Lavender & Other Herbs

Lavender is one of the most popular aromatic herbs today and has also been grown and used for centuries. The Egyptians used lavender in perfume and their mummification process and the Greeks and Romans used lavender in their baths. Queen Victoria’s floors were cleaned with lavender and Queen Elizabeth I of England enjoyed drinking lavender tea to relieve migraines. During World War I, nurses treated soldiers wounds with an antiseptic lavender wash.

Today lavender is grown in many countries including Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, England, France, New Zealand and the United States.  Lavender is used as a scent plant either fresh, crushed or dried and all parts of the plant are aromatic. The dried flowers and buds are used in potpourri, wreaths and for cooking.  Lavender oil is obtained through steam distillation and then the oil is used in aromatherapy, perfume, soaps, lotions and for many other uses.   Fresh and dried lavender is used to treat depression and insomnia and has even been used to calm horses.

In our gardens, we grow our lavender under ground cover cloth to reduce competition from weeds and to help retain moisture in the summer.  We grow many varieties to extend our bloom season which runs from the middle of May to the middle of July depending upon the weather.  Some of the varieties of lavender we grow are:  Abrialli, Alba or White Spike, Fred Boutin, Fernleaf, French, Graves, Grosso, Hidcote, Munstead, Premier, Royal Purple, Royal Velvet, Seal, Spanish, and Viridis.
 
Our dedicated herb garden is on a south-facing hillside, retained by boulders we have harvested from our property.  Flowers and shrubs are planted among the herbs to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  In the herb garden you can see herbs such as azetec sweet herb, basil, bay laurel, bee balm, chives, cilantro, echinacea, elderberry, epazote, fennel, feverfew, hyssop, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, many mints, Mexican oregano, moujean tea, lots of thyme, several types of sage, quite a few scented geraniums, some rosemary, and vitex.  There is a good view of the herb garden from the pergola where you can sit and relax and take in views of the surrounding mountains.