Lavender

This small shrubby perennial makes a fine hedge. It is stunning when grown next to deep pink, orange, yellow, or red flowers and its silvery-grey foliage can be a fine accent point, especially in winter gardens.

Cultivation

Lavender is very easy to grow in almost any friable, garden soil. It takes best to a light soil in a dry, open and sunny position and needs good drainage and freedom from damp in winter. Protection against summer gales is worth considering, as strong winds in the flowering season break the flower spikes, and the plant is liable to injury by frost. All the forms of lavender are popular with bees and prove a good source of honey.

Parts used

Dried flowers, once freed from the stalks, and an oil is prepared from the flowering shoots. Dried flower heads for household and fragrance purposes.

Uses

This queen of herbs has antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, and last but certainly not least, anti-depressant properties. Lavender oil is one of the safest essential oils and can be used full-strength on the skin. It works wonderfully and can be applied directly for cuts, scrapes, wounds, burns, insect stings, rashes, muscle aches, rheumatism, arthritis, cold sores, blisters, bruises, Athlete's foot, and rubbed directly into the temples in case of headache. Internally, it is believed to be beneficial in a host of ways including reducing the effects of stress, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, headaches, migraines, insomnia, depression and colds! Lavender sown into bags can keep away moths, and lavender cakes and lavender ice-cream are deliciously subtle foods. Lavender water is a cosmetic and eau de cologne is made on a base of lavender extract in alcohol.

Lavender photograph by Rasmithuk from flickr under a creative commons attribution licence.

 

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