A little bit of lavender

jenn_sc · June 13, 2008

Hi all-

For the first time this year, I'm going to have a handful of lavender flowers. Prior to moving to this location I never could get it to live, much less bloom. Now we're in a spot where herbs like lavender and sage thrive!

My one lavender plant is still small so I'm only going to have, literally, a handfulof flowers. I'm looking for suggestions for using them!

Any ideas, anyone?

babylark · June 13, 2008

My friend made Lavender Peach Jam one year. She infused the lavender into water that she added to the peaches. It was wonderful jam!

maryinoregon · June 13, 2008

I read once about someone who made lavender ice cream, but I don't recall how much lavendar that would take. Congratulations anyway. I love having it in the yard because the bees love it.

salix · June 13, 2008

Lavender shortbread. Or, just make a small sachet that you can enjoy all year round. It is said to be a relaxing aroma so also good for a sleeping mask.

Leroy · June 14, 2008

Lavender cookies. Good stuff.

Tomstrees · June 16, 2008

My neighbor gave me a red variety - def. a cool plant.

~ Tom

jenn_sc · June 16, 2008

RED? COOL!!!!

If you have seeds later on, may I have a few??? I'd love to add it to my herb garden and I should have a fairly large trade list this fall....

Jennifer

Tomstrees · June 16, 2008

Hey ! No problem!!!

So far the plant seems as though its acclimating - it had been a real challenge, because my neighbor went to a garden show and got the plants in Feb! Over-wintering them was not so easy ...

But it looks established and has some new growth - the variety is called "Kew" and maybe its a variety you already have thats been renamed ? - let me know either way ...

~ Tom

http://www.paghat.com/kewred.html

peispud · July 31, 2008

Tom, interested in this variety?
Fragrant Butterflies - Lavendula stoechas pedunculata
http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/he...derp/fragrant1
I'll trade some seeds for some seeds of 'Kew'.
I started some plants but not blooming yet as I was real
late purchasing them this spring. I have to grow them
in a container as they won't survive outside overwinter
in zone 5b.

Peter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

Hey ! No problem!!!

So far the plant seems as though its acclimating - it had been a real challenge, because my neighbor went to a garden show and got the plants in Feb! Over-wintering them was not so easy ...

But it looks established and has some new growth - the variety is called "Kew" and maybe its a variety you already have thats been renamed ? - let me know either way ...

~ Tom

http://www.paghat.com/kewred.html

maryinoregon · October 31, 2008

Lavender is planted around businesses here, near roads, as well as home gardens. Once you get it going, the bees will find you if they haven't already.

You might try making a lavender wand. I admit that I have not tried this, but it is popular here with some folks. I'm sure you could find directions.

Never tried lavender ice cream either, but it sounds yummy. So do the cookies.

You might try sewing a little piece of cloth and filling it with the lavender. If you are handy, you could decorate it with embroidery of some sort. Or you could fill a little draw string bag with some dried lavender and hang it in a place where you can smell it often.

piegirl · November 1, 2008

Mary - I do exactly the same thing - place the flowers in a small muslin bag and use it if I can't fall asleep. Put it near my face and next thing I know the alarm is going off! Piegirl

puttgirl · November 7, 2008

Lavender wands are wonderful-I've made a few. But mostly I sew heart sachets with it. Never tried it in baking, though.

maricybele · November 9, 2008

add lavender like mint to tea! Nice

mayax68 · November 11, 2008

Hi, I was always interested in lavender. Its scent reminds me of smells from childhood. I live in CT now and had been told that lavender does not grow around here because it is a tender perennial and our temps fall below 0F quite often during the winter. Does anyone know, if that is true and would it help situation if I grow it in huge pots that I can roll into the garage for the winter. The temps will still hit freezing point in the garage, but probably will not fall lower then freezing. Can you recommend any varieties that would be good for such growing? I also have grow lamps that I can use to start the seeds now, in order to promote blooming the first year.

Thank you.
Maya.

gardenpaws_VA · November 12, 2008

Maya, Puttgirl is exactly right about drainage being more important than the precise temps. Please don't keep your lavender in the garage - it won't be at all happy there, even for the winter.

You should have no problem with growing lavender in-ground in most of CT as long as you stay away from the L. dentata/viridis and L. stoechas pedunculata (the "butterfly lavender" someone described above) groups. Those two won't be reliably hardy, but you should do well with the (smaller) English lavenders (L. angustifolius) and also the (larger) Provence-type lavenders (L. x intermedia etc).

Just make sure that 1) you have well-drained soil, and no mulch which can get soggy (use a stone mulch if needed, not an organic), and 2) you also have your plants out in the open, away from plants which might flop over them and cause the lavender to rot and die.

