Lavender Wreath
An aromatic hand-made gift
Lavender is famous in Provence, France, but in Umbria and Tuscany, where the climate is similarly warm and dry with long hours of sunshine, lavender is a part of the summer landscape.
Lavender usually blooms from mid-June to mid-July, when the lavender fields are filled with a robust refreshing fragrance and bees hover busily among the flowers in search of the sweet nectar.
The best time to harvest lavender flowers is in the morning when the morning dew is still shining. The fragrance fades as the flowers finish blooming, so harvest the flowers as soon as they begin to bloom before they open too much. The fastest and most primitive method is to tie the lavender stems with a large piece of twine and cut them off with a pair of grass clippers. The harvested lavender is hung upside down to dry in the shade in an airy, shady area. Don't forget to wear a bee-proof hat, as you constantly battle bees from harvesting to drying the cut bundles of lavender!!!
When the lavender is completely dry, the first task is to separate the flowers from the stems. I have tried various methods, such as rubbing them in a pillowcase or placing them in a huge ziplock bag and tapping them with a rolling pin, but each method is like comparing the height of acorns…. Although a mundane process, it is a perfect side job on a hot summer afternoon when it becomes too hot to work outside. The dried flower parts can be used to make potpourri, essential oil, soap, or even cooking - it is said to go well with fatty meat dishes for its strong aroma. Out of curiosity, I tried baking cookies with lavender once but found the soap or perfume-like scent of lavender too overwhelming for my taste...
Lavender is often thought that only flower buds are utilized for making potpourri or scenting soaps, essences, and oils, but the stem part is also very useful. After removing the flower buds, while the stems are still soft, the stems can be shaped into circles, heart shapes, etc., and let dry to make an excellent base for a wreath. The stems can be freely made into rings to heart shapes and dried until the stems are completely dry. With a lavender stem base, I make a variety of wreaths - quite handy at Christmas time to make Christmas wreaths decorated with rose hips and laurel.
Making a wreath takes time, but the process is like knitting - it can be a relaxing pastime weaving in the cut flowers, leaves, and berries. And needless to say, they make great gifts for friends!
Lavender + Sage
Lavender + Rosemary
Bay leaf + rose hips
In Umbria, there are many lavender fields around Assisi, where over 60 varieties of lavender are cultivated. Every weekend from mid-June for a month, a lavender festival is held where one can buy variety of lavender seedlings. Looking forward to attending one next year!
