The garden has been the main inspiration behind this family-run handmade herbal cosmetic business. It all began in 1991 when we created a 20 m by 10 m herb garden. We gradually planted up the numerous beds with an array of herbs. I knew very little about many of them so I started researching into their habits, their history and their culinary or medicinal uses. I consulted many herb books and found one that talked about making natural cosmetics out of various homegrown herbs. The idea appealed to me and after researching into a few traditional recipes, I began to try them out. My first task was finding the necessary ingredients such as cocoa butter and almond oil. I eventually located a health shop that could obtain them for me through their supplier of essential oils.

I returned to my farmhouse kitchen with the ingredients and began to make my first cream. In one bowl I placed the oils and waxes and into a second I poured the herbal infusion and water. Both bowls were then put in a bain-marie until the oils and waxes had melted and the herbal infusion had heated up. I then took them off my Aga and poured one into the other. At that stage it looked just like milk, but as I stirred it and as it became colder it gradually thickened into a cream. I was so excited about this first cream that I spent the rest of the day trying out different recipes. After several subsequent trips to the health shop in search of other oils and waxes, they kindly put me in touch with Martin Watt, who at that time was the supplier of the ingredients, who had offered to show me how to make cosmetics.

I contacted Martin, who conveniently lived in a neighbouring village to me, and found that not only was he a fully qualified medicinal herbalist but that he was fast becoming the authority on pure essential oils www.aromamedical.com. Martin kindly showed me how to make cosmetics and when he realized that I was truly enthusiastic about the whole thing he gave me the name of a colleague of his who had a skin-care company down near Guildford. In October 1992 I visited that company and returned back home not only with the newly acquired knowledge of how to make really professional cosmetics but also the right to use six lovely formulae. The next day, I ordered 5,000 bottles and 1,000 jars, designed a label and Little Myles Cosmetics was born.

I started selling my small range of cosmetics at Craft Fairs and then graduated to giving an hour-long talk to Ladies Groups and Clubs, Women¹s Institutes and Townswomen Guilds. During my talks the ladies had a chance to try out my cosmetics, having learnt during the talk how the business started, what ingredients I use and how the cosmetics are made. As my business has grown, I now no longer go out to give talks; instead I encourage groups to come here to Little Myles in June and July, so that they can see the garden, hear my talk, and understand better what we are trying to achieve here. As the business grew so did the range of cosmetics. I now make 25 products that come in various Little Myles Cosmetics essential oils mixes such as Chamomile, Tea Tree, Lemongrass and Mandarin and Jasmine. I also use Lavender in quite a few of my products because it is such a wonderful calming and beneficial oil.

In 1996 the EU Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations came into being, and I had to comply with numerous new laws. Luckily my thriving business, growing by word of mouth, had had several years to establish itself firmly. So with a customer base of over 500 people I moved out of the kitchen and into my laboratory.

The garden that inspired the handmade herbal cosmetic business has also grown and matured over the years. It provides us with the marigolds that are specifically grown for my cosmetics. The marigolds have marvellous healing properties and look so beautiful when grown en masse. On sunny days I pick the petals, dry them over the Aga and then store them until I need them for my marigold cream. I also harvest the nettles that grow in our wild flower meadows. Although not so pretty as the marigolds, they do have wonderful beneficial properties. I pick their young leaves, wash and boil them in pure water and use as necessary in my lavender and nettle cream and nettle hair conditioner.

Little Myles garden is now open to the public on two Sundays in the year. The last Sunday in June for our local hospice and the first Sunday in July under the National Garden Scheme from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.