Renowned naturalist Izaak Walton once said, "I long to be in a house where the sheets smell of lavender." Indeed, this fragrant herb has been romanticized through the ages, and today it is a popular fragrance in potpourris, sachets, and soaps. In lavender's history it also has been used for such diverse purposes as flavoring snuff, embalming the dead, and spurring romance.
Culinary uses
Though lavender is used more for its fragrance than for its flavor, the blossoms add a delicate flavor to beverages, cakes, muffins, and fruit soups.
Medicinal uses
Lavender served as a disinfectant during World War I, because it has mild antiseptic properties. Used in moderation, lavender may be taken as a mild sedative and to relieve fainting spells.
Other uses
Place dried lavender in drawers and closets to freshen linens and underclothing. Mix it into potpourris and sachets. Lavender vinegar is said to help dry oily skin. The flowers are lovely in dried-flower arrangements and wreaths.
Cultivation
Lavender is best propagated from cuttings. Pull off a fresh shoot that includes an older piece of the existing plant. Plant the cuttings 3 to 4 inches apart in moist, sandy soil, in a shaded cold frame. After a year, transplant 4 to 6 feet apart in dry, gravelly soil. Clip back the first year outdoors to prevent flowering.
