Lavender Fields Forever

Our lavender is just coming into bloom and it’s gorgeous. We use it as a hedge throughout our rose garden, and now the purple and blue spikes rock gently with bumblebees and butterflies perched atop the blossoms, like a sway pole in a circus.
Some background: Lavender (lavandula angustifolia) is native to the Mediterranean region. It was used in ancient Egypt as part of the process for mummifying bodies. Lavender's use as a bath additive originated in Persia, Greece, and Rome. The herb's name comes from the Latin lavare, which means "to wash." (from Wikipedia)

Do you yearn to visit the lavender fields of Provence? If that’s not on your agenda in the near future, visit one of the Lavender Festivals here in the U.S. Both Washington and Oregon have cultivated viable, thriving agribusinesses of lavender and many of the region’s farms will be open during the festivals.

12th annual Sequim Lavender Festival
Friday, July 18 - Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sequim, Washington is known as the Lavender Capital of North America and this is the largest lavender event in the country, with eight farms on tour. The Street Fair showcases many products made from lavender grown locally in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley by members of the Sequim Lavender Growers Association. There are 45 different varieties of lavender for purchase, along with new flavors of lavender ice cream, smoothies, and possibly lavender pie.

For more lavender festivals, visit the events section of Garden Traveler.

If you’re fortunate enough to have some lavender already growing in your garden, here are some instructions for making lavender wands: http://www.achs.edu/mediabank/files/Lavender_Wand_instructions.pdf