Winter in Southern Ontario can be a real test of both skin and hair resilience. I’ve battled the dry air and brittle hair for years, and over time, I’ve learned that a little self-care goes a long way. I’m excited to share how I’ve transformed my routine with our farm-grown, herb-infused products.

Starting My Day with Lavender WHIP After a long, warm shower, I reach for our Lavender WHIP. This isn’t just any moisturizer—it’s a luxurious blend of coconut oil, shea butter, and vitamin E that deeply hydrates my skin. I love that it’s infused with sumac, grape leaf, calendula, and carrot; each herb brings its own set of skin-loving benefits that leave my face and body glowing. The calming scent of our lavender essential oil transforms my routine into a little moment of self-care, setting a positive tone for the day.

This morning, we are seeding our Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)—one of the most breathtaking cut flowers we grow on the farm. Often mistaken for a rose, Lisianthus has delicate, ruffled petals and comes in an array of colors, from soft pinks and purples to vibrant reds, yellows, greens, and even blue.

Growing Lisianthus: A Fickle Yet Rewarding FlowerUnlike roses, which I am less familiar with, Lisianthus is notoriously tricky to grow. We plant ours in the hoophouse because rain can stain the petals, reducing their beauty as a cut flower. This is a flower that demands patience—it requires a long growing season, which is why we are starting our seeds now at the end of February.

In the past, we seeded Lisianthus in January, following the lead of other farmers. However, this year, our seeds were delayed in Canadian Customs for over 40 days, despite being ordered from a large, reputable seed supplier. This setback meant adjusting our planting schedule, but we’re hopeful these blooms will still thrive.
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A Cut Flower That Lasts for Weeks ~ One of the best qualities of Lisianthus is its exceptionally long vase life. Unlike some flowers that wilt within days, I have had Lisianthus stems last for weeks in the farm shop. This durability makes them a top choice for bouquets, wedding arrangements, and floral displays.

How We Condition Our Cut Flowers for LongevityTo ensure the freshest, longest-lasting flowers, we carefully condition every bloom. Here’s our process:
🌸 Harvesting at the Coolest Part of the Day – Whenever possible, we cut our flowers early in the morning or late in the evening.
🌸 Immediate Cooling – The flowers are placed in our cooler at 0.5°C for a minimum of 24 hours.
🌸 Similar to Blanching Vegetables ~ Just like blanching stops vegetables from overcooking, cooling flowers helps preserve their freshness and extend their lifespan in the vase.

The Symbolism & Origins of Lisianthus ~ Beyond its beauty, Lisianthus carries deep meaning. It symbolizes gratitude, appreciation, and charisma, making it a perfect flower for gifts and special occasions. Interestingly, it is also the birth flower for those born under the Sagittarius zodiac sign.
Lisianthus, also known as prairie gentian or bluebell gentian, is native to prairies and fields stretching from northern Mexico up to Colorado and Nebraska. Depending on the variety, it can be grown as an annual or biennial, with single or branching stems reaching up to 3 feet tall.

Looking Ahead ~ Despite the challenges of growing Lisianthus, we remain committed to cultivating these elegant blooms. As we watch these tiny seeds develop into stunning flowers over the coming months, I’ll be sharing updates on their progress.
Have you grown Lisianthus before? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your experience!

Making Rosemary Hair Water at home is easy and inexpensive.  This is a different process than we process on our farm, however for the at home DIY enthusiast this recipe below is a great way to support your hair, create stronger, healthier hair along with assisting in hair growth. 

At Mingle Hill Farm we harvest our Rosemary at the heat of the day from July to September.  We then dry our Rosemary in a warm but very dry dark space to prevent molding and to harness the highest oils in the plant.  Once the Rosemary is dried, we then infuse it into our hair oils, crush it into our spice mixes and teas and we steam distill it using our cooper distiller from Austria. 

Using steam distillation in a copper distiller is the optimal form of extracting the finest oils from a plant.  On average,  it takes 3 kgs of plant or flower to produce 20mL of oil.  
During the process of steam distillation, we are also creating a floral water.  This is created by the passing of the steam through the plant materials, condensing the vapor and capturing the water soluble compounds from the plant.  Our final product; Rosemary Water.   Of course this is difficult to produce in the average home, but the next best thing can be made easily on your kitchen stove. 

For years, hair dye has been associated with harsh chemicals, scalp irritation, and long-term damage—but what if there was a better way? At Herbal Hydration, we believe that beauty should be both vibrant and natural, which is why we’ve created a plant-based, chemical-free alternative to conventional hair dye.
Our mission? To give you stunning hair color without the compromise.
In this blog, we’ll be sharing:
✔ Tips & Tricks for Using Natural Hair Dye
✔ Before & After Transformations from our community
✔ How to Care for Your Color to Make It Last Longer
✔ The History & Benefits of Herbal Hair Coloring
💡 Did You Know? Many ancient cultures, from Egypt to India, have used plants like henna, indigo, and chamomile to color and nourish their hair. We’re continuing that tradition—bringing you a healthier, more sustainable way to dye your hair.
✨ Join the Natural Hair Revolution! ✨
Follow along as we explore the science, history, and beauty of plant-based hair dye. Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a comment or send us a message on Instagram & TikTok!

