Spring is upon us here in Western Oregon, and that means it’s time to head up into the Cascades to see how our treasured stands of Oregon grape and pipsissewa fared after a long, cold winter. The only problem at this time of year is the clouds of mosquitoes and other biting insects that stand between us and our treasured plants. Luckily, we have a new certified organic Bug Spray to help keep these buggers at bay.

Though we have been spending some time prepping our garden beds, the reality is that it will still be fairly cold at night for the next few weeks. And what better way to pass the cold early spring nights than reading one of the new herbal books that we’ve added to our botanical library?

We are pleased to introduce a certified organic, fair trade Garcinia Fruit Powder to our expansive roster of herbs and spices.

Garcinia comes from a fruit-bearing tree that also is the source of kokum butter. Native to India and parts of Asia, garcinia fruit has been used for thousands of years for the distinct sour taste that it lends to foods.

It’s been only a few months since Urban Moonshine’s Guido Masé gave a riveting presentation at our Free Herbalism Project event here in Eugene. Guido and crew have been busy concocting, decocting, and infusing roots, berries, and herbs into exciting new formulations, and we are happy to now offer two new Urban Moonshine tonics: Hit the Hay and Simmer Down.

 We’ve got a great new way that you can literally wear your love for plants on your sleeve -- our lovely and whimsical Botanical button and magnet sets. Featuring some of our favorite inflorescences including: bee balm, borage, chamomile, comfrey, echinacea, lavender, mullein, plantain, rosemary, and sage, these buttons are lovingly made by local Oregon artist Sarah Bast. 

Though it is still mostly cold and dark here in the Willamette Valley, we often close our eyes at this time of year and dream of our bountiful summer gardens. And our dreams got much bigger this year, as we have added several new varieties of seeds.

It has been a cold winter here in the Willamette Valley, and one of our favorite rituals during these dark days is a candlelit, rejuvenating bath. Our friends at Wild Carrot Herbals have been making these scented botanical bath salts, and we are grateful that their handiwork is helping to soothe our weary bodies!

Our New Year’s resolution is always to offer more certified organic botanicals for our customers! We are pleased to proclaim that our Coriander Seed Essential Oil is now certified organic.

Steam distilled by skilled artisans, our certified organic coriander seed essential oil has a sweet, spicy, woodsy aroma with a slightly fruity top note. Generally used as a middle note in aromatherapy blends, this oil combines well with some of our favorite essential oils, including organic cinnamon, organic ginger, organic neroli, and organic Australian sandalwood. The unique aroma of this oil is fun to play with while blending. It can support citrus notes, enhance spicy blends, and add an interesting earthy tone to other oils.

We are pleased to announce that, just in time for the new year, our Angelica Root Powder is now certified organic.

This amazing plant is traditionally cultivated in Europe. We are ever mindful of our carbon footprint here at Mountain Rose Herbs, and when the opportunity arose to source this herb from a certified organic farm in southern Oregon, we jumped at the opportunity.

We’re having a wonderful time experimenting with our new certified organic Lemon Thyme in our holiday recipes!

This deliciously aromatic herb is a member of the mint family. Lemon thyme resembles and grows just like English thyme, but its fresh citrus flavor quickly reminds you that you are in unchartered culinary territory!

Just in time for the holidays, we have two chic new cast iron teapot sets!