Purity, Grace and Calmness
at the Farm
They are about to start blooming…I swear I heard them whispering the other gray, wet day (we've had plenty of those recently) that they are delaying the bloom until they see real sun. However, this is the best time to pick them for the longest-lasting bouquet. Keep them in water, make sure it is fresh, and lavender will slowly open its buds. Your vase will magically bloom for a long time. Also, they are best to dry at this stage - the unopened buds are the ones you want to use in cooking and sachets, as they keep all their aroma.
The hot days of summer call for another use of lavender –
lavender lemonade and of course, lavender infused drinks. I
volunteered myself to try couple of different recipes – not that they are dramatically different, but there were some obvious winners.
To be honest, I skipped the lemonade…
Follow this link for the recipe of lavender simple syrup that I choose after experimenting with couples. Lavender Collins cocktail by Fox and Briar won the price so far both by the taste and simplicity. As I felt a bit guilty (or is it giddy?) of concentrating mostly on alcoholic cocktails (just the scientific approach, Ph.D.'s honor), I modified the famous Russian summer beverage – kompot – to reflect the lavender mood of mine. Check the recipe here.
So put the lavender that you picked on our farm to a good use – it is organic, English lavender that could be used in cooking. One customer shared that she plans to use her flowers for lavender scones – I hope she reads this and send me the recipe she used. Our field is still open all day (9 am to 6 pm) every day.
Now about how to cut it: Choose the stem to cut, it should be thick and sturdy. Follow the stem down from the flower – you will see a node, with couple leaves and sometimes even a single purple flower. Keep going for the second node – you will be much closer to the greyish bush. Cut the stem right there, above the second node. If you need it longer – keep going to the third node and cut the stem above. Lavender promises to grow more flowers from the node this year. Anyway, what looks like a severe haircut keeps the plant shapely and hopefully healthy for the next 8-10 years. Now you know as much as I do about lavender cutting – just press the button below to schedule a visit.
P.S. – cutting bouquets for this page pictures, I observed lots of bumble bees – they are the big fans. They would not touch you – they in general are not aggressive; males do not sting, and females only do so being threatened (don’t we all?). However, if you do not tolerate the peaceful hum of many insects and them flying around you – give me a call and I will pick the bouquet for you!
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Irina Rips, owner
