enlighten and ignite

BACKYARD HARVEST: LAVENDER.

Three weeks ago, as I was watering the plants in the backyard, I noticed the lavender bush in full bloom. I thought of trimming the stalks right away but hesitated because of the two bees that linger on the bush. I'm afraid of getting stung by bees. So I waited another week until my husband was available. He finally harvested a bunch and I was so happy.

The scent of lavender brings back memories of our trips in the lavender fields of Provence, the lavender farm in Kula, Hawaii, the jar of lavender buds at a farmer's market in Kauai, and the spa at a hotel in Lugano, Italy. As soon as my husband brought the lavender in the kitchen, the scent permeated all throughout the house. It smelled heavenly!

As I was enjoying the sight and the smell of lavender, I was reminded of the tasks needed to be done before our trip the following day. I got to work right away by plucking the leaves so my husband can dry the stalks upside down. He divided the stalks, wrapped the stalks with a thin rope, and hung the stalks in the light fixture over the kitchen island.

When we walked in our front door after arriving from the trip last weekend, the smell of lavender welcomed us home. I waited a few days before I removed the flower heads from the stalks. It took hours before I could finish and store the buds in a glass container. I didn't have the heart to throw away the stalks in the compost bin so I made an arrangement using my favorite vase. Here are the photos...