The rose is the enduring symbol of love and romance. We give red roses to our loved one on Valentine’s Day, and, despite changing fashions, roses remain one of the most popular flowers in a wedding bouquet. Cultivated in a wide range of shapes and colors, whether you love the traditional rich, velvety red rose, the Old English damask rose or the bright blue of the Waltz Time, there is a rose for everyone. The name ‘Rosa’ comes from the Greek ‘roden’ meaning ‘red’, as the anci

Cherry blossom is the flower of the cherry tree or any tree from the genus prunus. The beauty of this flower is very much appreciated all over the world but perhaps no more so than in Japan. Hanami, the practice of admiring the cherry blossom (known as sakura) has been followed for centuries. Many varieties of cherry blossom have been cultivated exclusively for ornamental purposes. The most popular variety of cherry blossom in Japan is Somei Yoshino distinguished by pure whit

One of the first questions people ask us is “Why should I buy handmade soap from you when I can pick up a much cheaper bar in the supermarket?”  Well yes, commercial bars of soap are much cheaper but do you know what goes into them? Or more importantly, what is taken out of them? Think about it. The skin is the largest organ in the human body and most people spend huge amounts of money lavishing creams, lotions and moisturizers on it, and yet ignore the major component of our

When I was growing up, so called “lavender water” was a popular perfume among ladies of a certain age, ahem, but considered a big no-no among the younger set. Basically, if you were under the age of 70 you didn’t wear it! Today, however, things have changed dramatically. Although still not really worn as a perfume, lavender is an incredibly popular herb, not just for its scent but also for its flavour as an ingredient in cooking (think lavender sugar, lavender cookies and lav