Lavender Harvest

Lavender is, HANDS DOWN, my favorite plant! Since I've enjoyed it's bloom ( and fragrance) for a couple of months now. Well, and since Fall is fast upon us. It's time to harvest all that FABULOUS fragrance. Most of my perennials I just leave alone until spring. We live in a COLD winter climate and to insure the best survival of perennials in that type of climate, it's best to leave all those stems alone through the winter. HOWEVER, Lavender is my exception.
So-o-o-o-o-o...... Harvest season is in full swing. First, I prune the Lavender stems just above the main body of the plant. My favorite plant is a variety called Provence ( I think......never saved the tag though). It has long stems and blooms with a wonderful aroma. I have two different ways to preserve the blooms.

Dried Lavender- Simply bundle the stems and tie with string (or yarn!) and hang to dry. One dry, you can arrange the stems in a vase for a dried arrangement. Or, you can remove the dried blooms and store in an air-tight container for later use. I must admit this is a fiddly, time-consuming process, but it's well worth the effort!

Lavender Essential Oil- Cut the blooms from the stems and place in a glass or ceramic (non-metal) bowl. Cover with olive, safflower, or canola oil. Microwave for about 30 seconds to warm the oil. Then set the bowl out on the counter (in the sun, if possible) for about 24 hours. Press the blossoms lighly with the back of a spoon to press the fragrant oil from them. If you want a stronger scented oil, you can now remove the soggy blooms and add fresh blooms, repeating the process. Once you're happy with the fragrance, strain the oil through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean bottle. I scrub the labels off my old olive oil bottles and reuse.

Now you have Lavender oil to use in lotions, soaps or a few drops in bath water. Use Dried lavender in soaps, sachets, potpourri......You know, wherever you want that fabulous fragrance!

(Editor's note: Other herbs and spices can be dried or made into essential oils in the same manner. Here's what I'm thinking for oils.......Lemon Balm......Vanilla bean.......Cinnamon stick.......Rose petals.....Rosemary......the list is endless!)