Summer is known for its laid back and relaxed atmosphere.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could bring some of that relaxing vibe of summer into your stressful life all year round?
Well, the answer to this question is literally right in front of you with the healing powers of the lavender plant!
Known for its intoxicatingly sweet scent, lavender has historically been used as a home remedy for insomnia, anxiety, depression and fatigue.
According to Mount Sinai Hospital, scientific evidence suggests that lavender, used in aromatherapy and massage therapy and taken as an herbal tea, may slow nervous system activity, improve sleep quality, promote relaxation and elevate mood in people who suffer from sleep disorders.
Often nicknamed the “herb of love,” lavender is a member of the mint family of herbs and is grown in southern Europe, Australia and the United States.
Locally, the best time to see lavender is from late May to mid-July, but lavender is generally available year-round, blooming only sporadically for a few weeks throughout the year.
Most varieties of lavender produce purple flowers, but some varieties produce striking white blooms.
Lavender is a perennial plant, so it is relatively easy to grow.
When considering planting lavender in your garden, be sure to choose a variety that can tolerate New England’s cold climate.
The most common varieties of lavender are English, French, Spanish, and special hybrid varieties, but English varieties tend to be well adapted to the New England climate and produce abundant, fragrant purple flowers that have a variety of uses around the home and kitchen.
When choosing a spot to plant lavender in your garden, keep in mind that lavender prefers well-drained soil and needs full sun.
Newly planted plants should be watered regularly until the plant is well established, but be careful not to overwater.
Once established, lavender requires very little care: it’s drought tolerant, so it only needs watering once or twice a week, and it rarely requires fertilizer.
Once the flowering season is over, it’s a good idea to prune lavender to maintain the size of the plant. Unpruned lavender plants, like their close relative mint plants, tend to spread out over time and may end up taking up more garden space than originally intended.
Lavender has been used for centuries to purify the body and mind, whether added to bath water or hung around the home for its sweet, soothing scent.
Today, lavender is still a popular addition to soaps and body lotions for its aromatic and calming properties.
However, in recent years, lavender has become a popular flavoring for both sweet and savory dishes.
Culinary-grade lavender can be purchased fresh or dried, but be sure to purchase culinary-grade lavender, not the decorative or aromatic variety commonly sold in craft stores.
Typically, the most common type of lavender used in cooking is English lavender, but French lavender also has a particularly sweet flavor and can pair well with certain dishes.
Fresh culinary lavender can be found at farmers’ markets, and dried lavender can be found at specialty culinary stores, organic markets, and health food stores.
Fresh lavender can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Dried lavender has a fairly long shelf life of one to two years and is generally easy for home cooks to use, with only a few calories per tablespoon and no added fat or cholesterol.
When purchasing high-quality culinary lavender, look for one that is a vibrant purplish-blue color with a spicy, minty scent rather than a strong perfume-like scent.
When used in cooking, fresh lavender is perfect for enhancing the flavor of salads, teas and cocktails, and it also works well on the dessert table with mixed citrus and other fruits, as well as in fine desserts such as crème brûlée.
Dried lavender is extremely versatile in the kitchen as it can be used as a rub, marinade, sauce and more.
Adding dried lavender to iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, or your favorite fruit cocktail will enhance your favorite summer drinks.
Dried lavender can also be easily incorporated into your favorite cookie, pie, or cake recipes to add depth of flavor.
For the ultimate relaxing summer treat, try adding lavender to your favorite homemade sorbet or ice cream recipes, or look for lavender vanilla ice cream at your favorite ice cream store.
This year, there’s no need to panic just because summer is already half over. Keep that relaxing summer vibe going all year long by adding some fresh or dried lavender to your home, kitchen or garden.
