Garden Ideas: Reasons to Grow Lavender

When you think of back yard gardens, you generally think of two different kinds. There is the vegetable garden, where you can grab a vine-ripened tomato or dig a fresh carrot to go along with the evening meal, and then there is the flower garden, which is just basically something nice to look at. Oh, you may remember that some flowering plants have other uses, like marigolds, which can be put in as a protection device around other plants because some varmints don't like the smell. Mainly, however, flower gardens are established just to please the eye by bringing color to the landscaping.

If you are looking for something new to plant in the garden, something other than the standard flower that does little more than bloom and die, consider putting in some lavender, a perennial flowering shrub that brings adds blues and purples to your backyard view, and can be harvested for a variety of other uses. While English lavender is probably the most widely recognized, there are several varieties that can be purchased at your local garden center or through the seed catalogs, some being perhaps more appropriate for your growing region than others. Lavender colors range from a near-white appearance to blue to the more familiar purple hue. Some grow as tall spike-type plants, and some grow more compact. Ask the clerk at your garden center to help you decide which variety will suit your needs best.

Besides being a garden beauty, the lavender plant is also an herb whose uses have been known for centuries. One need only walk past a patch of lavender in the garden to understand why the blooms from this very aromatic plant are used inside the house for the great smell. Harvesting flowers and stems from lavender when they first come to full bloom is not harmful to the plant. In fact, the newest blooms should be taken and will have the greatest aromatic strength. A few ideas about using lavender from your own back yard are listed below. Just remember, however, if you plan to bring yard plants inside, you won't want to treat them with any chemical insectides during their growth.

1. Potpourri and Sachets. Perhaps the most familiar use of garden lavender is the addition of harvested blooms in home-made potpourri mixtures and bedroom sachets. Placed with rose petals in an open dish container, lavender blooms will give your front room a fresh flowery scent. Lavender also makes an excellent sachet when placed in an open weave material container, such as muslin or a cut section from a nylon stocking. Set the sachet in closet spaces where the smell may tend to get musty, or put a small sachet between your pillow and the pillow case for a soothing bed time aroma.

2. Essential Oil. Lavender is one of the many fragrant garden plants that can yield a pleasant essential oil. Pack lavender blooms in a small jar, and then add enough olive oil to cover the herbs. Allow the mixture to set in a cool place for several weeks, and then pour into a new clean jar, straining out the herb petals. The oil will now have that great lavender aroma. Add several drops to each bath for that clean lavender smell.

3. Tea. Lavender tea is purported to have medicinal value, good for easing the pain of headaches, cramps, and insomnia. Drop about 2 teaspoons of dried petals in a boiling pan of water (10 to 12 ounces). Then turn the heat off and let the tea steep for a few minutes. Strain the liquid off of the herbs, and sip slowly. As in the culinary uses of all herbs, you may want to make sure you have no allergies that could be triggered with this mixture before frequent use.

4. Lavender Sugar. Another way to use lavender in the kitchen is to blend the petals with regular sugar to make a flavored sugar. Mix about 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh lavender petals with a cup of sugar in a food processor. Blend until the petals are very small pieces. Place in a closed container, and store in cool spot. Use the flavored sugar to top desserts or to sweeten a glass of lemonade.

Considering the wonderful aromatic scent, and the wide variety of indoor uses, it seems obvious why lavender has been such a popular addition to gardens down through the ages. Try a little purple in your own back yard.