The Many Magical Uses For Lavender
Lavender is one of the most useful plants you can grow in your garden. Growing your own lavender is a great way to ensure you have the freshest possible blooms with the most fragrant essential oils.
Lavender is a magical herb with many uses. It is also quite beautiful. We plan to take the kids to a lavender farm this year to explore the fields that go on as far as the eye can see.
What is lavender good for?
Lavender is good for a host of things ranging from healing minor cuts and scrapes to helping relieve stress and anxiety. You can use lavender to help calm children with ADHD or help someone with insomnia find restful sleep.
Uses for fresh lavender
Repel mosquitoes – Growing lavender is a great way to repel mosquitoes. Growing lavender plants around your outdoor entertainment area will repel mosquitoes and keep you and your guests comfortable. By keeping lavender by your door, you can keep these pesky insects at bay. I like to grow lavender, rosemary, mint, lemongrass, and marigolds around our gazebo. These plants that repel mosquitoes are great for helping with the bugs while they add a pretty pop of color and fragrance to our space.
Garnish – Adding fresh lavender to your favorite cake, drink, or salad is a great idea. In addition to being a great addition to your garden, this flower is edible. I love to use lavender to add a pop of color to hot brownies served with vanilla bean ice cream.
Bouquets – With a fresh-cut flower bouquet from your garden, you can add a few stems of fresh lavender for a pop of purple color and a rush of soothing fragrance. Lavender looks great with roses for a simple and fragrant bouquet perfect for placing in a bedroom to help make your guest room more welcoming.
Herb bread – Herb bread is enhanced by the addition of fresh lavender. Lavender makes a beautiful and flavorful addition to the top of your meal when combined with other fresh herbs. Making herb bread is a great way to celebrate Mabon.
Start new lavender plants – Lavender is best started from cuttings. If you want more lavender plants or you are looking for a simple way to make money from your garden you can use your lavender plants to make more lavender plants to keep or sell.
Homemade smoke cleansing sticks – Smoke cleansing often referred to as “sageing” or “smudge” (and wrongly so as this is an indigenous practice that goes much deeper) is a popular way to use aromatherapy and help create a relaxing atmosphere. You can use fresh lavender to make your own burning sticks.
Uses for dried lavender
Tea – To promote sleep and rest, lavender dried can be brewed into a tea or blended with other herbs like passionflower or chamomile. You can enjoy lavender tea hot or cold and it makes an excellent bedtime beverage. This is a great way to fight anxiety.
Lavender lemonade – Using fresh-brewed lavender tea, you can make a simple lavender lemonade that is sweet and refreshing on a hot summer day. The lavender flowers add an attractive purplish hue and a hint of floral flavor. This can be a fun twist on the summer classic.
Scent sachets – Dry lavender and other dried herbs can be added to small satchel pouches to scent drawers or even placed inside shoes to help keep them odor-free. In your closet or dresser, you can put these sachets to repel moths and protect your clothes.
Soothing baths – To make a relaxing bath, combine dried lavender with herbal bath salts, bath bombs, or even homemade soap. You can use dried lavender in your bath to soothe rash- and sunburn-affected skin. Adding lavender and oatmeal is a great soothing bath for large rashes like chickenpox.
Uses for lavender essential oil
Lavender essential oil is an amazing way to take advantage of the many benefits of this plant. Due to its concentration, a little goes a long way. Lavender essential oil is best used in applications you would not want small flowers floating around in.
Cleaning and disinfecting – Due to its ability to kill bacteria, lavender essential oil can be used to treat wounds. In making homemade cleaners, the lavender essential oil can help disinfect while leaving behind a fresh, floral scent. Lavender essential oil is just one of the great essential oils for cleaning your home.
Treating sunburn – Lavender essential oil can be mixed with aloe vera gel to make a soothing sunburn rub that can help reduce inflammation and promote healing. The mixture can be kept in the refrigerator, which is a great way to cool off in summer. You can even freeze this in ice cube trays. After a day in the sun, you can use this soothing aloe face wash to help soothe your sunburned face.
Make a room spray – In a 4 oz spray bottle, combine 30 drops of lavender essential oil with 2 tablespoons of witch hazel. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, shake well, and use it to refresh linens and rooms during the day. This spray can be sprayed on your pillow before bed to help you get a good night’s sleep.
Calming lotion – If you struggle to get your kids to calm down and go to bed you can use lavender essential oil to make a calming bedtime lotion.
Homemade bug spray – Are you looking for a natural way to repel mosquitoes? You can use lavender essential oil to make a homemade bug spray that uses the power of this great mosquito repelling plant.
Healthy hair – Lavender is great for your hair, Make this lavender hair spritzer DIY to help hydrate and soothe your hair for a healthy shine.
