Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia)
I absolutely adore this herb and it seems insects do as well (see photo above).
Lavender has scented leaves and fragrant flowers. It belongs to the mint family.
We have lavender bushes by our backdoor and I always pinch a few leaves to crush in my fingers. The scent is divine.
Lavender is a versatile herb. It is used in oil infusion, which can be used as a very mild form of sedative, it is used to relieve headache and stress. It is also used in cooking to make lavender infused sugar.
Lavender is extensively farmed in France for its essential oil used in perfumes, soap and oil production. It is such a treat to slide between bed linens sprayed with lavender scent. It is very calming.
It is such a treat to slide between bed linens sprayed with lavender scent. It is very calming. Send you off to a relaxing sleep.
The plant is also beautiful to look at in the garden. Lavender plants can get leggy, so cut it roughly in the autumn to get a more bushy specimen comes spring.
Did you know?
I always thought (hehehe) that lavender is named after its lavender coloured flower. Apparently this was not the case. In ancient times, the Romans used lavender to add to their bath water not only for the scent but for its therapuitic properties. This wonderful plant was therefore called lavender from the Roman word, lavare, meaning ‘to wash’
Lavender flower meaning is devotion and vertue.