Herbs & Essential Oils: Nature’s Gifts for Flavor, Healing and Home

presented by Fatima NeJame

Fatima NeJame’s journey into healthier living began in 2005 when she adopted a plant-based diet and started growing her own food. In 2011 she graduated from the Master Gardener program and became an active member of both the Evening Herb Society and the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Her passion for wellness grew as she immersed herself in learning about clean, chemical-free living—transforming every aspect of her life, from what she eats to the products she uses on her body and in her home.
In this presentation, Fatima will share the incredible value of herbs and essential oils—not just as culinary delights, but as powerful tools for healing and natural cleaning. You‘ll learn how to make your own herb-infused oils and spirits for cooking and body care, and Fatima will demonstrate how to create a basic salve or balm that can serve multiple purposes depending on the oils used.
Join us to discover simple, sustainable ways to bring nature’s remedies into your everyday life.

Greetings, all,
There was lots of good stuff donated and lots of good stuff sold at the Anything and Everything Auction we held in March. A total of $876.00 was raised from this event which will help pay for program expenses and speaker honorariums in the upcoming months. Thank you all for your contributions, and I hope everyone had a good time.
We are coming to the end of the South Florida winter season. Some of you may have already gone up north. Some of you are still planning your annual yard cut-back to prepare for the rainy season. All of you, I‘m sure, will miss your local Green Market which will close by the end of April. If you need any herbs to get your kitchen through the summer, I hope you will stop by the Evening Herb Society booth at the  Mounts Spring Plant-a-Palooza April 26-27. If you have already missed that, keep the Mounts Botanical Garden Nursery in mind.
This month we are looking forward to our own Fatima NeJame, who will be presenting on the practical uses of infused and essential oils. The title of her presentation is “Herbs & Essential Oils: Nature’s Gifts for Flavor, Healing, and Home”. She will demonstrate how she uses these to make healing salves of all types.
Next month we will have members of our group presenting a talk on the International Herb Association Herb of 2025, Chamomile. Topics will include medicinal, culinary, botanical, and historical uses of chamomile. The Badge prize choices will include a book on chamomile published by the IHA.
In June we are looking forward to a presentation by Kara Krueger, Environmental Horticulture Agent, on Herbs in the Landscape. Kara has served as an Extension Agent in Palm Beach County for 2 1/2 years, and previously worked for 8 years as a horticulturist and landscape designer with Jenkins Landscape Company of Hobe Sound.
See you at the Meeting!
Mary

News from the Garden of Well Being/Herb Garden  April 2025

Working in the Herb Garden is always best when the weather cooperates. Slightly cool temperatures sunshine and a little shade sometimes. That helps my desire to be in the Herb Garden at the Mounts.
That’s how it’s been lately. Of course, I can always count on my friend, the Northern Cardinal singing and flying around the trees and bushes. Both visitors and I are charmed by the sound of his chirping and we are always looking for him (yes it’s a him) with cameras ready. Sometimes it’s a hide and seek. Most of the times, it’s a success in finding him.
There is a change in the air, the variety of Gingers are beginning to emerge. The Turmeric is already about 6 inches up. The Shampoo Ginger is out as well. I am glad to see the beds filling out a little bit. The Rue unfortunately is suffering and I think it won’t be around much longer. It’s not totally unexpected since it happens every year.
The Moujean Tea bush was pretty large and in great shape and then, all of a sudden, it lost leaves and turned yellow and now it’s losing those leaves. I looked closely to see if there is new leave growth and it think I see some. I am hopeful, that perhaps it will recover over time. In the meantime, we planted a new/smaller bush in an area where there is a lot of sunshine and water. I guess, you have to experiment with the plants and location.
We always had Cardamom in the culinary bed. A couple of week ago we learned that this was not “True Cardamom”. Aaron Kagle, a frequent visitor and avid gardener, brought a plant to Palmer, from our horticultural department, and presented him with a true Cardamon plant to replace what we thought was a true one. It looks totally different. The leaves are very tall and it will be interesting to watch how it will develop and multiply. What a job to excavate a rhizome such as cardamon, it took more time than planting the new one. Glad that job is done.
With the Spring Plant Sale around the corner, I hope you visit the garden as well as spend all your money buying fresh herb plants, among others. There is nothing better than fresh air and gardening.
Ingrid Menz