use sustainable business practices? It’s often defined by the triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit – a term coined by author and entrepreneur, John Elkington, in 1994. Elkington believes in corporate responsibility, sustainable development, and looking at the full cost of doing business.

We are loving these sleek treatment pump sets! Ideal for facial oils, massage oils, infused herbal oils, and other oily, and herbal preparations. Available as a set in both 1 oz. and 2 oz. sizes in either cobalt or amber glass,we also sell the  pumps individually.

Interested in becoming an environmental champion and moving towards a zero waste lifestyle? The first step is to adopt the practices of a Master Recycler!

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we are so grateful for all of the pollinators in our lives, globally and locally. Our business literally exists on the backs of the bees and other lesser-known pollinators. And as suppliers of herbs, spices, and other botanical goods, we intimately understand that 75% of the world’s agricultural products depend on at least one pollinator, which is one reason why we're passionately committed to organic agriculture. June is Pollinator Month, and we’re honored to celebrate and raise awareness about the plight of the pollinators.

A sip of herbal tea or a dropperful of tincture can be the catalyst for a lifelong pursuit of herbalism. Many of us begin our studies making these simple and effective preparations, yet basic concepts sometimes become complicated when trying to decipher Latin binomial nomenclature, formulations, physiological actions, and historical research. The most common mix-ups arise from misused terminology, and one term that tends to be applied to a variety of preparations is tincture.

This solar holiday, also known to some as "Midsummer," marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. There is much folklore and myth associated with this holiday, and some traditions consider Midsummer’s Night to be a night where the veil between the human world and the world of the Faerie Folk is at its thinnest—a night the denizens of Faerie might be seen frolicking, making mischief, and dancing in merriment! Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a good illustration of this mythical thread.