by far, my favorite plant of them all. lavendula. all varieties, really. it is beautiful, and hardy (mostly), and produces the most intoxicating and calming scent. i've always said that i believe that if a heaven exists, it would smell like freshly baked bread, but now i'm beginning to think it may be lavender after all. in these crazy busy runaround days of summer, all i need to do is run my hand through one of my (five!) lavender plants and inhale. calmness wraps around me like a gentle wave. {it's no wonder that a drawing of a lavender plant will be on our wedding invitation!}
i transplanted these lavender plants from our old apartment last spring after we moved into our house, and some of them are now in their third year, growing bigger and fuller each season. they are my little garden babies and i love watching them grow, snipping their blooms and drying them to put around my house, or use in body care recipes. to make a lavender infused oil, simply pick fresh blooms and place the flowers (either fresh or dried) only in a jar and cover with olive oil. allow the oil to steep for 2-6 weeks before straining out the flowers through a cheesecloth. you can use this oil as a massage oil, in the bath, as a moisturizer or headache reliever (simply rub a little bit on your temples) or in other body care recipes for lip balms or lotions.
[or you could use the blooms to make some of amy's hand scrub]
if you have any room left, i highly recommend adding a lavender plant to your garden. you won't regret it.
Yes! Lavender is my favorite too! I love to make tea with it...or to make a lemon lavender spritzer with sparkling water. :)
ReplyDeleteGolly, if all you say is true, I don't know what's been wrong with me my whole life! For real -- lavender's been on my list for a long while -- don't know what keeps getting in the way. I sure could use some of that calmness wrapping around me like a gentle wave right now.
ReplyDeletelavender and daisies. So far my two lavenders are holding out but my daisies are still a mystery. Does everyone have a certain flower that they have a hard time growing and thriving but they are in love with and are determined to have in their yard?
ReplyDeleteLove , love, love Lavender. I bought a new one today actually!x
ReplyDeletei tried starting lavender from seed (the directions said to put the seeds in the freezer first). anyway, they didn't grow at all. did you grow your plants from seed? i need some tips.
ReplyDelete