Lavender is probably one of the most loved fragrant flowers. Not only does its gorgeous purple blooms have a pleasurable scent, but it also provides a food source for earth essential pollinators such as Bumblebees, Honeybees, and Butterflies. If that doesn't make Lavender attractive enough, it also doubles as a culinary and medicinal herb! It is commonly used in aromatherapy to help one relax, fall asleep, and de-stress. Additionally, it is beneficial as a topical anti-inflammatory, heal dry and itchy skin, and is also known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. It has a healthy range of culinary uses, from beverages to edible decoration.
There are so many things you could do with Lavender, why wouldn't you want to grow it, even if it's just for its beauty! We've put a few of those things below to give you some ideas. 
Tea
This is perhaps the most common use Lavender is grown for. A fresh cup of Lavender Tea is sipped on for its nerve-calming effects and is excellent for before heading to bed for a night of extra restful sleep. It can also help calm the effects of anxiety, headaches, and upset stomachs. Below is a basic recipe for Lavender Tea. You can find more tea recipes here.
INGREDIENTS
-Boiling Water
-1 cup fresh lavender flowers
or
-1/2 cup dried lavender flower
HOW TO MAKE IT
STEP 1 Fill a medium-sized teapot with filtered, purified, or spring water and bring to a rolling boil. Never use tap water or distilled water when brewing teas. These types of water can cause flavor alterations and prevent tea leaves and flower buds from infusing flavor completely.
STEP 2 Add the lavender flowers to a tea ball, tea infuser, or tea sachet and place inside the teapot. We recommend using an infuser basket to allow the lavender flowers to open entirely and results in the best-tasting tea. Leave the flower buds in the teapot for 10 minutes to steep.
STEP 3 Remove the lavender buds and the tea tools from the kettle. Carefully pour the hot water into teacups and enjoy the crisp, floral taste of simple lavender tea. Add a dash of honey to turn this simple tea into lavender honey tea.
Culinary Seasoning.
The flavor of Lavender is very similar to its aroma, but with a hint of bitterness. It's pairs well with other herbs such as rosemary, marjoram, thyme, parsley, and oregano. It is frequently used in the Herbes de Provence seasoning, used with roasted and grilled meats and vegetables. Lavender can also be used in desserts like cake and ice cream and in marinades and vinegarettes. 
Infused oil
This is perhaps one of the most valuable uses you can make with dried Lavender flowers! There are so many homemade household items you can use the infused oil in, not limited to; soap, lotion bars, salve, chapstick, face creams, and bath salts. The uses are almost endless! Below is a basic Lavender Infused Oil recipe.
INGREDIENTS
-dried lavender flowers; Make sure they are 100% dry!
- Glass container such as a pint canning jar.
-oil of choice; Common choices for natural skincare include jojoba oil, olive oil, argan oil, hemp seed oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil, and more! Make sure you get enough to fill your glass container.
-fine mesh strainer
-cheesecloth
HOW TO MAKE IT
Step 1: Fill container 3/4ths of the way full of dried flowers.
Step 2: Fill the container all the way up with the oil, make sure all the flowers are covered. Put the lid on tightly.
Step 3: Place in a sunny location, such as your windowsill, for at least four weeks and up to eight weeks. The longer it sits, the stronger the infusion will be! Shake the jar on occasion to keep flowers covered. You may need to add in a tad more oil after a couple of days.
Step 4: Strain the infusion with the cheesecloth, then pour the strained oil back into the glass jar.
Step 5: Store in a dry location for safekeeping. Your infused oil will have the same shelf life as the carrier oil you used, typically 1 - 2 years. You can keep it in your refrigerator to make it last longer.
Now you have infused oil ready to go for use in homemade products! Since you will use it on your body or even for cooking, it's best to stick to all organic products! 
Lavender Lemonade
This is a lovely, refreshing beverage, perfect for hot summer days! It's an ideal drink for sipping on at family BBQs, wedding parties, baby showers, and any special occasions! See a tasty recipe below!
INGREDIENTS
-3 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
-6 cups of water
-1/2 cup of sugar
-1/4 cup of honey
-2 cups of lemon juice
-pitcher
Step 1: Put 2 cups of water and the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Once it's dissolved, turn off the stove and add in the honey and lavender flowers.
Step 2: Allow the mixture to steep for at least 2 hours. Then strain the mix well, make sure you squeeze the liquid out of the flowers.
Step 3: Combine the strained liquid and the rest of the ingredients in a large pitcher and mix them together. Serve over ice.
*For adult beverages, add in your favorite champagne or tequila for a fun cocktail!
If you are all ready to grow Lavender, we have two lovely garden kits that contain the seeds! We have our Herbal Tea Garden Starter Kit and our Herbal Garden Seed set. You can even use the other herbs for the same applications or find different ways to use them!
Lavender Seed Growing Tips:
- Place your lavender seeds on a tray in your fridge for 1–2 days to help the “hardening off” process, which gradually exposes tender plants to sunlight, wind, and uneven temperatures.
- Now, it’s planting time! Place seeds on top of prepared soil and sprinkle a tablespoon of soil evenly over the seeds to cover them.
- Indoors or outdoors, your Lavender likes to soak up the sun. If growing indoors, place your pot under strong sunlight.
- Your soil should be damp, never wet! Sometimes a slight difference makes all the difference.
- Lavender likes its soil at a constant 70°F (21°C) temperature.
- You should see sprouts in 14 days, if not, don’t worry! Keep taking care of your lavender, and it will grow.
- When the plant has developed into a bushy-form, you can select as many as two bunches. Never take more than 25% of the overall foliage off at once.
If you already have your Lavender growing, you can read how to harvest and dry your flowers here.
Happy Lavender Growing!
Featured Items:
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Herbal Tea Starter Kit  |
