Lavender Bags

[Hilary B]

can you not dry it in the microwave? i've dried other leaves and stuff out that way?

I wouldn't risk it with FLOWERS. Might lose too much of the perfume.....

[kentvegplot]

If you've got lavender that hasn't fully opened, you can make lavender 'bottles'. Cut pliable stems and tie under the flowers with a (long) narrow ribbon. Bend the stems back over the flowers and then weave the ribbon in and out of the stems, tying it off at the bottom. Doesn't work so well if the flowers are fully out. Makes a lovely present.

[Hilary B]

If you've got lavender that hasn't fully opened, you can make lavender 'bottles'. Cut pliable stems and tie under the flowers with a (long) narrow ribbon. Bend the stems back over the flowers and then weave the ribbon in and out of the stems, tying it off at the bottom. Doesn't work so well if the flowers are fully out. Makes a lovely present.

Sounds almost like a 'corn dolly' idea........Might try something of the sort if I can scrounge enough lavendar.....

[greenlung]

can you not dry it in the microwave? i've dried other leaves and stuff out that way?

I tried this last weekend - I picked some with my daughter and she managed to get half of it wet. It made a great smell in the kitchen, but as I'd expected (and someone else has suggested) it lost some of the fragrance.

Picked some more today - love it.

After we did a bit of research (Culpepper's Herbal, aromatherapy guides) we found it's actually supposed to be more of a stimulant than a somniferous sleepy smell, though I do find it very calming and my daughter has been sewing little pouches to pop in her pillow. (Ah - bless, just become a teenager and still no crack habit ; )

[Nicos]

For some strange reason the smell of lavender makes me feel queezy- ie can't stand the stuff to smell- but I think it looks fantastic!

I've grown quite a lot of thyme this year and it's in full flower at the moment so I've done the little bunches thing (as you've suggested) with those to see how they turn out!

[sueycl]

Hi, you should pick the lavender with longish stems, on a warm day when the flowers are just coming to their end. If you tie the stems and hang them upside down in a dark place (a wardrobe's good as the lavender makes it smell lovely). Then loosely tie a paper bag over the heads and leave about 3 weeks. By this time, the flowers should have dried out and fallen off into the bag. If not, just agitate the heads and they will drop into the bag. Then sew squares of loosely woven fabric (muslin, calico etc) leaving a gap. Put the lavender in through the gap and oversew. You can add a loop for hanging too.

[Flummery]

I pick them in bud. Dry them upside down in bunches and rub the buds off when they are completely dry (or they'll mould) You've missed the boat for this year. Here are some I made earlier!