Lavender a fragrant shrub...
Lavender a fragrant shrub...
Lavender is not only popular with bees and bumble bees, but is also known to us humans as a fragrant shrub or usable medicinal plant. We can use the pleasant and wonderful scent in the kitchen as a spice, for painful wounds, for our relaxation or as a moth sack. No other plant is as versatile as our lavender from the garden.
So that it can be of use to us and the little animals, it is of course necessary to ensure optimal budding.
Lavender in spring
The plant can be planted from March in the garden in a sunny place sheltered from the wind.
Since the lavender likes it dry and not wet, you should make sure that rain or water can always run off. Therefore, a gravel and sand soil is recommended, this is permeable and optimal for our lavender.
The plant flowers from June to August in many different colours. It is pruned in spring for lush shoots in summer. The perfect period is after the frost and of course before the first shoots. You can cut down up to two thirds of the plant, even old and woody branches from last year can be cut off.
Lavender can be cut twice a year.
As soon as it flowers a second time you should cut it directly again. But please do not cut into the old wood during the "second" cut. If you missed the first cut after the first flower, then you should better do without a second cut. The lavender still needs a little time to form some shoots to get fit for the winter.
Drying lavender
If you would like to get a bouquet and a wonderful fragrance in your living room, you should cut off the lavender while it is still in bloom.
But be careful - please avoid the blazing sun to dry. The valuable oils will be lost. It is best to bind it together into a shrub and let it dry upside down in an airy and shady place.
Lavender as a remedy
Its essential oils help with cuts and burns, insect bites and small inflammations. The oil is applied directly to the affected wound.
Here is a recipe how to make lavender oil.
Ingredients:
Lavender, oil and a glass to close.
For the production which is really quite simple either fresh or dried blossoms are used. As oil one can use thistle, almond or olive oil, thus a taste neurtales oil.
The flowers are simply placed in a sealable glass and the oil is added and ready.
Tip:
Before it goes into the glass, grate the flowers in your hands so that the oils are released even better and the oil becomes even more intense.
The whole thing is now placed in a sunny place and shaken once a day. Let it mature for 4 weeks. After the 4 weeks the oil is filtered through a cotton cloth. Finished.
By the way also a beautiful gift. 🙂
Have fun trying it out.
Love greeting Lilly