All About Dried Lavender
Summer is an amazing time for home gardens, with many seasonal flowers are coming into full beauty, the bumble bees are buzzing happily and the scents are just, simply scent-sational! Here at The Floristry Supplier we love sharing ideas of how you can create gorgeous floral arrangements at home or inventive ways to display your gorgeous blooms.
If you are growing lavender in your garden – whether its English, French or Spanish lavender – you can make the most of the beautiful aromatic Lavender by drying the lavender at home. And it really is easy to do, we promise!
When to Harvest Lavender
The best time to harvest Lavender is early in its bloom cycle – so keep an eye on your lavender plant to see when the flowers start to show. You can then cut the stems to harvest, which will also help encourage the lavender plant to bloom again later in the summer season.
Top tip: Harvest in the mid- morning, once the dew has dried and the fragrance is at its strongest.
How to dry lavender
Now you have your lavender harvest, its time to dry them. There are several ways to dry lavender with the most popular being to hang lavender or to dry out in baskets/on a flat surface..
Hanging lavender to dry:
- Create small bunches of lavender by gathering together a small handful of stems and tying with twine or rubber band.
- Hang the lavender bunches upside down in a warm and dry location with good air circulation (a fan or open window is great). Avoid direct sunlight as this will fade the beautiful flower colour.
- It can take a 2-6 weeks for lavender to fully dry out, depending on your climate. Regularly check on your drying lavender and test if the lavender is ready by snapping a stem – it should snap crisply when it's fully dried.
Top tip: If you don’t have the space to hang lavender you can use wicker baskets or just a flat surface covered in old newspaper to spread out the lavender stems (no need to bunch together) in thin layers and leave to dry for a month or so.
How to use dried lavender at home
- Vase: Arrange the dried lavender in glass vases or milk bottles – no water needed! These look simple and stylish, and release the most beautiful lavender aroma.
- Lavender bags: Strip the little buds off the flower and fill mesh bags or cheesecloth to make lavender bags. You can place these in drawers, cupboards or wardrobes for a lovely scent.
- Potpourri: Make your own potpourri for the kitchen or bathroom. Use a combination of lavender heads, dried citrus fruit and rose petals.
- Wedding confetti: The little lavender buds make perfect natural wedding confetti – popular because it is biodegradable and throws easily.
- Bunch: The lavender bunches look fabulous hang in an entrance porch or hung from a staircase bannister.
