Lavender

[sparkyaj]

I planted some lavender last year and this year it's gone mad with buds all over the place. They have just started to flower.

When is the best time to cut and hang them to dry?

Thanks

[sparkyaj]

Any suggestions ?

[smallblueplanet]

Preserving
July is an excellent time to begin preserving your lavender. Fresh lavender flowers can be picked to make lavender water, tinctures and oil and used in a wealth of culinary recipes. Lavender can also be dried for use in floral arrangements, making herbal sleep pillows and pot-pourri, and in a host of other uses. To harvest lavender for drying, it is best to choose stems that only have two or three opened flower buds, the rest will open during the drying process. Be sure to cut your lavender stems just after the dew is off of them. If you wait until later in the day, the plant will have lost its vital essential oils in the process of cooling itself down. It is, of course, these essential oils that give the lavender its wonderful aroma.

Lavender near bottom of page.

I like the sound of the sage & onion bread too.

[sparkyaj]

OK, so how can I extract the oil from my lavender?

I see steam distilation is the best method, but where can I get the stuff to do it from and what do I put in it?

thanks for your replies

[smallblueplanet]

Haven't got a clue sparky - I just googled for the above info.