3 everyday uses for lavender in your home

Lavender has a delicate, sweet smell that is floral, herbal, and evergreen woodsy at the same time. It has soft, powdery, or smokey notes as well. Some lavenders have a more medicinal camphor smell that is closer to the balsamic resin scent of rosemary.

​In addition to its wonderful fragrance, lavender has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antidepressant properties. There are several ways to use lavender. Jane Griffiths reveals three everyday uses for this pretty shrub.


Lavender Growing Tips
A native of the Mediterranean, this hardy perennial likes full sun. Although is drought tolerant, it adapts well to a range of climates. It flowers nearly all year round, attracting many beneficial insects with its fragrant purple spears, while its strong-smelling leaves repel aphids, whiteflies and other harmful insects. It is also a rodent repellent, and if rats are a problem, a lavender hedge around a vegetable garden is a good deterrent.

Grow lavender from seed in seed trays or purchase seedlings. It dislikes being damp, and if its roots are constantly wet, it could die. Plant it in well-drained soil with plenty of space for air to circulate. Prune in early spring, cutting back about 8cm of growth. If you cut the flowers regularly, it will keep producing more.


When & Where to Plant Lavender
Light: Lavender needs full sun and well-drained soil to grow best. In hot summer climates, afternoon shade may help them thrive.

Soil: Lavender grows best in low to moderately-fertile soils, so don't amend the soil with organic matter before planting. Lavender performs best in neutral to slightly alkaline soils. Add lime to raise the soil pH to around 7.0 - we recommend performing a simple soil test for best results. 

Spacing: Depending on the variety, space plants 1 to 3 feet apart.

Planting Time: In areas colder than Zone 6 (Zone 6-1), we recommend planting in spring or early summer. In areas warmer than zone 6 (7-10), we recommend planting in early fall so the roots can get established during the cool, moist winter weather.


How To Care For Lavender Plants

• ​Growth Habit: Lavender grows into a round, bushy shrub in warmer climates. It's a lower-growing perennial in colder climates. In humid climates, allow space for adequate airflow to prevent fungus or powdery mildew. Look at the varieties you're growing to determine their mature size.
• Staking: Lavender plants range from 1 to 3 feet tall and wide and do not require staking.
• Watering: Water young plants well. Once established, lavender is drought tolerant and doesn't need frequent watering. Over-watering is a common cause of stress to lavender plants.
•  Fertilizing: When it come to fertilizer, less is more with Lavender - as with watering. You should not need to feed your lavender plants.
• Mulching: Since lavender is drought tolerant, it shouldn't need mulch to conserve soil moisture, other than extreme cases. If you do mulch, use small sized bark or gravel, and be sure to leave several inches clear around the plant crown, or your Lavender may rot. Light-colored gravel or sand mulch can help with drainage and keeping the soil and plant warm.
• Trimming and Pruning: Lavender flowers in summer. The flower stalks can be harvested and used fresh or dried. Even if you aren't harvesting lavender flowers to use, deadhead (cut off) spent blossoms after the flowers fade to spruce up the plant and stimulate a second flowering. Lavender is a woody plant. It produces its best and most fragrant foliage and flowers from young stems. Prune 2-year and older plants in spring, cutting the woody stems back by one-third. This will stimulate new growth, which produces better foliage and flowering.

EVERY DAY USES FOR LAVENDER IN YOUR HOME

1. LAVENDER AND SOAPWORT WASHING LIQUID
Soapwort with lavender creates a gentle washing liquid ideal as a mild shampoo, liquid soap or for delicate clothing.

Ingredients
1l water
2 cups chopped soapwort leaves and stems
1 cup lavender flowers
10 drops lavender essential oil

Method
Bring the water to the boil, add the soapwort and lavender and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Strain and add the essential oil. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.

2. AIR FRESHENER
This refreshing mixture will clear a room of tobacco smoke, cooking odours and other stale smells.

Ingredients
1Ѕ cups apple cider vinegar
1T rose water
3 drops each lavender, coriander, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils

Method
Mix the ingredients together and seal in a sterilised bottle. Heat a few teaspoons in an oil burner as required.

3. SCOURING PASTE
This fresh-smelling paste can be used to clean stubborn dirt and stains from baths and counters. Rub on and leave for 10 minutes before scrubbing off. It also works well for cleaning grubby hands and feet after gardening.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup natural soap
small block pumice
1T dried lavender flowers, crushed
10 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops lemon grass essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Method
Heat the water until it’s boiling and add the soap. Reduce the heat and stir until the soap has melted. Remove from the heat and stir often as it cools and thickens into a smooth paste. If necessary, add more water. Wrap the pumice in an old cloth and crush it using a hammer. Grind it to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the pumice powder, lavender flowers and essential oils to the soap mix and stir through. Store in a wide-mouthed container.

End of Season Lavender Care
In the northern limit of its range, mulching Lavender plants in late fall will protect them from the winter's cold. Pile wood chips or bark mulch on the plants after a freeze. This will inflate them from the cold, but not cause them to rot. Remove the mulch in early spring.