Don't forget your lavender

It's about your last chance to gather and dry your lavender before the long wait for next years blooms. Although lavender reaches its peak potency and fragrance just before the buds fully open, if you've left your flowers bloom for the bees you can still cut and dry your flowers.

There are so many different things you can do with these flowers, from cooking to home decor. For example here at the farm I've used the lavender in a blackberry and lavender jam as well as in some stovetop potpourri. Another great use for the dried flowers is by placing them in sachets in your sock drawer. Its strong, pleasant aroma is a natural repellent that moths tend to avoid. Lavender sachets or dried lavender placed in closets, drawers, or with stored clothing can help prevent moths from infesting fabrics. Unlike chemical repellents, lavender is safe, natural, and leaves a refreshing scent on clothes and linens.

Lavender is a gift that keeps giving, but only if you remember to gather it at its best. So, don’t let all that hard work in the garden go to waste—enjoy the fruits (or in this case, flowers) of your labor!