If you can grow but one plant, let it be lavender. Whether it’s in a pot on a balcony or sprawling across a country estate, there is no rival to its beauty and scent. Trace its lineage and you’ll uncover Egyptians and Romans who treasured the oil extracted from leaves and flowers.
In today’s modern household, it’s a plant of a million uses due to its incredible scent, which is derived from oils within the leaf and flower. When the plant is cut, the fresh oils are released into the air, lingering on anything they touch. This is no retiring subtle scent that rivals bottled perfume.
Distilled lavender oil is in high demand in the cosmetics industry. Evidence suggests that lavender was incorporated into many ointments to keep mosquitoes and flies at bay in ancient Rome.
Growing lavender at home offers a host of household applications. Cut fresh and use to cloak musty odors. Bundle in cheesecloth or netting for the linen closet. Cut and tie onto impromptu gifts or sift dried leaves into a greeting card. Lavender blossoms also make fabulous cake decorations or a garnish for meats and cheese.
The key to growing it is full sun and well-drained soil because these plants detest wet feet. When in doubt, mound the soil a bit and get the base of the stem up above the regular grade as this is the most vulnerable point.
Beginners should start with English lavender, known as Lavandula angustifolia, which produces flower spikes just under a foot long. With more than 100 named varieties, selection can seem mind-boggling, but all of them are worth growing.
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