Lavender is a perennial shrub with beautiful hues of purple and a wonderful fragrance. Because of that, lavender is used for fresh and dried bouquets and is prized for its' long-lasting scent.
To enjoy your fresh lavender bouquet, place it in a vase with 1" of water. Do not add more water because mold will appear. After 3-4 days, you should hang your bouquet to dry upside down in a dark, cool, dry area. After 2 weeks, you'll have a dried lavender bouquet to enjoy.
If you'd like to use the dried lavender buds alone, they will easily fall off the stem at this time.
1.) Use in bath water or in the clothes dryer for a natural scent.
2.) Use in a hand-sewn cloth sachet with a 1:1 bud to rice ratio. Squeeze the sachet to release the oils (scent) for a fragrance which will last months.
3.) Use 1/2-1 teaspoon to flavor a baked chicken or dessert. There are many unique food and drink recipes using lavender as an herb.
After stripping the dried buds, don't throw the stems away. Although most of the plant's oil (scent) is in the buds, the dried lavender stems are also scented. Use these as fire-starters to add a nice aroma to your grill or fire-pit in the evening.
Crafting with lavender allows you a beautiful decoration that smells wonderful too! Wreaths, wands (woven with silk ribbon) and swags are beautiful with lavender alone or combined with other herbs and flowers.
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