I always love having a herb garden, because I cooked with several different herbs, and with lavender flowers and leaves I like to use them in my homemade potpourris and sachets.
I will plant my lavender seeds indoors about eight weeks before we will have our last spring frost. I will put my pots of lavenders seeds under a lot of light because they have to have light to germinate. After the threat of frost is over, I will then transplant my plants out in my herb garden. I always plant my lavender plants in full sun. Lavender likes to be planted in certain soil, so I will get my soil up to date. They like well-drained alkaline soil.
I love lavender because the plants flowers so pretty and their fragrance is great.
When I go tout o my herb garden and I see that my lavender flower spikes and stems are nearly open, then it is time to harvest my lavender. I cut the flowers several inches below the bloom. Stems are cut to about one node of the woody growth if I am harvesting the leaves or if I am going to use in some of my arrangements.
The lavender that I am going to use for my arrangements, I have to dry this amount. I usually will hand them upside down in a hot, well-ventilates location.
Lavenders flowers whether dried or fresh can be added to baked goods and jellies.
