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Lavandula angustifolia Lavender is a traditional cottage garden plant. Its gray-green spikes
of foliage and purple flowers provide color all year. Since the
Middle Ages, the dried flowers have been one of the main ingredients
of potpourri. Fresh sprigs are included in herbal bunches known as
tussie mussies, which have been used for hundreds of years to mask
unpleasant odors and ward off illness.
Description
The plant may grow to a height of 3 feet, but there are dwarf forms
for edging which reach only about 10 inches. The stems are thick and
woody, and become straggly if left unpruned. The leaves are long,
spiky, and very narrow, and branch out near the ground. The tiny
tubular flowers are carried on long spikes in thick clusters that
surround the stem from the tip to about 4 inches down.
Cultivation
Cuttings from strong new growth can be propagated in summer or autumn
or from seeds sown indoors in trays. Once rooted, plant them in a
well drained, poor soil. Foliage will yellow in poorly drained soil.
The bushes tend to look after themselves and respond to an annual
pruning in fall after flowering or in early spring. Bushes tend to
straggle as they mature and it is often necessary to cut back
severely in fall to generate strong growth.
Culinary Uses
Fresh lavender flowers can be used to flavor syrup for jellies. Mix 6
flowerheads into each pint of apple jelly syrup. Remove the lavender
before bottling. It is also used to flavor fruit salad and milk and
cream for deserts. Flowers be candied to decorate cakes and puddings.
Use lavender instead of rosemary when cooking chicken. Lavender ice-
cream is a real treat.
Medicinal Uses
Use an infusion of lavender on insect bites. Dried flowers and seeds
are used in herbal sleep pillows and baths for soothing and calming
frayed nerves. Lavender oil applied at the temples will relieve a
headache. Three flowerheads in a cup of boiling water makes a
soothing tea at bedtime.
Other Uses
Bunches of lavender are said to ward off insects. Fresh or dried
flowers are used in rinsing water for clothes and hair. Dried flowers
and seeds are often used in potpourri and sachets. The stems are used
to weave decorative baskets.
To dry the flowers, cut them as soon as they begin to open and hang
upside down in bunches in a well-ventilated area.
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