Home grown and distilled
Essential oil
Hydrosol
We are Bridget and Ian, an artist and a bootmaker. In 2015 we fell in love with a property in Gippsland, surrounded by Stringy Bark bush, with a view to the sea, in an area known as Granite Bar. We both love growing and making things and Bridget had a past in aromatherapy so we decided to grow and distill rosemary. Rosemary was chosen for many reasons; native to the Mediterranean it likes a view of the sea, growing on rocky outcrops, the granite bar seemed appropriate, and for millennia it has been documented as being the herb of remembrance; bringing clarity to the mind, stimulating the body, and paying homage to past persons individual and collective.
Our aim is to do one thing and do it well. We grow one species of Rosemary - Rosmarinus Officinalis "Herb Cottage", we use no chemicals, or pesticides, just physical labour.
Growing
Our philosophy in gardening is to work with local conditions, naturally to allow the plant to prosper. Rosemary was chosen to fit with our site conditions. Therefore our rosemary is organically produced although not certified.
Essential oil
Extremely concentrated oil extracted from fresh rosemary by steam passing through the leaves and flowers. Oil collects on the top of the hydrosol.
Distilling
To distill rosemary we strip the plant from the stems and place in a column above boiling water. Steam passes through the rosemary and the oil molecules attach. The steam then passes through a condenser ( cold water) and becomes a liquid, comprising hydrosol and oil.
Hydrosol
The aromatic water that has been through the rosemary, and contains tiny molecules of oil and other aromatics. It has a pH of less than 5 making it easy to be absorbed by the skin. We use rainwater.