Lovely Lavender in My Garden

"here’s your sweet lavender
sixteen sprigs a penny
that you’ll find my ladies
will smell as sweet as any"

-- Lavender Sellers’s Cry, London England CA 1900

"There’s flowers for you;
Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram;
The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ the sun,
And with him rises weeping; thes are flower
Of middle summer, and I thek they are given

-- To men of middle age." William Shakespeare The Winter’s Tale

"'Best among the good plants for hot, sandy soils
are the ever blessed lavender and rosemary,
delicious old garden bushes that one can hardly dissociate."

-- Miss Jekyll Home and Garden 1900

"ladies fair, I bring to you
lavender with spikes of blue;
sweeter plant was never found
growing on our english ground."

-- Caryl Battersby

"And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom
shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound
to lurk admist the labours of her loom,
and crown her kerchiefs witl mickle rare perfume."

-- William Shenstone The School Mistress 1742

 "lavender, sweet lavender;
come and buy my lavender,
hide it in your trousseau, lady fair.
Let its flovely fragrance flow
Over your from head to toe,
lightening on your eyes, your cheek, your hair."

-- Cumberkand Clark Flower Song Book 1929

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Lovely Lavender in My Garden 

I grow lots of lavender around my property mostly because of its hardiness and also because it flourishes in my climate zone. The plant is drought tolerant, pest resistant and my rabbits and gophers leave it alone. The lavender plant is actually in the mint family.

I have heard of lavender farms in Oregon and Washington. I know we have some in California as well, mostly around Santa Barbara area. On my ranch, the lavender plant blooms all year round. 

Many of my relatives in Greece say it grows well in the Mediterranean and I’ve read that the plant extends through Southern Europe, Arabia, India and Africa as well. There are around 40 different types of lavender. I’m only familiar with a few kinds, French, English and Spanish Lavender.

For more of my article, visit Lovely Lavender

I've made sachets of lavender for gift giving and have bundled a sprig for bath-time. I thought I'd make lavender sugar next.  Have you used lavender before? If so, I hope you'll share your ideas with me.

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis