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How to Dry Herbs

How to Grow Lavender Herb

Perennial, Lavendula

Lavender is an aromatic herb. It's grown for it's scent, as a flower, and for culinary uses. Gardeners love to grow Lavender for both its sweet scent and it's attractive flowers, in shades of violet and pink which bloom all summer long. It is a member of the Mint family, and native to the Mediterranean and northern Africa.

In the flower garden, the semi-evergreen Lavender plants have attractive, grayish foliage. Flowers bloom in the  summer, releasing a pleasantly sweet scent. Most varieties are under 1 1/2 feet. They can grow up to two feet tall.

Plant Lavender in flowerbeds and rock gardens near a window of your house. Lavender also makes a great  border edge. They are also good in windowsill planters, in containers on your patio or deck. Try lavender as an indoor houseplant, too.

Their strong scent makes Lavender deer resistant.

How to Grow Lavender:

Grow Lavender in full sun. Plants do well in most soils, but a well drained soil is a must. They are tolerant of droughts.

Lavender are grown from seed. We recommend an early start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Place seedlings in a sunny window, or use gro lights.

YYou can also directly sow seeds into your garden. Sow seeds early in the season, and cover lightly with soil. Space seedlings or thin plants to 18" apart, in rows 24 inches apart.

The plants do not need a lot of fertilizer. Add a general purpose fertilizer once or twice a season, at most.

Water during droughts. P ALIGN=Left> PPick flowers in the morning when in full bloom, and place in a small vase.

The scent is in leaves, stems and flowers. Harvest in early morning when the oils are at their strongest in the plants. Cut the stems and spread loosely on a screen to dry. A HREF="dryingherbs.html">More information on harvesting and drying herbs

Uses of Lavender:

Lavender is popular in crafts, potpourri, sachets and as dried flowers.

TThe oils are used to make perfumes. The oil is also used to treat wounds and burns.

Ancient Romans used Lavender to scent their bath water. P ALIGN=Left> IIt's commonly used to give a fresh scent to bathrooms and other rooms, and to give a fresh scent to clothes.

Edible flowers can be cooked in many recipes.

More on Growing Lavender

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