A very common questions I get is what kind should I buy, and my answer is always, English Lavender.  "French" or  professionally named X intermedia is that traditional smell that most people say remind them of France.  

But do you know what France climate is? Mediterranean.  Do you know what climate Ontario is? Crap. Our winters are harsh and some years we have seen a drop of -25 celsius after a rain storm.  Why do we live in a place where the air hurts our face? The "French" Lavender have the same thought and would rather not participate.   

But if you are stubborn like we are, there are some ways to attempt to prevent all that drama in the spring.  We cover with biodegradable plastic bags.  We cut a hole in the corner of the bags for airflow and tie the handles around the base.  Most lavender farms use tarps that may or may not work better.   Being in the windiest location in Southern Ontario (which is why we have the windmills behind us), we do not have the luxury to attempt tarps unless we want to spend our days chasing them.  

With that said, English Lavender is beautiful and the colour of the flower is bluer and much prettier than the "French".  It is a smaller plant and their are many kinds.  Folgate is our favourite with a second to Royal Velvet.  There are so many to choose from, but whatever you do, do not buy the Spanish Lavender.  Nothing against the Spanish, that is for another post.  

There are so many types of lavender, and with that different types of purning.  If you know what kind of lavender plant you have it will make it easier. 
However a general homeowner plant should be pruned twice.  Start in the spring in late May or early June before any buds show on your plants.  With a pair of sharp clippers, trim the tops of the plant that are soft leaves only.  You do not want to cut into the woody part of the plant.  Shape your lavender plant like a round soccer ball if you can.   

The second time to trim your lavender and the most important time is in the late summer, end of August.  Trim off all the flowering stems.  This will protect your lavender plant over the winter and put energy into the roots for regrowth the following year. 

Tomatoes: Plant and trellis your tomatoes in a sunny location with well-draining soil just below the bottom leaf.  In optimal conditions, tomatoes can grow 10 feet. Allow plants to partially dry before watering to avoid unwanted disease. Plant basil between your tomato plants to get a sweeter tomato. Trim off all “suckers” of the tomato to ensure quality fruit on your tomato plant. A sucker is the small shoot that develops between the main stem and individual branches. As your plant grows, remove bottom leaves to give your plants more airflow.

​Cucumbers: Plant and trellis cucumbers in well-drained soil and in full sun.  Cucumber plants can reach up to 12 feet.  Allow your cucumbers to partially dry before watering.  Watch for Squash Bugs and Cucumber Beetles which can damage your plant and fruit. We recommend using a hand vacuum to collect the pests and remove them to a bucket of soapy water. Utilize companion plants such as nasturtium and marigold to ward off pests.

Peppers: Plant your peppers in a sunny location with well-draining soil. Pepper plants can grow up to 4 feet tall. Pinch off the first 2-3 sets of flowers until the plant is large enough to sustain the weight of a pepper.  Trim off all but 3 main stems to grow large peppers that ripen faster. To avoid trellising, you may pinch off the top of your peppers to encourage bushier, heartier plants.

Zucchini: Zucchini can produce for approximately 1 month once it is full size. The flowers of the zucchini are edible, but ensure that you have pollination before removing them so that the fruit will fully develop.  Zucchini is susceptible to Squash Bugs and does not often survive in the hot summer months.  Plant in full sun.

Cabbage: Cabbage is a long term crop that is a heavy feeder (requires more nutrients than other plants) and likes well-drained soil. Cabbage is susceptible to the Cabbage Moth which means little caterpillars may enjoy your harvest before you do. To protect this plant from pests, we recommend using a row cover, available from most garden centres. Try adding dill as a companion plant to vegetables in the brassica family as it acts as a repellent to many pests.

Kale: Kale is a giving producer.  Once the leaves get to a nice size, start harvesting the bottom leaves all season long. Kale likes well-drained soil and full sun.  Kale is susceptible to the Cabbage Moth which can eat the leaves of the kale.  We recommend using row cover, available from most garden centres.

In 2018 Mingle Hill received its name. We are located in St. Ann’s and operate as a family-owned certified organic farm. Though we have always believed in growing food to share a means of sustainable living, that belief has been enhanced during the time of COVID-19. Working on a farm means listening to Mother Nature and working with her throughout each season. This year has been no different. We continue to seed, tend, water, amend and plant. When the weather brings a wind- or snowstorm, we move onto other work. A lot of that work looks different this season as we make adjusts in a time of quarantine.
 
At the farm, we all learned through experience. Each season we develop new skills and ideas to improve for future years; each night we bring home research to put into practice the following day. This year a big goal for us is education. Our hope is to provide knowledge about each vegetable we grow, to inform the community that we operate with zero food miles and certified organic growing practices, and to assist new growers on their journey.
 
Like many vegetable farmers, winter is a season of hope and anticipation. We have taken time to review what habits worked for us last season, and which did not. We have reviewed each variety of vegetable we grow to analyze its germination rate to its post-harvest storage longevity. Winter is also the season of Catalogues. The prospect of catalogue deliveries keeps farmers walking up and down their undoubtedly long driveways each afternoon to check the mailbox for the new season’s issue. For new growers, catalogues are generally free to request online and are filled with hundreds upon hundreds of vegetable and flower varieties. This is how we at Mingle Hill get started. If we did or did not like a certain variation last season this is our opportunity to either see if it is back in stock or to try an alternative.