Hello everyone,

Sorry, I have not been around for a while. It has been a bit crazy for me. Things are sort of leveling off now. So I thought I'd pop in to share some news.

I guess some of you guys remember my plantaholic tendencies.   

Well it got worse! I started listing some surplus plants on eBay and they sold like crazy. So I grew more and kept selling. Anyway, it's kind of out of hand! Anyway, to cut a long story short I spent much of the last few months propagating and posting my plant sales   

I've not managed to do much else (except a couple of very short/cheap holidays)... then I set off to see my brother who lives near SF. It was good way to combine catching up with him and his lovely family and progressing my projects. I went there to collect some interesting plant material I had posted to his home from Canada (I brought back cuttings as that was easiest way to import them thru customs). Anyway, I now have some really interesting varieties of thyme; rose scented, lavender and new orange and lemon scented varieties. The rose scented variety is very interesting a bit like rose FO and doesn't smell anything like thyme at all. They are all still growing well on the window sill. They look exactly like standard thyme, but the scents are very different.

I also bought a larger distillation unit (PIC). I wanted to put it off till next year as it's not cheap from the US, but the pound was crashing so I brought my purchase forward. I'll be doing my first distillation of geraniums next week. I'm also hoping to have a machine to do absoloutes next year. My brother has agreed to help design and build CO2 super critical reactor/s for me (he used to design chambers for etching silicon chips so this is much simpler project for him). This will be perfect for creating "natural" absoloutes with no solvent residues.

I'm also preparing a business plan/proposal for venture capitalist (an old family friend) in far east who can help kickstart farming plants for my EO project. I'm really nervous about this as I haven't got a clue about yields and costs/pricing. I'm also not very good at delegating... I want to go out there to actually do the planting. Geraniums (distillation) and lotus (CO2 extracted which is a bit more involved) seem the most obvious crops. I would like to experiment with CO2 extraction of Calamandin flowers which to me smell very similar to Bitter Orange 'Bouquet de Fleur' flowers (Neroli).

Anyway, there will hopefully be more news next year on cosmetic side (more things in the pipeline). Needless to say, I've made nothing this year. I had to raid RetroPants stall earlier today for Christmas pressies  :mwaha:

Well hello stranger yourself!

Good to see you're having fun with your plants.
(and that you've remembered to post a pic!! Hopefully we'll see more)

I remember what you lot are like with pics  :mwaha:

Hello you!!!!!  It is so nice to see you around.  Really missed ya  :buttrf:

Well, to say you have been a bit busy is quite an understatement innit.  Sounds like you have been on an adventure, both physically and creatively.  Can't wait to hear more as things develop  :buttrf:

I was thinking about you the other day, and I concluded that you were probably swamped with lavender and geraniums.  Sounds as though I wasn't far wrong! 

Very exciting.  I love the sound of those thymes.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure how I would progress this far. I was quite depressed global upheavals this year. Seeing my brother and talking thing thru with him has given me impetus. He has a very much has a can-do attitude and a problem solver. So it was great bouncing things off him.

Selling plants gives me chance to fund some of this craziness  :mwaha:

Wouldn't mind getting me some of this 'er impetus.  Does he have any going spare?  :mwaha:

Hello!

It was wonderful to see you yesterday Andy. You have been missed at markets this year.
I am looking forward to having a sniff of some of the EOs and absolutes that you are planning, they sound wonderful! Don't work too hard! X

Great to see you ! Love your update 

 

Welcome back we all thought you'd turned into Poison Andoy with all your plants

I've just been organising my scented pelargonium collection in my living room window  (my polytunnel is a bit too cold and damp at the moment). So I have some refugees

Just re-read my post... I'm turning dyslexic. Must me all the perfume. It smells very very strong.I do not need air fresheners  :mwaha:

Definitely a room full of aroma!

Wow!!  Looks like an indoor farm!!  Ey up... you aint had no knocks on the door from the feds have you?    :mwaha: