This was a fun project that I wasn't sure would turn out as well as it did. Since I travel a great deal I wasn't home when the beautiful lavender in my garden was in bloom. I missed seeing the pretty flowers, but early last December while clipping back perennials for the winter, I stood holding beautifully smelling stems and leaves.
Generally, lavender flowers are the best to dry to use in sachets or elsewhere, but I just couldn't put these stems and leaves into the compost bin. So, I bunched them together, secured them with a rubber band, and hung them upside down in my garden shed to dry. My husband and I then left town for ten weeks to return in March just as the weather in Cincinnati began to warm.
When I opened my garden shed door in March I was greeted by the most wonderful aroma. Great! I carefully took the bunch of stems and leaves down. That was easy because I had strung them up there with a slip knot in a piece of string that I had slipped through the center of the bunch under the rubber band when I hung it in the shed ten weeks before. While taking them down, I carefully slipped them into an old pillowcase.
I took the pillowcase over to a table on the patio where I rolled it up to crush the contents. I then carefully put the crushed leaves into a plastic container.So, there you have it. It's not hard to do and it certainly is fun to have dried lavender. Yes, the flowers are the best for this but I am so very happy with these leaves and stems that I will never let them go to waste when drying lavender flowers in the future. I'll just make two batches: one of flowers, one of leaves and stems.
If you don't have dried lavender, I'll explain how to make your sachet a different way so you can still give one or more of them for Mother's Day next month.
Very best,
Lois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, how I love lavender! I used to have jillions of lavender plants in my yard, but they didn't stand up to Ohio winters very well, now I think I'm down to 4. Have been gradually replacing it with catmint, but it's not the same . . .
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Lois! I have a large Lavender bush in my yard. I also crochet. Not as much anymore due to arthritis but I still dabble here and there! Something else we have in common! The sachet is very pretty!
ReplyDeleteLove Di ♥
I seem to be allergic to lavender, but I like the smell. I'm hoping that heather will withstand this tropical weather. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNow I'm anxious to smell the lavender, as it grows, but am waiting for the lilac and honeysuckle too!
ReplyDelete♥...Wanda
Good evening, Ladies,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. Yes, it was fun to dry the lavender. I made four sachets from that little bit of lavender and have already given one away to my sister-in-law.
You all have very enjoyable blogs. I'm glad I know you.
Very best,
Lois
I love lavender! I need to plant some this year. I wanted to last year, but forgot. I do have a lilac bush however! Your little crocheted holders are really cute...debbie
ReplyDeleteI love lavender........ I have tried several times to grow it and it just won't grow for me. I gave my Daughter-in-law a white lavender plant two years ago and hers has thrived and is three times the original size.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Lois.... :o)