Hellcat Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Hello all you out there. Long time no appearance, I know but you know how it goes. Anyway, I'm planning to do home made hampers of goodies for the family this year as I am sick of the cost of Christmas. I have a hedge of Lavender which is covered with flowers and want to dry some. Can anyone tell me the best way to do this> I thought of cutting the stems and tying them up in the airing cupboard but I'm worried about the lavendar losing its scent... Help please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I'm sure that would work. But I've never tried it before. If I were you I'd try and find out of the internet-perhaps the It's not easy being green forum or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I just tie mine up in bundles and leave them on the radiators for a few days. They don't lose the scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Hanging it upside down will allow it to dry quickly. The airing cupboard would be fine and the scent will remain for a long time. I believe it's best picked just before the flowers open fully and on a dry day (ha ha!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I dry mine upside down too, then weave them into lavender hangers, or make lavender shortbread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I can vouch for Clares Lavender Shortbread - its wonderful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Thanks Sarah, I'd forgotten that you'd had some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 As was said above - cut before the flowers open and when dry. I stand mine in empty vases and it dries while looking decorative! The scent does last for ages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 You could try putting it in a seald tub, to seal in the smell. Is there really such thing as Lavender shortbread or am i just not getting the joke ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Take a look here - http://www.reneesgarden.com/recipes/lavender%20shortbread.html C x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 The neighbourhoods cats pee on my lavender plants - probably best if I don't dry them! Lavender shortbread - yum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I made lavender honey once. its a bit messy - but really nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Which is the best lavender to grow please? I have tried several in the back garden which just seem to die off , and I have a small area next to the path in the front garden that I would like to remove the gravel from and plant some lavender in, but that would need to be a dwarf variety. The lavender shortbread sounds lovely, I would like to try and use it in a culinary way I think you can buy culinary quality lavender from Norfolk Lavender if you don't want to grow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I dont know about the best to grow, but I do know that they need to have a lot of water, they dry up and die really quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I dont know about the best to grow, but I do know that they need to have a lot of water, they dry up and die really quickly. Ah, that'll be why the ones I have at the moment are still alive then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 yep, I realised what i'd said after i'd posted it ( ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Lavender shortbread is easy to make and really yummy. You can also steep lavender flowers in sugar to make scented sugar for use in baking. The herb centre makes a divine lavender cake... it's soooo yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickpea Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hidcote lavender is lovely, and what I would describe as a good old fashioned english lavender! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Lucy, have you ever been to the National Herb Centre in Warmington? It's very close to us and sells all sorts of lavender. I have bushes of various types in the front garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickpea Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Discovered it this year...everytime I go I spend LOTS of money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 I really love Lavender, it is probably my favourite shrub. I have a beautiful pink one in the garden, & 2 pots of that nice French lavender with the bunny ears on each side of my frount door. We are lucky enough to have a good Herb Farm just down the way from us, which sells heaps of different types. Its always an expensive time when I visit there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Perhaps we should start exchanging cuttings - we could grow them on a little and then post them. I have a few lavenders, a lilac french one, an old fashioned English one (which I have just cut loads of flowers off of ready to try this lavender shortbread). A madrid blue - which has blue flowers but white bunny ears and I've just bought kew red (at least I hope it is - not in flower). One of my plans for next year was to grow on lots of plants in the greenhouse and have a plant stand at the gate. I would be happy to start a few now for exchange though - good way of getting cheap plants! BTW the I told Mum today that I was going to make lavender shortbread and she said "oh have you been listening to the radio too?" She's heard about it twice on the radio this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 This thread has been very useful to me i have a large lavender bush outside my front door-I keep banging the buggy into it. I have always cut my lavender after it has flowered, so I have been doing it wrong Yesterday was lovely & sunny so I spent a happy hour cutting my lavender, then stripping off the leaves & little lavender offshoots to make lovely long-stemmed flower heads which I have stood in a glass vase on my kitchen window ledge to dry out. The shorter off-shoots have gone into a small vase on my hearth, & the teeny lavender side flowers are in a washing tablet mesh bag hung on the bed head board over hubby's head to help him to sleep not a s"Ooops, word censored!" of it was wasted- the snappped stems went into the composter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 If you've got bunnies, then they love eating lavender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 My lavender is drying nicely now, but shedding all over the kitchen window ledge I want it to stay intact so that I can tie pretty ribbon around the bundles- any advice on how to stop the moult? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
