lavender for the soul

As Rosemary is to the Spirit, so Lavender is to the Soul.   ~ annonoymous



If ever I loved my job, it is when I am harvesting lavender.  There truly is something soul-healing about quietly handling and cutting each bloom.  The fragrance alone is enough to quiet my chaotic thoughts.; add to that the beauty and touch of them and I'm in another dimension altogether.

One of my aims as a gardener, both personally and professionally, is to have beautiful and useful gardens.  Lavender is both.  Every year, I gather as much as I can.  I make lavender wands out of them to use as sachets in my closets and drawers, bundle and hang them upside down to dry, and use them for cooking (lavender and lemon cake is to die for!).    At Christmas time, I use the bundles in my decorating.  It's aromatic, natural and beautiful.  I've even made soap with it!

It's best to harvest your lavender early in the day: after the dew has dried, but before the heat of the day, this keeps the essential oils in the plant itself and causes it to retain most of its fragrance.  Also, cut them before the flowers begin to turn brown.  Make sure you leave enough stem to make the plant useful.

With the proper care, many lavenders will bloom all summer.

last word on lavender

Ok. I forgot to mention it in my post about lavender, but there is some soil prep that can be done to boost your blooms. Go to your local garden center and buy some lime (I prefer pulverized - less complicated to work with), sprinkle it around the base of your plants, work it into the soil and water (or do it on a rainy day). It sweetens the soil and they love it!

Also, if you live in the Northeast I HIGHLY recommend a trip to The Well-Sweep Herb Farm located in Port Murray, New Jersey. If there is anything to know about lavender or herbs, they know it. Their selection of plants is amazing and its just a lovely property with swings for your kids, a functioning outhouse, chickens, and a cute gift shop. I love it there!

I tried adding a link to the Well Sweep, but it's not working, so I will do it manually: www.wellsweep.com

Happy gardening!

lavender and sunshine

It is time to start gardening! Actually, it's past time, but the snow finally melted so today was the day and the project was the lavender hedge. As you can see, they look pretty bad. But it's still very early spring and they've been covered with snow for weeks.

I pruned them into a nice shape to promote growth at the bottom of the stems and to continue the idea of a hedge. It's best to prune now so that you don't hinder new spring growth. These plants have been in the garden for one year, so I can be a little tough with them. If you have older plants and haven't pruned them, you need to start slow and prune in stages.

The sun and the scent were wonderful. I'm so sick of snow.