Its that time of the year in my garden. My lavender plants have been growing like crazy and now I have more than I know what to do with! Fortunately lavender is a plant with many different uses. Different groups have been using it throughout history for cooking, cleaning, disinfecting and treating their ailments. With so much information about lavender out there, deciding how to use your garden lavender can be overwhelming. That’s why I like to stick to a few simple, easy to do ideas. Here are my ten favorite uses for the lavender plant.
1. Cooking. Lavender scones are a breakfast favorite around this house. They are so delicious and surprisingly easy to make! There are many recipes for lavender scones out there but I really like this one. Don’t stop with scones! You can also use lavender in breads and sugar cookies. I also like to toss the flowers into salads or whirl them in the food processor to create delicious rubs for veggies. Lavender flowers also make darling decorations on cookies or cupcakes.
2. Lavender makes a delicious and inexpensive salad dressing. Using a clean glass jar, combine all the ingredients then shake. Kids have a blast doing this! There are many different lavender dressing recipes available on the web. I like this one, but try a few and find your favorite!
3. Use it as a tea. Lavender tea is so delicious on it’s own but I like to use my lavender flowers to create a calming, anti-anxiety tea that is perfect before bed. I use a tablespoon of chamomile, a teaspoon of lavender and a pinch of catnip. Bring to a boil then allow it to sit for five minutes. Strain and enjoy!
4. As a dandruff shampoo. Boil a handful of lavender flowers in a teapot of water and allow to cool. Mix in a little baking soda. This makes a great anti-dandruff shampoo, plus is smells great and isn’t harmful to our oceans and rivers.
5. As a moth repellent. I always have lavender drying for just this purpose. Gather a small handful of lavender and allow it to dry. Tie it into a bundle and hang it where ever you need protection from moths. I keep some in all of our closets, the pantry and storage cabinets. As an added bonus your closet and pantry will smell fantastic!
6. In the bath. Lavender is fantastic in the bath tub! Simply take an old nylon or mesh bag and add some slightly crushed lavender flowers. Too soothe the skin toss a handful of oatmeal into the bag as well, then throw the whole thing into the tub.
7. Infuse your house with the calming scent of lavender. Simply chop up some of the flowers and boil on the stove for a few minutes. Your house will smell amazing in no time!
8. You can also clean with lavender. I like to take advantage of it’s disinfectant properties by boiling the flowers in water, straining them out, then mixing the water with a bit of baking soda in a spray bottle to clean counters, table tops and floors. Not only will you house be clean, it will also smell fantastic.
9. Use it as a sleep aid. The calming scent of lavender is one of the most well-known sleep aids. Some people like to place fresh or dried lavender flowers into a pocket sewn into their pillowcase. I like to place a vase of fresh lavender flowers on my night stand. If you’d rather not have a vase and water so close to your bed, a bundle of fresh lavender flowers tied up and tossed on the night stand works as well.
10. Unstuff your sinuses. When a bad cold has you plugged up boil some chopped lavender flowers in a pot of hot water then transfer it to a bowl. Drape a towel over your face while you hover over the bowl and breathe in. Lavender is fantastic for clearing stuffy noses and sinuses.
If you’ve tried these ideas out and you still have lavender left over, try this bonus idea:
11. Give it away! Everybody loves lavender! Gather up a bundle and give the gift of calm to someone who could use it. And don’t forget to give them some of your new ideas for using this amazing and versatile plant.