For all - lots of lavender info here, from one of the experts in the field: http://www.debaggioherbs.com/lavender.php

June 13, 2008	#1
jenn_sc SPLATT™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florence, SC Posts: 502	A little bit of lavender Hi all- For the first time this year, I'm going to have a handful of lavender flowers. Prior to moving to this location I never could get it to live, much less bloom. Now we're in a spot where herbs like lavender and sage thrive! My one lavender plant is still small so I'm only going to have, literally, a handfulof flowers. I'm looking for suggestions for using them! Any ideas, anyone?

June 13, 2008	#2
babylark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lebanon, PA • Zone 6a Posts: 145	My friend made Lavender Peach Jam one year. She infused the lavender into water that she added to the peaches. It was wonderful jam! __________________ I can not be held responsible for anything typed above, as I believe my Corgis have learned to type!

June 16, 2008	#6
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	My neighbor gave me a red variety - def. a cool plant. ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

June 16, 2008	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Hey ! No problem!!! So far the plant seems as though its acclimating - it had been a real challenge, because my neighbor went to a garden show and got the plants in Feb! Over-wintering them was not so easy ... But it looks established and has some new growth - the variety is called "Kew" and maybe its a variety you already have thats been renamed ? - let me know either way ... ~ Tom http://www.paghat.com/kewred.html __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

June 13, 2008	#3
maryinoregon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 361	I read once about someone who made lavender ice cream, but I don't recall how much lavendar that would take. Congratulations anyway. I love having it in the yard because the bees love it.

June 13, 2008	#4
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Lavender shortbread. Or, just make a small sachet that you can enjoy all year round. It is said to be a relaxing aroma so also good for a sleeping mask.

June 14, 2008	#5
Leroy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oklahoma /6 Posts: 78	Lavender cookies. Good stuff.

June 16, 2008	#7
jenn_sc SPLATT™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florence, SC Posts: 502	RED? COOL!!!! If you have seeds later on, may I have a few??? I'd love to add it to my herb garden and I should have a fairly large trade list this fall.... Jennifer

October 31, 2008	#10
maryinoregon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 361	Lavender is planted around businesses here, near roads, as well as home gardens. Once you get it going, the bees will find you if they haven't already. You might try making a lavender wand. I admit that I have not tried this, but it is popular here with some folks. I'm sure you could find directions. Never tried lavender ice cream either, but it sounds yummy. So do the cookies. You might try sewing a little piece of cloth and filling it with the lavender. If you are handy, you could decorate it with embroidery of some sort. Or you could fill a little draw string bag with some dried lavender and hang it in a place where you can smell it often.

November 1, 2008	#11
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	Mary - I do exactly the same thing - place the flowers in a small muslin bag and use it if I can't fall asleep. Put it near my face and next thing I know the alarm is going off! Piegirl

November 7, 2008	#12
puttgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 281	Lavender wands are wonderful-I've made a few. But mostly I sew heart sachets with it. Never tried it in baking, though.

November 9, 2008	#13
maricybele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon zone 8 Posts: 99	add lavender like mint to tea! Nice

November 11, 2008	#14
mayax68 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: USA, CT Posts: 106	Hi, I was always interested in lavender. Its scent reminds me of smells from childhood. I live in CT now and had been told that lavender does not grow around here because it is a tender perennial and our temps fall below 0F quite often during the winter. Does anyone know, if that is true and would it help situation if I grow it in huge pots that I can roll into the garage for the winter. The temps will still hit freezing point in the garage, but probably will not fall lower then freezing. Can you recommend any varieties that would be good for such growing? I also have grow lamps that I can use to start the seeds now, in order to promote blooming the first year. Thank you. Maya.

November 12, 2008	#15
gardenpaws_VA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern Virginia, USA - zone 7+ Posts: 161	Maya, Puttgirl is exactly right about drainage being more important than the precise temps. Please don't keep your lavender in the garage - it won't be at all happy there, even for the winter. You should have no problem with growing lavender in-ground in most of CT as long as you stay away from the L. dentata/viridis and L. stoechas pedunculata (the "butterfly lavender" someone described above) groups. Those two won't be reliably hardy, but you should do well with the (smaller) English lavenders (L. angustifolius) and also the (larger) Provence-type lavenders (L. x intermedia etc). Just make sure that 1) you have well-drained soil, and no mulch which can get soggy (use a stone mulch if needed, not an organic), and 2) you also have your plants out in the open, away from plants which might flop over them and cause the lavender to rot and die. For all - lots of lavender info here, from one of the experts in the field: http://www.debaggioherbs.com/lavender.php