Meet Char and Marv, the couple behind @plantedinthegarden, draw inspiration from the herbs they grow in their Toronto garden. After experimenting with small‑batch infusions using calendula and olive oil, they discovered the LĒVO oil infuser and began crafting infused oils, butters and honeys with ease. They love that the machine’s simple controls and temperature settings let them make customized batches without mess or waste. Their creative, chill and customizable style shines through in everything from savory baklava butters to soothing herbal salves. Recently, they upgraded from the LĒVO II to the LĒVO C for larger projects, keeping the smaller unit for quick infusions. They encourage beginners to experiment with small batches, noting that dried herbs provide more concentrated flavors. Gardening remains their “happy place,” and they enjoy turning garden harvests into culinary treats and personal‑care items, while spreading good vibes and celebrating the LĒVO community.
Tell us a little about yourself!
We are Char and Marv @plantedinthegarden. We are from Toronto, Canada. Using garden herbs with the LĒVO oil infuser is inspiring because it allows us to take the freshest ingredients straight from our garden and turn them into something special. It inspires us because it’s a place where we can experiment and create something special.
How did you get into infusion?
We first started infusing years ago. When we had fresh or dried herbs from our garden, we wanted to create medicinal remedies. Our very first infusion was calendula and olive oil, then we started using the LĒVO oil infuser. That was a game changer. It made the process much faster, in hours instead of days. We started to infuse many different herbs in oils to make salves, soaps and lotions.
What do you love most about using your LĒVO infusion machine?
The LĒVO Oil Infuser is a cool machine that makes it easy and fun to create your own flavored oils, butters, or honey using herbs from your garden. You just add your herbs and oil, press a few buttons, and the LĒVO does all the work for you. You can adjust and maintain a set temperature, which makes infusing simple! A bonus feature is that it doesn’t make a mess. It's very easy to clean. Plus, it saves time and helps use up herbs, so nothing is wasted in our garden.
You recently upgraded from a LĒVO II to a LĒVO C — what made you decide it was time to upgrade?
We love the LĒVO II infusion machine. It’s always going to have a place in our kitchen for smaller infusions. However, upgrading seemed to make sense for how much we use our LĒVO machine! We found the LĒVO C has some new exciting features and it can make bigger batches of oils all at once. It’s simple to use and helps turn garden herbs into tasty creations faster and easier than ever. It’s like having a big helper for big projects in our kitchen! Another feature we love is that the basin is made of sturdy food grade borosilicate glass!
What’s your favorite infusion to make with LĒVO, and how do you use it?
Our all time favorite infused oil has to be a flower-infused salve. It can help with headaches because it eases pain and relaxes the muscles when rubbed on your skin. Before being able to use the The LĒVO machine, we used to make it in our toaster oven on a specific temperature for hours. The smell in our home was not our favorite part, and the mess it took to clean up was not ideal. LĒVO truly makes it super easy to create this salve by helping decarb and mix flower with oils like coconut oil. We like to add herbs like lavender, to make it even better. It’s a simple way to make a natural remedy at home!
Do you have any tips, tricks, or advice for others using their LĒVO machine?
If you’re new to infusing, begin with small batches to test flavors and potency. You can also visit the LĒVO website; they have a temperature and time calculator to help you set the right temperature and time for the most potent infusion. Another thing we noticed is that both fresh and dried herbs work well, but dried herbs make stronger infusions. If you’re using fresh herbs, just make sure they’re clean and dry to avoid adding moisture to your infusion. The good thing with LĒVO is that they have a DRY setting that allows you to dry herbs and infuse right away.
If you could describe your “infusion style” in three words, what would they be?
Creative, Chill, Customizable
What inspires you to create recipes or infused products?
We get inspired by things we love, like gardening! Whatever is growing in our garden, we always want to experiment to try to make it into something special. Sometimes it’s making a tasty treat, like a special butter for baking baklava, or creating something that helps with relaxation, like a soothing salve. We just really love using our LĒVO infuser! Overall, it’s all about infusing medicinal oils straight from our garden.
What’s one thing you’d like others to know about you or your journey?
Gardening has become our happy place, we love growing our own food and many medicinal herbs that we can use to improve our health. We love making things from what we grow. It’s all about taking care of yourself and spreading good vibes!
Can you tell us about the recipe you developed for this feature?
Oregano oil is very beneficial. It contains antibacterial properties that are not only great for the skin but can also be consumed. That’s why it’s great to infuse it into a gummy form for better flavor.
Anything else you’d like to share with the LĒVO community?
We just want to say how amazing it is to be part of the LĒVO community that loves creativity and connection as much as we do! Our advice? Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes—that’s where the best ideas come from. Infusing is all about having fun and discovering what works best for you. If you’d like to follow along with our journey, you can find us @plantedinthegarden. Let’s keep creating!
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