Lavender is such a lovely aroma and the most beautiful plant! Imagine if you haven’t been before, fields and fields full of bushy, soft, purple lavender plants drifting in the breeze, filling the air with its earthy, sweet scent! And as lovely as it is, it's also quite versatile and medicinal. It makes a great aroma for soaps and candles to fill our homes with eternal spring, but also the ability to soothe our stress or even minor burns. It’s also edible and delicious on snow cones or lemonades. So many uses for just one powerful herb!
I love the idea of hanging a bushel of lavender on the wall or in the shower to dry, breathing in its scent, or making it into soap (of which we do), or making oils. One of its most important properties is being antimicrobial. This translates to soothing scalps of itchiness or dandruff, aiding in proper hand washing, and the prevention of fungal growth aiding cleaners. It’s a lovely scent that also packs a powerful punch in the germ world! And as a mom, anything to help aid against germs is a big win.
But in the end it sometimes is just inevitable you or someone you love gets sick. Well lavender can aid in this as well. From the handwashing for the sick or caregiver with a good soap to a lovely wax melt to soothe their want for the outdoors. Lavender is great to keep in the cold care kit, but also in foods. Lavender is a delicious additive to a variety of dishes. You can stir it into lemonade, you can steep it as a tea, which is great to soothe a sore throat. There’s also great use for it in meats and fishes as it lifts the other herbs you may use and adds an aromatic flavorful ness. I love to grind it up in my mortar and pestle really, really fine and when it comes winter, to make cream snow cones and top it with lavender dust!
It’s an herb that’s been documented to have been growing for well over 2500 years, so it's an herb of our ancestors! It was used then to help insomnia and aches, wash clothes, scent their homes and so much more! And here we are today, bringing the beautiful herb back into our lives! Especially since it's such an easy plant to grow. It does require full sun and drainage, but it’s a field flower that blooms in the summer and is harvested by September. So in a garden bed, give it a row particularly near your garden if you have deer issues. It's a plant we love but they don’t. Or, it is also a happy container plant. Plant seeds in the ground if you live in warmer climates between 65 to 70 degrees typically. If in cooler areas, plant indoors or a greenhouse to keep the seeds warm in seed trays. Bury them lightly as they need, well the light. Expect to see them peaking through the soil in about a month. Water to keep the soil moist, but they don’t need it often. Now big blooming bushes, please expect to take up to three years for the plant to grow as large as a beach ball or bigger. Some grow faster with heat and love, but it’s a beautiful journey to enjoy from seed. And the time will bring all the more pride when cutting the first stalks, that we hope you’ll share in your photos and write about the journey below! As always, we’re here for the flowers!
