Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is an aromatic flowering plant widely recognized for its fragrant qualities. It can be utilized in herbalism, perfumery and various medical uses.
Aromatherapy uses lavender as an aid for sleep, but it also has many other health advantages. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that reduces pain relief and speeds healing processes.
Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is one of the most versatile and sought-after essential oils on the market, known for its calming effects that help treat anxiety, tension, stress, sleeplessness and headaches.
Cannabis oil can serve as a natural antihistamine, helping reduce symptoms associated with allergies such as hay fever, asthma and rhinitis. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated its ability to improve cognitive function and brain health – making it ideal for those experiencing mental fatigue.
Lavender essential oil has proven its effectiveness at relieving inflammation and speeding wound healing, by speeding repair rates, increasing collagen expression levels (which help keep skin elastic and joints healthy), and stimulating proteins involved in tissue-rebuilding activity.
Coconut, argan or olive oils can be mixed with the solution and massaged into affected areas for massage therapy. Or it can be added directly into shampoos and conditioners for more balanced scalp health.
When purchasing essential oil, make sure that you read the label closely and seek 100% pure lavender essential oil, labeled Lavandula angustifolia with no other additives or fillers present.
Price for pure essential oil will depend heavily on how and where it was manufactured or sourced; to get the best value, look for brands with proven reliability over many years of operation.
Prior to using any essential oil, conduct a patch test on either your inner arm or back in order to assess if there is an allergic reaction and discontinue use until consulting with healthcare professionals. If a reaction does occur, discontinue use and seek medical advice immediately.
Pregnant women should avoid lavender essential oil during the third trimester as it may reduce hormone levels and impact negatively upon the health of their unborn baby.
Before using lavender essential oil on children, it is recommended that they speak to a healthcare provider first. According to reports, frequent application of lavender oil to young boys could increase their risk of prepubertal gynecomastia – an extremely rare condition in which breast development occurs early on during life.
Flowers
Lavender has long been used for its beauty, fragrance, and medicinal qualities. Lavender became an ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman favorite due to both its therapeutic benefits as well as its lovely floral scent. Also recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, lavender remains popular with aromatherapists today.
Lavender flowers are popularly used in dried flower arrangements, potpourris and herbal fillers for sachets. Furthermore, their sweet fragrance keeps moths away from clothing and linens.
Lavender varieties typically display spikes of flowers in various shades of purple, although it’s possible to find varieties with white and even pink blooms. Flower color does not significantly impact its fragrance as this stems largely from oil glands embedded within star-shaped trichomes (plant hairs).
English lavenders are among the most beloved garden flowers, yet there are numerous others you can add. English lavenders thrive best when grown in full sun with well-draining, alkaline soil that isn’t heavy or compacted. While these perennials can tolerate low temperatures well enough, protection from frost or high heat would likely bring better results.
Spanish lavenders are another variety of lavender, known for its wide range of colors spanning from white to deep purple. Their petals, which emerge from cone-like spikes, give their flowers an extended and fragrant bloom throughout spring and summer.
Growing orchids from seed takes longer than other flowers due to the time required for germination and water pre-soaking before planting in cooler climates. Overwintering indoors is also essential.
Lavender can also be propagated via softwood cuttings, which are 3- to 5-inch-long segments taken in late spring or early summer and planted into gardens or pots in order to form roots that will form new roots and start the growth cycle anew. Once planted, these cuttings will form new roots and sprout into growth.
If you want to try growing lavender, start with small starter plants from a nursery or take cuttings from existing plants. If your area makes it difficult for lavender plants not to die back during wintertime, plant early in the season in order to promote new growth.
Leaves
Lavender leaves are an invaluable addition to any herb garden, easy to cultivate and versatile enough for harvest for various uses.
One of the easiest ways to utilize lavender is through infusing oil into it. Simply fill a canning jar half to three-quarters full with dried leaves and pour your selected oil on top, covering securely before leaving it sit for a couple weeks to infuse fully.
Make a delicious lavender syrup using lavender leaves! A great addition to cocktails, lemonade, coffee or desserts alike!
If you love the scent of lavender, use it to fill a room. Make a potpourri using lavender leaves combined with pinecones or other dried items and place in a bowl or decorative container for maximum impact.
Not only will you experience an aromatic bath or foot soak experience, but dried leaves will also serve to repel moths, insects, and other pests from entering. Furthermore, using dried leaves as bath or foot soak additives gives a lovely natural fragrance!
There are various varieties of lavender, each boasting their own set of unique benefits and properties. English lavender is an attractive perennial that thrives throughout North America; blooming later than other varieties means less moisture is required during winter to stay alive.
Spanish lavender thrives in hot climates and can grow across 8-9 hardiness zones, while English lavender tends to prefer humid environments. Both varieties can tolerate humid environments.
Lavender can also be used to craft herbal teas that provide an effective remedy for headaches and anxiety, or you could use it in bath water, foot soaks or add it to an eye pillow for additional soothing.
Dried lavender can also be preserved using salt or sugar as a means to preserve it for later storage. You can either combine its leaves with either solution, or grind them together with sugar before spreading on a baking sheet to dry for two or three days prior to storage.
Lavender leaves boast an aromatic sweet floral fragrance and taste, similar to rosemary, making them an excellent way to add flavorful notes in many different dishes such as soups, stews, salads and other meals. Use lavender leaves in soups, stews, salads or any dish calling for herbs as an ingredient!
Seeds
Lavender is an aromatic perennial herb that thrives in Mediterranean climate. Its flowers make an eye-catching statement in any garden while its scent has also gained wide acceptance for use in aromatherapy practices.
Growing lavender from seed can be an enjoyable and cost-saving endeavor, offering great savings over time. There are various methods available for germinating lavender seeds; I recommend starting them indoors so they have the highest chance of germinating successfully.
Start off by gathering some seed trays or plastic cells that you can fill with well-draining soil, such as peat pellets. Make sure the soil you choose allows water to drain freely so that your seeds won’t get bogged down by excess moisture.
Once your trays are complete, it’s time to sow your lavender seeds. For optimal results, two to three seeds should be planted per hole or pellet.
When transplanting seeds of lavender, be mindful that they are slow-growing herbs; full-grown lavender plants typically take approximately one year before becoming established and require only occasional watering for maintenance. Once established, however, less attention may be necessary – other than regular irrigation if needed.
Like many herbs, lavender does not like sitting in too much standing water. If your lavender plants seem waterlogged or overwatered, add organic matter like compost, shredded leaves or wood ashes into their soil to increase drainage and allow more freely flowing drainage of excess moisture. As plants consume this material it will break down over time, helping water drain more freely through them.
Once your lavender plants have taken hold, light pruning each year to encourage branching will ensure healthy blooming in future seasons.
Lavender seeds are easy to germinate and versatile enough for use in many different areas of the garden. Most commonly seen as a border or container plant, lavender can also create stunning hedges in any backyard space.
