One of the most popular kinds of plants that can be purchased from big box stores, local nurseries and specialty websites is lavender. Lavender (Lavandula) is a member of the mint family and a genus that includes 47 species with over 400 named varieties which can be used for the landscape, essential oils, or a myriad of other ways! Lavender loves the sun and does best in well-drained, unamended soil, doesn't require much water once established and is pest and disease resistant. The most popular varieties are English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French Lavender (Lavandula dentata), Lavandin Hybrids which are English Lavender Hybrids (Lavandula x intermedia), Portuguese Lavender (Lavandula latifolia) and Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas). Each is unique in its own way, but always stunning in the landscape. What is so wonderful about lavender, way beyond enjoying it aesthetically in our garden, is the ease at which you can make lavender essential oil which can be used to enhance your life in so many ways.
But first the basics. When should you harvest your lavender? The definite time to harvest depends on the variety but most start blooming in the early summer and continue blooming all the way to fall. Harvest the flowers in late morning ensuring that all the dew has had a chance to dissipate from the buds and you notice that the first few buds have blossomed into flowers. This is the time that the oils will to be at their peak. Since you will see your lavender bush blooming often throughout the season you can watch the stems for the first few buds to flower and you will know then is the time to cut the stems just above the leaves which also encourages even more buds to form! Try not to harvest all the flowers from your plant though because it is a wonderful source of food for our pollinators who appreciate our help!
In order to make the essential oil, the lavender should be dried. The easiest way to dry lavender is to hang a bundle of stems (maybe 10-15) into a loose bouquet to ensure the lavender doesn't get moldy. Tie the base of the stems with twine, leaving one end longer for hanging. Hang it somewhere warm and airy to dry, out of the sunlight for a week or so. Check it for mold every few days.
Probably one of the most versatile things to do with dried lavender is to make essential oil. There are many ways to make it, but one easy way is to completely cover slightly crushed lavender flowers and buds with vodka in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store the jar in the sunlight for at least two weeks. Give the mixture a good shake every so often. You can then strain the oils from the lavender through a coffee filter and into another jar. When the oil has been strained out of the lavender, use another coffee filter to cover the jar and strain it again for a few days to get every bit of that precious oil from the lavender before transferring your oil into a spray or storage jar.Voila!
There is a lot of research that shows that lavender essential oil can relax the nervous system, calm stress, support sleep and help repair damaged skin. Rub 2 or 3 drops of lavender oil on your palms and breathe the scent deep into your amygdala gland where your emotions lie in your brain. This will help calm your mind. You can then rub it into your feet, temples, and wrists for a quick calming effect on your whole body.
Some other ways to make your life a little sweeter with lavender essential oil is to spray it on your pillowcase to enhance your sleep or fill the air in your home with the scent of lavender by putting a few drops in a diffuser and feel your body begin to relax. Lavender oil has also been used for a long time for cleansing and soothing the skin. Enhance your daily skin care routine by adding a few drops of lavender oil to your body lotions, face creams and hair products to support healthy-looking skin and scalp. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which will soothe insect bites, sunburn and reduce redness and acne scarring while always adding that sweet aroma.
So, as you can see, lavender is one of the most versatile herbs around not to mention its heavenly scent!