Records show that monasteries used lavender medicinally and it was listed as such, as far back as 1301. The Lady of the Manor used lavender for culinary and medicinal purposes and kept a still-room for preparation for use by family and staff.

PERFUMING ROOMS.

Also you can hang bunches of lavender up.

I have some bags of lavender on a few door handles, and they give of a beautiful scent as I enter the rooms.

If 'pot-pourri' is literally translated from the French, it means 'rotten pot', and this refers to the original way of making it; fresh or semi-dried flowers and petals would be layered in a crock with salt to cure or ferment them, thus preserving an exceptionally strong and long-lasting scent.

Pot-pourri making did not become popular in Britain until the sixteenth century when spices for underlying fragrance and ingredients for fixing the scent became more widely available. The finished mixtures were kept in bowls. In small houses with high windows, damp, and beaten mud floors, they were essential for sweetening the air.

The sharper scented herbs such as lavender, rosemary and southernwood which were added to them also helped to keep away infection.

For hanging from a headboard or putting under a pillow, you should make them with a inner cover of muslin and an outer cover of a pretty, washable material, hand sewn at one end for easy removal. Choose pretty cottons and silks to match the decor of the bedroom and edge them with lace or ribbon.

A QUOTE.

I judge that the flowers of lavender quilted in a cap
and worne are good for all diseases of the head
that come from a cold cause
and that they comfort the braine very well.

~~By William Turner. 1551.~~

LAVENDER AS FOOD.

Lavender was often used during Tudor and Elizabethan times in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes and was a particular favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. The palace gardeners were required to have lavender flowers available at all times which were used to make Conserve of Lavender (a mixture of lavender flowers and sugar) and sweet lavender tisane, a drink made with lavender flowers, boiling water and honey.

Today the flowers can often be found in salads where they bring a dash of color, fragrance and a bitter-sweet flavor. The blossoms and leaves can be used instead of rosemary in many recipes and crystallized flowers make beautiful and tasty cake decorations.

Lavender used in the kitchen is primarily fresh blossoms or "culinary lavender". To get fresh blossoms you must of course grow your own of know someone that does. In many recipes dried blossoms can be substituted. Culinary lavender is lavender buds harvested just before flowering, it is when the oil concentration in the bud is the highest.

LAVENDER IN MEDICINE.

Many of the purported medicinal uses for lavender have, upon modern scientific testing, proven to be legitimate. Lavender oil does have antibiotic activity effectively killing many common bacteria. Lavender oil was used extensively during world Wars I and II on the battle field and whenever medical supplies became scarce to prevent infection and as a pain reliever.

The sedative effects of lavender are well documented in medical tests demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing caffeine induced hyperactivity, and increasing length of sleep by ingestion or inhalation. The inclusion of lavender in lotions and oils placed on burns and bee stings aids in relieving the pain and its use in massage oils helps in relaxing muscles.

While many of the medicinal properties of lavender involve the use of lavender oil or dried lavender flowers the stems or "straw" left after stripping the flowers can be burned like incense and have often been used as a means of deodorizing and disinfecting sick rooms.

The other maladies that Lavender is reportedly helpful in controlling include such things as the control of dandruff and hair loss when included in shampoos. Many of these claims have yet to be tested scientifically but it is evident that many of the old uses for lavender were more than simply old wives tales.

OTHER USES OF LAVENDER.

WREATHS AND ARRANGEMENTS where it not only adds colour and line to a design, but also fragrance as a bonus. When used in wedding bouquets it sends the message of "best wishes & good luck" to the bride and groom!

IN THE DRYER - Martha Stewart tip: Add a Lavender Bag to your dryer when drying your linen and sheets. Can be used at least 25 times.

GROWING LAVENDER.

Here are some tips on growing lavender.

Space your plants so there will be plenty of room for air flow around the plant once it matures.

Place the plants in an area where they can get lots of sun.

Make sure the soil has very good drainage. Lavender hates to have "wet feet".

The soil should be loose and relatively dry, add sand if the soil is not fine enough or you need to increase drainage.

Make sure the hole is big enough to accommodate the root spread.

Mix a little bone meal in with the soil at the bottom of the hole.

Gently spread the roots of the plant out before placing it in the hole. Fill in gently.

Prune plants in early spring, or in the fall after harvesting. Most people prune into a dome shape.

Each flower stem has to be harvested just when the flowers start to open up. At this point the essential oils are at their peak.