Today I harvested the rest of the Provence and the second Grosso plant. Two more Grosso plants and I will be done with this year’s lavender harvest. I love the smell of lavender in the house. As I was getting the Provence ready to hang to dry, Dave walked into the kitchen. “Sure smells good in here.” Since he’s the head cook here at Happy Acres, he makes the majority of the good kitchen smells. It was nice that today he got to enjoy some without any work on his part!
Now to removing the buds of the Sharon Roberts that I hung to dry almost three weeks ago. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I took Soil to Sachet, an online class on growing lavender from Labryinth Hill a while back. In addition to teaching a class on how to grow lavender, she also has different ways to use lavender and also how to remove the buds. Here is her bud denuding device which I tried and it really works! However, mine is not quite as pretty as hers.
But if you don’t have the time, space, or desire to grow and debud your own lavender, Susan is taking orders for hers now at Labryinth Hill. I’ve bought some in the past and it’s so wonderful to get it fresh from the farm.
Here are my buds from yesterday.
While out harvesting lavender on the slope garden, I picked a few daisies, coneflowers, and gloriosa daisies to bring inside and enjoy. Did I mention that the gloriosa daisies have pretty much taken over one area of the slope garden? Dave had started several plants which I planted last year in one area and now they are not just in that area but even in the iris holding area. But they are so pretty and I’m happy to see them in that garden.
It’s been so much fun harvesting our lavender. I’m looking forward to using it in soap and other projects later on this year.
Sweet little bouquet of early summer flowers….so sweet.
(Heading over to the linked lavender website now!)
Thanks for youe comments on my blog site re: my pockets!
I love lavender, l made 13 large lavender rings (with candle in it)for my son’s wedding last year. It was a lot of hard work but the smell was well worth it.x
lynda
Glad you are enjoying the rewards of your work, that’s always the best part isn’t it? Love your beautiful flowers, none of mine came up this year that I plant along the fence in the veggie garden, seems our little girl lab has taken to laying there in the cool dirt while I”m working in the garden. You can’t blame a girl for wanting to keep her cool now can you…
Oh, great, I like that. I have lots of lavender growing around here. I am always trying to keep them from “eating” everyone around them. Lavender bloom season is past for me, since I don’t irrigate them, but I won’t forget your post. Now I know what to do with those buds. Thanks a lot!
Lynda, Those lavender candle rings sound beautiful.
Cindy Sue, A girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do! It was exciting to see my finished buds and more to denude soon.
Angela, Wow, that’s great that you have lots of lavender. We’re in zone 6b and even though it’s been so dry – until today! – our lavender has done really well and I don’t water it. We don’t water much except new plants and the blueberries. Oh, Dave does water in the greenhouse but then it’s more like a hot house now! Thanks for stopping by.
All that yummy lavender 🙂 Thanks so much for the link! So easy and so effective! I was always making a real mess removing the buds (I get lavender from my mom’s garden) but I am going to try that method this year!
You must have loads of lavender with the many different lavender plants you are growing! Are you going to use all of it?
I know I should have enough for soap and some other things I’m thinking about. However, it does keep. You are so lucky to have your mom’s lavender. I’ll look forward to finding out what you do with yours. And using that pillow case does keep most of the buds in one area, instead of all over the house!