Lavender fields in bloom are a beautiful sight, we have several here on Vancouver Island. Thanks for the link, haven't viewed all the pix yet, but will later. The scarelady is really cute as is the young lady who built her.

Annette

I really enjoyed the pics. I've tried growing lavender and have had no luck. I absolutely love it and I think I may have to try again since I've just doubled the size of my back yard with help from the utility company :]

flowerpower -- I'm in NC and I've found that I have to plant lavender really high and only water it from the base. Full sun, well-drained soil. I now have 3 varieties -- Spanish, Provence and Munstead. The Spanish performs the best.

Oh, something new to try! I tried lavender, twenty years ago and failed. This year, I'm sure it would have thrived in the dry soil where the sunflowers are so pitiful.

Tessa Evelegh published a book titled 'Lavender' which shows a number of lavender crafts. My favorite is 'Lavender Bottles' -- made with an odd number of fresh lav. stems (she used 9), carefully bending the stalks down over the lavender heads without snapping them. Weave a yard of narrow ribbon and and out of the stalks to form a cage. When the heads are covered, wrap the remaining stalks, binding to the ends, then bind back up the stalks until you reach the heads again (like a bridesmaid's bouquet stem). Tie in a know and a bow.

Googling for 'lavender bottles' will bring up some illustrated directions. They're also called 'lavender wands.'

A friend brought me a little sachet from England: a mouse with a felt head and a little green cloth suit with gathered wrists and ankles, filled with lavender. After 20 years, it's not very fragrant any more.

Nell

I like lavenders. I had many munstead ones and I've dried their flowers and placed them in little sachet bags (you can get these organza bags in chinese stores or craft shops_. Perfect for your closets or gifts. I've also made lavender wands.

I wish I knew how to extract lavender oil because I'd love to capture that scent.

Ianna

It appears that it is only something that can be done in a Chemistry lab. That is too bad. My DH says you can try putting it in melted wax and the oils will come out into the wax and you will have a scented candle...he is a chemist so I guess it will work. I have had good luck in the past growing lavender Provence. Then we had a very wet year and it all rotted. I have 4 Provence in pots and they are really big but have not bloomed yet...not sure when they will . I have 3 Munstead from Bluestone and they are waiting to be planted...all 3 of the sarah turned grey and died before I could get them in the ground. They looked bad when they came. I think lavender it is a touchy sensitive plant. Caroline

My lavender doesn't look like the pictures in your link. Mine have little "tufts" like in the picture linked below. Just had to shear a bunch of it last night, as it was overtaking a bunch of smaller plants. I didn't hang any to dry, but maybe I should go rescue some from the pile.

Thanks for the harvesting lessons!

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:690736}}

Nancy, it looks like you also have Spanish Lavender (my favorite). I dried one bunch this year.

Cameron

Aha, Spanish Lavender-- thanks!

I grow Lavender on my place. I have very sandy soil and I also live on a ridge. I do not add any potting soil or peat to the soil as they need alkaline soil as do most herbs.
I grow English Lavender, Munstead, Provence, Spanish, Grosso and Hidcote lavenders.
The Provence and Grosso have the longest stems and bloom from Spring through summer. They will rebloom after harvesting. Hidcote will sometimes rebloom as well.
Provence and Grosso have pale, purplish flowers on gray-green stems and leaves. English Lavender with medium long stems has blloms pale blue in color on gray green foliage, but big on fragrance.
Hidcote has the best fragrance (I think) and it lasts longest. Hidcote also has blue-green foliage and vivid blue-violet flowers that are bigger than other Lavenders. Very lovely. Munstead is short and shrubby and has gray-green foliage and flower short spikes with smallish blue-violet flowers, but is very fragrant. Wonderful for making Lavender Sugar for teas and Sugar Cookies and is heavenly sprinkled on Lemony Pound Cake.
The Spanish Lavender is very lovley and unique looking. It is not very hardy in comparrison. It is a tender Perennial and has to be brought into the greenhouse to winter over in my area. Best grown in clay pots that breathe. Put gravel in the bottom and use sandy-loam soil.
Lavender buds mixed with Rose petals make an old-fashioned fragrance for dream pillows, sachets and potpourri. Rosemary is excellent mixed with Lavender, too. For "sweet dreams" add some dried Mimosa blooms.
Photos below - not great images but you can get an idea, anyway.

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May 19th, 2007 - Flower Buds on Provence Lavender in New Cottage Garden beds by the Patio.

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June 10th, 2007 - Provence Lavender buds beginning to open behind the Black and Blue Salvia.

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June 10th, 2007 - Providence Lavender (right) and Blue Bedder Salvia (center) mingle in the rose bed. Black and Blue Salvia behind them.

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June 13th, 2007 - Tall spikes of Providence Lavender shows more of her buds opening on a rainy day.

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Short, bushy little Munstead Lavender has dozens of buds ready to burst open. VERY fragrant.

~Annie

Annie,

I grow lavender too, but mine aren't nearly as full and lush as yours. Your garden must smell heavenly!

Marilyn

Annie -- love your photos and how your lavender is mixed with the other flowers. Have you tried 'Goodwin Creek' lavender? I'm tempted to try it, but I've read mixed results about growing it. It sounds like 'Grosso' is a good one. I will check it for my zone.

Thanks,
Cameron

I have 5 Munsteads and just love them. I wasn't sure when or how to prune them back but have learned alot from my web research. Most of the flowers have died out now so I guess it is time. I have found that the foliage is very fragrant and wondering if anyone has any recipes for using it to scent oils , soaps or waters???

I just cut back some of my lavender yesterday, and now I've got little bundles of it tied and hanging to dry from the top frame of my bed. It's pretty and smells wonderful. When it's all dried I'll strip off the flowers and leaves, sew them into bags, and use them in pillows. You can never have too much lavender, and none of it ever goes to waste. Wonderful stuff.