Lifting Spirits With Lavender

Introduction

Lavender has earned a reputation as a flowering plant that lifts moods and calms nerves. I'ts gentle scent is added to lotions for bedtime use. It's essence is extracted for essential oils, especially in countries along the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa, where the plant originates.

Cultivating Lavender

The botanical name for lavender is Lavendula angustifolie. The color we associate with the flower most often is purple, but there are also light pink and white lavender flowers. It's a perennial that grows best in direct sunlight and enjoys consitent watering, especially when you first establish the plant in your garden.

Garden Landscaping with Lavender

There are lots of places you can plant lavender for a magical effect, where the flower's fragrance will benefit both you and your neighbors. It can be used as a border shrub around the outside of your property, along your driveway, or on a walkway between two areas of your property, such as the route from your house to the garbage and recycling bins.

Another way to design landscaping using lavender is to plant it as the border to a permanent outside labyrinth. It's calming presence enhances the meditative benefits of walking a labyrinth path. To add some extra splashes of color for contrast, companion perennials perfect for keeping your lavender company include black-eyed susans, roses and shasta daisies. In the heat of the summer, your border will become a living potpourri for your medtation space.

Lavender for Self-Care

Lavender's superpower is the calming effect the flower's fragrance has on our mood. It alleviates anxiety and depression, along with many of the physical ailments associated with anxiety: headaches, nausea, elevated blood pressure, PMS. The flower is used is many ways to keep us calm, and it's graces are more important than ever during uncertain times on a global scale.

A Place in the Kitchen

In addition to making a lovely centerpiece on your dining table, lavender flowers have been used in various ways to add an extra zing of flavor to food and drink.

Lavender in Food

There is history around adding lavender to butter, honey, preserves and compotes for a gentle floral touch. It's also been added to cake batter and as a garnish on garden salads. For delicious entrees, lavender flowerets have been added to the roasting pot with chicken, lamb and rabbit. For an Herbes de Provence seasoning bouquet, mix lavender with thyme, savory and rosemary.

Soothing Sips

If you'd rather enjoy a hint of lavender in your drink, you can infuse tea with it, iced or warm, or add it to a cocktail. Next time you make Sangria, add lavender to the mix to enchance add a touch of floral essence to the fruity mix.

If you haven't gotten enough of lavender yet, there's still other ways to benefit from her gentle fragrance, all of which fall into the category of Aromatherapy.

Essential Oils

Each night you can spray a mix of water and lavender essential oil on your sheets for a restful night's sleep. If you don't want it so close to your skin, you can warm it in an oil infuser, or dab your lightbulb with the oil to enjoy it's calming nature at the end of the day.

A Calming Floral Bath

If you prefer to keep your infusions simple, directly from your garden to your home, you can place a handful of lavender stalks in a cheesecloth pouch and dunk it in your steaming bath water, along with your Epsom or Sea Salts. Soaking both in through your skin will relax you,soften your skin, and help detoxify you from head to toe.

Sweet Dreams!

So, what's not to love about lavender? Her fragrance is calming, her flavor is soft, and she grows back in your garden every year.

I'm looking forward to learning about your favorite experiences with lavender from the "Comments" section below. I'd love to know if you've learned anything new from this article. Thank you for reading!