On an evening excursion to downtown Chicago last weekend, I stumbled upon a fabulous find. The Lurie Garden at Millennium Park is a well-known tourist attraction to both Chicago residents and visitors. But shrouded in the dark of night, it felt like my own secret garden.

I drove to Chicago for a wedding that went from early Friday to late Saturday, so Sunday evening was my time to explore. After bumping along through hours of construction and traffic, I was grateful to find a tranquil place where noise and distraction couldn’t find me. Even though the street musicians were amazing and the Chicago Blues Festival was raging, I needed a silent break.

Photo by Hometown Invasion Tour/Courtesy Flickr
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I’m not sure whether I was in the “dark plate,” where the darker, lush plants were, or the “light plate,” which had more colorful vegetation. But after hours of examining GPS screens and reading street signs, the last thing I wanted to do was read a map to find out. I just wanted to explore. I didn’t even want to wrench myself from the moment long enough to take pictures, not that I could have seen much in the dark.

Photo by Zolk/Courtesy Flickr
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Next time I hope to go a little earlier before sunset so that I can not only take more photos, but also read the placards with plant listings and go for a guided tour. Lurie Garden also offers an interesting lecture series covering topics from sustainable strategies to natural lawn care and workshops that give a closer look at the perennial garden. The only vegetation I could actually see was great plumed grass and foxglove. I never thought of myself as a “city girl” because I’ve never lived in a big city, but the fact that I could identify only a few of the plants has put me to shame.

That’s another benefit urban gardens provide. Not only do they contribute to urban revitalization, decrease climate change and provide free entertainment, but they also give us the knowledge of plants that we lost when we started moving away from nature. I love Chicago’s motto, “Urbs in Horto.” It certainly was the “City in a Garden,” I just wish more cities were.

Photo by Ariel Tilson

I don’t know if I’d enjoy a walk through the Lurie Garden in the daytime as much as this first time. I want to selfishly keep my experience to myself. The moonlit stroll through Lurie Garden felt so romantic and private, that is, until the security guards chased me out to lock up for the night.

Constantly in search of the best natural face wash, I’ve recently stumbled upon a company with endless natural beauty treatment choices: derma e. The company combines vitamins, antioxidants and botanicals to create eco-friendly beauty treatments, such as its new formula Very Clear Cleansing Scrub ($13.95).

This exfoliant is a new product to join the Very Clear Skin collection, which includes the Very Clear Problem Skin Cleanser, Cleansing Scrub, Problem Skin Moisturizer and Spot Blemish Treatment. The formula combines tea tree, willow bark, rosewood, lavender, aloe and chamomile to treat blemish-prone skin.

The exfoliant, designed to remove dead skin cells in order to stimulate new cell growth for clearer skin, is gentle, relaxing and seems to work very well with my skin. My acne has stayed under control as of late and I truly believe it has something to do with this 4-ounce tube. Its major ingredient, tea tree oil, is amazing because it’s natural and powerful as a disinfectant; it most commonly treats a wide variety of skin ailments such as acne, rashes or sun burns.

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However, it is an herb that you either hate or love, in my opinion, because the smell of tea tree oil is very strong—and the derma e formula is no exception. I’m not a fan of the tea tree oil smell and have found other formulas that my olfactory system enjoy a lot more. If you absolutely can not stand its scent, you may not enjoy its powerful aroma lingering on your face.

(Ode to Tea Tree Oil)

Still, even if you’re not a fan of its smell you may want to learn to just deal with it because recent studies have shown tea tree oil to be a very powerful, natural antibacterial agent. A study in 2000 showed that tea tree oil is 5 percent more effective than commercial medication when treating scabies mite in an in vitro situation. More recently, a new study may soon prove that a tea tree oil wash can prevent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. According to Reuters Health, the study is expected to be complete in 2010 and looks promising for tea tree oil based on previous studies.

So what do you herbies think? The price is reasonable and the results are positive. Will you be trying the Very Clear Cleansing Scrub anytime soon?

During my early childhood summers, I loved to forage for wild edibles with my best friend. We didn’t go the traditional route of gnawing on fruits and veggies from the garden but instead ate whatever green, leafy plants smelled somewhat appealing and weren’t too bitter. I marvel that we never got sick since our only tenet was a warning from our moms to stay away from the bush with the round, red berries. I guess our saving grace was eating only the plants that we were familiar with, such as clover, honeysuckle, watercress and sometimes grassy.

Occasionally, even expert foragers mistake tasty tidbits for potent poisons. My reluctance to forage on my own doubled after watching the scene in “Into the Wild” when [SPOILER ALERT] McCandless mistakenly eats the wild sweet pea thinking it was wild potato, which inevitably leads to his death.

Photo by Roger B./Courtesy Flickr
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Now scientists have determined that another camouflaged plant, the hemlock water-dropwort, might have been the toxic ingredient in the Phoenician potion used to execute Sardinian criminals and the debilitated elderly. Its deceit lies in the sweet wine-like nectar of its flowers and its resemblance to water parsnip or wild celery.

The faces of its ancient victims revealed the toxin’s presence to scientists because of muscular contractions that resulted in a post-mortem smile. Imagine if this had been the same type of hemlock used on Socrates. I’m sure Plato’s account of his noble death would have been ruined by the presence of this “sardonic” grin.

Photo by shallowend/Courtesy Flickr
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Despite the plant’s historical propensity to tighten the facial muscles of its unfortunate victims, researchers are hoping to put a positive spin on its toxicity and use it in Botox-like cosmetic procedures to relax muscles.

I’m sure many of the foods and plants we ingest have toxic properties when used in excess, but it seems implausible that directly injecting poison into our sensitive facial tissue, even in diluted doses, doesn’t have carcinogenic or otherwise fatal risks.

I know, I know, Botox experts proclaim that the technique, when applied by licensed professionals is completely safe. Just the same, I think I’ll celebrate my wrinkles and stay away from cosmetic procedures that paralyze my muscles into a relaxed stupor, or worse yet, a sardonic grin.

My doctor is always telling me to drink more water for its health benefits. However, I think water tastes boring; I prefer unhealthy soda. So instead, he suggested I pour some lemon juice in my water to give it that sweeter taste I desire.

According to LifeMojo, there are tons of health benefits from lemon juice. Simply squeeze fresh lemon into a glass of water, tea, or even your food and you’re on your way to an array of health benefits. Lemon juice can help prevent cancer, cleanses the liver, is packed with antioxidants, soothes cuts and burns, is a great source of vitamin C, and boosts the immune system. Also, if you switch from soda to lemon water, it can be used as an added treatment toward weight loss or diabetes management.

A problem a lot of people run into (including me) is keeping your lemons fresh. Within the last year or two I have discovered this awesome product called True Lemon Crystallized Lemon Substitute. As opposed to bottled lemon juice, this product contains no artificial sweeteners or preservatives and, in my opinion, tastes better. I add it to my water everyday and it helps me drink a lot more water.

It may seem a little pricey at your local market, but it is cheaper to buy in bulk online on their True Lemon website. The website offers recipes that use True Lemon as an ingredient, free samples and includes more information about their other products True Lime, True Orange and True Lemon Naturally Sweet.

I recommend you try the True Lemon Herb Salmon, True Lemon Mint Couscous or Friendship Tea.