Friday, July 29, 2016

Bringing French Country Home : Lavender Dreams

Nothing says French Country like lavender.
The gorgeous purple color. The intoxicating scent. The memories it evokes.


I dream of riding my bike through fields of lavender in Provence. 
Just imagine the delightful perfumed air.

Or strolling between rows and rows of lavender with my basket and clippers.


Fairly easy to grow, lavender needs a sunny spot with good drainage. 
If you have clay soil, you can try growing it in a pot. 
I've heard lavender is short-lived but I've had mine for many years and it gets better every season.

These fresh green buds soon turn purple.


Planting lavender near pink or silvery-hued plants 
such as sage, artemesia or these pink winecups is a pretty combination.


I like to display fresh or dried lavender in an ironstone vessel,
a vintage silver pitcher or a simple basket.


It even looks charming during the drying process, hanging from a nail or a beam.


It's easy to dry your own lavender.
Here are a few tips:

Harvest lavender as the buds are just opening when the color is most striking and the fragrance is strongest. The best time to harvest it is mid-morning when the morning dew has evaporated. 
If you live in a dry climate, it's safe to harvest anytime as long as it's been dry for a few days.

Cut lavender at the base of a long stem.


Strip off the leaves as you would with a bunch of thyme.
by sliding your fingers down the stem from top to bottom.


Trim the ends so they're mostly all one length.


Gather into a bunch and secure with a rubber band until tight. 
A rubber band keeps stems from slipping as they shrink.


Dry in a dark, airy place to retain the purple color. 
Hang upside down on a nail using a straightened paper clip as a hook 
or on an old coat hanger with clothespins.


Let dry an average of two weeks.
Then, inhale and enjoy!


Ahhh. 

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33 comments:

  1. The bees are very happy with the bountiful lavender in our yard. Did you know lavender honey is a thing?
    Your garden looks beautiful!

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    1. Thanks for visiting my garden. I've heard of lavender honey but am not sure what it is. Is it honey that the bees have made after drinking their fill of lavender flowers?

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  2. I have some lavender but it doesn't dry that vibrant bluish color. What kind has the prettiest when dried. My lavender is called Provence. I have some hidecoat but a very young plant.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Betsy. I'm not an expert on lavender but I believe English lavender dries the best color. I want to try Spanish lavender sometime (but probably not to dry).

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  3. You are blessed to be able to grow lavender in your gardens. I did buy one at my local botanical gardens, but I don't remember what kind it is. So far, it is growing very well, no blooms, just gorgeous silver leaves.

    Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Thank you for visiting my garden I think the plants are just as beautiful without blooming. Yours will probably bloom after it's better established. Enjoy your weekend too.

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  4. We grow lavender very easily in our Mediterranean climate here on Vancouver Island. I love to walk along the beds, trailing my hand through the blossoms, bringing up the wonderful perfume. I like your colour/plant combination and will try to remember that!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by. I'd love to walk through your lavender and talk about color combos. Doesn't that sound fun?

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  5. Wonderful post! Looking at your beautiful photo's, I can almost smell the heady fragrance.

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  6. I've never grown lavender, other than as an herb in a small pot. Yours look so beautiful and I can almost smell them all the way here to Michigan...LOL!

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    1. Thanks Carol. It might be a bit cold for lavender in Michigan but it's worth a shot. Glad you stopped by.

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  7. Oh pretty! I tried to grow some once but I found out they do not like clay soil! Never did attempt to grow it in a pot but now I want to!

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    1. Thanks Cecillia. Good luck with growing lavender in a pot. I read it does better in a pot at least eight inches wide.

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  8. thank you for the informative post. I didn't know they had to be stripped of greens. thanks again

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    1. Thank you for visiting. You could leave the leaves on but they'd probably make a mess when they crumble!

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  9. Lavender smells so wonderful! Yours look so healthy! Thank you for sharing at Dishing It & Digging It Link Party! :)

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  10. It never occurred to me to try growing my own lavender. I will have to give it a try.

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  11. I love lavender! We try to visit lavender farms whenever possible on road trips.

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    1. Thank you for visiting. Lavender farms sound too good to be true. I've never been to one but will have to find one. Great idea.

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  12. Ahhh I really love lavender too. Funny thing I tried growing it in my garden but it didn't last but one season, not sure what happened, could have been a drainage issue, but I'll try again somewhere in there :) Thanks of the tips and reminding me to try lavender again :)

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and good luck with round two. Maybe try it in a big pot??

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  13. Lavender is an enduring passion in my garden. After many false starts with different varieties, I found that French Lavender grows best where I live. I'm now rewarded with a sea of lavender in my back yard. Yours looks heavenly! Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. Oh, thanks Mimi. Your back yard sounds lovely and it must smell divine.

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  14. Your photos are beautiful. We have terrible soil here, but what a good idea to plant lavender in a pot. I might have to try that next season :)

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  15. Thank you very much Julie; comments are always so appreciated. Good luck with growing lavender in a pot next season.

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  16. Such a lovely post, Pat with useful tips and beautiful ways to use lavender. Pinned and Facebooked! Thanks so much for linking up with Vintage Charm :)

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    1. Thank you very much Diana. Always nice to hear from you at Vintage Charm.

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  17. Very lovely! I love your pictures.. and thank you for the drying tips. I have some new plants that I hope to establish here for a long time. I live in the AZ mountains.. It's nice to meet you and have a wonderful week!

    Tamara

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    1. Thank you Tamara. It's nice to meet you too. I hope your new plants flourish. Don't know if you're near Flagstaff but it's one of my favorite cities. The AZ mountains are so beautiful. I hope you visit again soon.

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