Delighting in Dried Lavender

Lavender has been a blessing to many generations with its abundance of household uses. If you have plants on your property, you would really benefit by drying some.  There are so many possibilities! I hope to inspire you to transform these God given resources from your backyard into something serviceable in the home.

This needn't be time consuming. Enlist the children as your "certified" lavender pickers. The best time to harvest your flowers is in the morning of a dry day when the oils are at their prime. In the afternoon, the fragrance begins to diminish as the oils start to evaporate.

We dried our lavender in the dehydrator. I placed the flowers on the trays and when completed, we transferred them to a cookie sheet where we stripped the petals from the stems. Do not dismay if you haven't a dehydrator, there are many rustic ways to dry your herbs without the use of fancy devices. 

One option is to hang the bunches upside down, bounded together by a rubber band and rolled up in brown paper. Store in a dark, dry, well ventilated area (this should take about two weeks). Wrapping the bouquet aids in keeping the dust out and further protects the lavender from light. You can also lay your lavender on a screen in a well circulated, dark and dry area until dry to touch. These methods would also apply to most any other herb and flower.

Either way you choose to dry yours, there are a variety of uses. The beautiful display of the flowers themselves is incentive enough! Lavender also makes a fragrant and decorative potpourri (the "lid" of this jar is airy lace). Brew some flowers for a relaxing tea to calm your frazzled nerves and aid in digestion.

I look forward to sharing some pleasant household projects featuring this lovely plant so be sure to dry a bunch today! Store your supply in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. You may also be interested in What to Make and Do with All Your Lovely Lavender.

"… the little bundles of lavender flowers sent to strew the drawers of some town-dweller, or to burn in the chamber of some invalid. Things that many would despise, and actions which it seemed scarcely worth while to perform, were all attended to in Cranford…"

~ Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford

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