Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s surely been a hot June in our part of the world. The heat has presented us with challenges on our small farm. We’ve been hand watering our garden a couple of times a week to prevent the plants from turning yellow. We are blessed to have a flowing creek beside our garden to ensure the plants receive fresh water free from chemicals. The 90 degree weather also presents the challenge of battling the heat while we work in the garden and other outdoor projects. But, we’re making the best of the situation and praying for some rain.

I am excited to share another favorite herb. Remember, I’m not posting my favorites in any particular order, just sharing a few of my favorite herbs, a little history of each, how I plant them, cut them, dry them, and use them both fresh and dried.

Lavender is another favorite herb in our household. Lavender has been used for centuries for various health benefits, its beautiful aroma, and its mild flavor. Lavender is a perennial herb that if planted in the ground will return each year. You might be able to weather over lavender in pots for it to return in the spring. Much of its return will depend on your zone, winter temperatures, and how you protect the pot from the elements.

Lavender is known for its beautiful purple blooms. Bees love the bloom, so it works well as a pollinator near veggies. Butterflies love the blooms as well. Lavender grows best in a sunny location and in well drained soil. Lavender is not an invasive plant, so there’s no need to worry about it over growing your garden. If you are planting lavender, Its best planted in late spring after there’s no danger of frost. Lavender grows well in pots if the location is sunny and the pot has good drainage. I have lavender in my herb bed and in a pot. I love its fragrance and enjoy having it on our porch near where sit in the mornings as it also helps repel mosquitos. The leaves, stems, and blooms smell equally as good. The fragrance is intoxicating.

There are several varieties of lavender. Spanish lavender has an open upright bloom at the tip of the purple bloom on the end of the stem. Spanish lavender is used for making essential oils and is often referred to as butterfly lavender. English lavender is the most common lavender. It is often referred to as common lavender. It is pictured above. There are other varieties of lavender including Portuguese and lavandin. The most common for our area are English and Spanish.

Lavender blooms, stems, and leaves are all edible. Dried lavender makes a nice addition to a cup of hot tea. Drying lavender is not a difficult task. I clip and dry small amounts at a time throughout the year after May. It seems easier to dry small amounts often than large amounts at once. I clip the blooms leaving a length of stem and place them on a drying rack in a spot away from direct sunlight. Sometimes I lay them on a white paper towel and let them air dry on the table or bind the stems with a rubber band and hang them to dry. The blooms of the English lavender make the best tea. Spanish lavender can be used, but it is a bit too strong for my taste. The dried leaves and stems can also be used in tea. Taste testing is the best way to determine how much dried lavender is enough for a cup of tea.

Dried lavender leaves make great sachets for closets, drawers, automobiles, or any closed in space. The scent and taste of lavender is relaxing and has the potential to relax and to lower blood pressure. I have found that a cup of lavender tea before bedtime helps me relax and sleep better. The dried leaves or blooms are a great addition to chai tea.

Lavender oil is another favorite in our household. We love essential oil but do not make it as it takes special equipment to extract the oil. I order lavender essential oil from doTERRA oils. I use it for soothing a burn, restful sleep, and bee stings. Infused oil on the other hand, is relatively easy to make. For infused oils it’s best to use dried lavender to prevent molding from fresh lavender. Dry the leaves, stems, and blooms of English lavender. Place them in an airtight jar, amber colored glass is my preferred glass. Add your choice of oil. I use coconut oil or jojoba oil for topical use and olive oil for cooking. Keep the oil away from direct sunlight and it should last for months. A few drops of the lavender oil can be added to conditioners to enhance hair growth. It can be used to moisturize dry skin. It can be used at night as a moisturizer to help you relax or used as ointment on sore joints to promote relaxation. The possibilities of lavender are endless!

We love lavender butter! Feel free to check out my recipe by following the link Vegan Lavender Butter: A Sweet Herbal Treat From the Mountains… it’s great on fresh baked bread, rolls, and delicious on toast. Lavender makes great tea cookies and scones. I’ll share those recipes soon.

Overall, lavender is a beautiful plant, helps repel mosquitoes, relaxes the senses, tastes great, and can fill your house with a wonderful relaxing fragrance. There are so many uses for lavender that one post cannot even scratch the surface of the many uses of lavender.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and I have enticed you to plant, grow, and harvest your own lavender. Feel free to like, follow and or comment. I would like to hear from you. How do you use lavender? For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!