Celebrate Green Blog

I planted lavender almost as soon as we moved into our house five years ago. But in all these years, I’ve never cut any except to grace a few bouquets.

Inspired by our recent visit to Purple Haze Lavender Farm (lots more about that to come), this evening, I went out to cut some.

Four plants grow in back of the studio/garage next to two raised beds which right now contain a half dozen struggling tomato plants (where oh where is the sun?) and a bunch of bountiful sugar pea vines.

Mind you, over the years, I’ve not only left the lavender uncut, but I’ve left it alone. Never fertilized, watered, pruned or fussed over it at all since I am a gardener wannabe and not a real gardener (which takes dedication, reading and following directions, none of which I’m terribly good at).

Anyway, I cut six bunches, rubber banded each and then realized I had no idea where to hang the bundles.

Instructions said “Hang them upside down where it is dark, and dry for a year.”

We live in Seattle.

There is nowhere dry, especially for a year.

I wracked my brain and finally came up with the laundry room.

We’re a family of two. I don’t do laundry all that often and when I do, it’s not like I shine searchlights in there for days on end. Mostly it’s dark, and relative to say, the garage, dry.

I hammered in a couple of nails on top of the doors that hide the water heater (hopefully the filter my husband changes is at the bottom when he opens the closet), strung a string, unfolded six paper clips to slide under the rubber bands and voila, a lavender drying room.

I’m no Martha Stewart so the six bundles are not equidistant. Still, I think they lend a certain farmhouse charm to the laundry. Their aroma may just entice me in there a little more often. My husband will be happy about that! (I treat laundry like gas for the car. I prefer to drive on fumes and when we’re down to the last sock, I consider doing this chore.)

But I digress.

One thing I’m not sure about. Directions say to dry lavender flowers for 12 months before using them in craft projects.

If you know me, you realize that a year is like a century where I’m concerned, so I’m going to try to contain myself until early December when I plan to start making holiday gifts. Wonder what would happen if I put lavender into sachets when the flowers are only five months into the process. Will they mold? Ummm, no one will be thrilled with that gift!

If you know anything about this, I wish you’d let me know in the comment section. I really don’t want to be giving moldy presents, but then I don’t want to wait for them to dry either. Hey wait! Can I speed up the process in the oven?

Help!

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.