This is the season when Texans rediscover that brick thing in the front room known as the fireplace. It’s wonderful when you’ve got a fire going in the hearth on a chilly evening. The trouble is getting it started. Sometimes it seems like you can strike dozens of matches without getting much more than a little smoke up your nose. This is when it’s handy to have some home-made firestarters ready.

If you would like to add a little extra scent, you can insert a cotton ball or two in the bundle for later use. Then when you are ready to start your fire, you can put a few drops of essential oil on the cotton balls.

A warm fire on a cold night is a wonderful thing. Make some firestarters from the aromatic woods in your garden and you can add their scent to the experience.