Growing, harvesting and crafting with lavender

As part of make time with Seasalt and Pukka, we have been finding ways to create moments for yourself and your loved ones. Lavender is a beautiful aid to this: renowned for its aromatic and relaxing properties, it smells good, taste good, and can even help with sleep. From crafting to cooking, Pukka’s Herbal Education specialist Holly Huntley shares some new ideas for making use of this summer favourite, as well as her top tips for growing your own.

 Holly’s top tips: growing and harvesting lavender

 

• Lavender is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region, so it needs a nice warm, sunny spot in your garden.
• It prefers free draining soil, and works well planted in borders, herb gardens, or even a large container or pot, so you don’t need loads of space to make it work.
• Lavender should be planted in the spring. It blossoms in the summer, attracting wonderful butterflies and bees.
• Whilst the lavender is in season, you can collect and dry the flowers, harvesting just before they burst open.
• Prune the plant after it’s bloomed: cut just below the new growth, encouraging regrowth and keeping it healthy looking. The cut leaves and flowers can be put in a cotton bag that you can use to fragrance your clothes drawer.

 

Getting creative with lavender

 

If you aren’t lucky enough to have your own home-grown lavender, don’t worry – it’s widely available to buy.

Cooking

Lavender is lovely in both sweet and savoury dishes. We’re all familiar with classics such as lavender shortbread, but Holly suggests trying it on your roast potatoes – simply mix with rosemary and mint and sprinkle over your spuds before popping them the oven. If you’ve got other herbs growing on your windowsill or in your garden, why not try a few different flavour combinations?

Crafting

Everlasting bouquets

You can collect and dry wildflowers and grasses, along with lavender, to create gorgeously scented everlasting bouquets. They’re easy to make, and are a sustainable way of having flowers in your home year round.

Miniature wreathes

Another simple but beautiful idea that makes a brilliant present or hanging decoration for your home. Gather and dry your flowers and herbs of choice (Holly’s wreath has dried grasses, lavender and gypsophila) and create miniature bunches. Attached these to your wreath with wire.

Bathing

‘Lavender’ comes from the Latin word ‘lavier’, which means ‘to wash’, so it’s no surprise that it has been used in bathing rituals for centuries. In our anxious modern world, its sleep-inducing properties seem more relevant than ever, so Holly’s bath salts recipe is a great one to try before bed.

Simply fill a reusable, organic cotton bag three-quarters full with Epsom bath salts, two dessert spoons of dried organic lavender and 15 drops of organic lavender essential oils. Close the bag to mix it all together. Pop the bag in your bath, sit back and enjoy the gorgeous fragrance as the blend infuses with your bathwater.

For more from our Make Time with Seasalt & Pukka partnership – including creative ideas, nourishing recipes and meditations – sign up to become a Seasalt Friend and we’ll make sure you don’t miss a thing.