Uses for lavender

Perhaps you have come across dried lavender in bags among the clothes in a chest of drawers, or among the sheets in the linen closet of an elderly relative at some point? It is just one of the different ways to wait for its delicious aromatic scent during the year.

Lavender is a Mediterranean plant that is believed to have existed in the Nordic region since the 15th century, when it was mainly monks who cultivated it in their monastery gardens. The essential oils in the plant were considered both soothing and helpful against cramps.

Today, many of us grow lavender in flower beds and pots solely because it is so beautiful – but we can also do a lot with the almost withered flowers and stems we cut away. Read on and get to know lavender's many uses.

• Dried bouquets
  Lavender has a wonderful scent, and the easiest way to enjoy it is to hang small bouquets to dry in the bathroom, bedroom, or other places where you would like a good fragrance.
• Scented sachets
  The flowers can also be sewn into scented sachets that you can place in the dresser or wardrobe. This not only provides a good smell but can also help keep moths away. You can sew the sachets yourself or buy them ready-made, but if you're looking for an even simpler solution, it also works well to put the flowers in a sock or a small piece of cloth.
• Lavender spray
  Another way to enjoy the scent of lavender is to make lavender spray that can be used instead of perfume. Place the flowers in boiled water for a while before straining the water and pouring it into a suitable container.
• Scented soap
  You can use lavender in your own soap.
• Fragrant shoes
  Put lavender in shoes that don't smell of flowers, and they will have a better scent.
• Spread a good scent in winter
  You can save the stems and burn them in the fireplace in the autumn and winter, which gives a spicy and soothing scent in the home.

Lavender is edible and tastes of flowers. It can advantageously be used as decoration on cakes, desserts, ice cream, and pastries. But be a little careful and choose your lavender with care. Avoid sprayed varieties and lavender that has grown near roads – they can be contaminated with exhaust or dog urine.

The best time to harvest the flowers is when they have almost finished blooming, as they then contain the most of the essential oil.

Lavender can be used as it is, dried, or mixed into sugar for future baking. Using lavender in food is still a bit unusual in the Nordic region, but in the Mediterranean area, it is often used in the same way as rosemary and thyme – and then it is primarily the leaves that are used. By the way, the leaves can also be used in salads, but only take a small pinch, as the taste can easily become overwhelming.

Lavender is a real insect magnet, and that is perhaps the flower's most important task. By attracting pollinators such as butterflies and bees, you get better pollination of plants nearby and thus larger harvests. A hedge of lavender around the kitchen garden can therefore be a good idea.

Like many other purple flowers, lavender is especially popular among butterflies – but mosquitoes and ticks don't like it. Yet another good reason to choose lavender! A little lavender in the light by the patio helps to keep mosquitoes away, and lavender oil on the skin of humans and pets is said to repel ticks.

Feel free to use lavender oil together with coconut oil or rosemary for maximum effect.

You can easily make lavender oil yourself, and it is considered both calming, anxiety-reducing, and anti-inflammatory. But remember that it should only be used externally, not drunk!

A few drops of lavender oil before bedtime can provide better sleep, as can a bouquet next to the bed.

Make your own lavender oil – step by step:

1. Place fresh lavender flowers in a sterilized glass jar with a lid, for example, a jam jar or a preserving jar.
2. Pour a good cooking oil over, for example, rapeseed oil – there should be so much that the oil just covers the flowers.
3. Put the lid on and place the oil in a sunny windowsill for about a week.
4. Strain the finished oil and pour it into a clean bottle.
5. Store the oil in the dark.

But remember that gardening should be enjoyable, not pressure. If you don't want to do anything with the flowers, then don't – lavender can be enjoyed just as they are!

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