Soapsmith's Blog: Lavender!

Hello friends,

“The blue hues of lavender inspire a poet’s voice, an artist’s hand and a gardener’s eye…”

It is lavender time. This beloved herb abounds in my garden, its sweet, spicy, herbal aroma wafting through the air. Lavender invites the honey bees to partake of its nectar and begs to be harvested.

I find the lavender to be one of my favorite herbs. It thrives with little care; whatever sun and rain nature provides is always perfect. Cultivation is so simple, cut it back in the fall and wait for the new spring growth. Thanks to the volunteer sprouts, each year I am rewarded with an ever expanding lavender bed surrounding the boulders and bench at the garden gateway. Even after the blooms are spent, the remaining gray green foliage still provides the distinctive fragrance.

Early June when the pretty dusty purple heads open to near full bloom, the herb is ready to be gleaned. Gathered bouquets are tied with simple garden twine as their aroma reels from the rafters where they are hung for natural drying and winter floral displays. Some of the buds will be dried for use in my sachet products.

Amber and cobalt glass jars and jugs offer a host of infusions concocted for balms, soaps and lotions. Wands will be woven into Victorian inspired delights to adorn a lady’s boudoir.

Queen Victoria would order the maid servants to launder the bed linens and stretch them across the hedgerows of lavender to capture the enticing scent. That intoxicating fragrance is recalled in my pure lavender sleep pillows. Simply store them under your bed pillow. When you turn down the bed at night, flip the pillow and allow the calming lavender to lull you to a placid dream world.