Lavender Guide

Lavender: How to Grow, Harvest, and Use This Healing Herb

Simple recipes, growing tips, and the healing magic of this beloved herb — straight from our Virginia farm.

---

Hi there,

Lavender was the first herb I ever planted for medicinal purposes. Twenty-some years later, it’s still my favorite. Something about that scent—it just settles something in you.

This guide shares a few of my favorite ways to use lavender, from the garden to the kitchen to the medicine cabinet. I hope it becomes one of your favorites too.

— Charlotte

The Herb Peddler – Horse-n-Bear Ranch, Virginia

---

Why Lavender?

Why This Herb Belongs in Every Garden

Lavender isn’t just pretty. It’s one of the most useful plants you can grow. Here’s why we love it:

• Calms the mind — a few deep breaths of lavender scent can quiet anxious thoughts
• Soothes the skin — great for minor burns, bug bites, and scratches
• Sleep helper — a sprig under your pillow or a few drops of oil on your temples works wonders
• Easy to grow — thrives in poor soil, needs almost no water once established
• Bees love it — your garden will thank you

---

Growing Lavender

How We Grow Lavender at Horse-n-Bear Ranch

Lavender wants two things: sun and drainage. Give it those, and it will reward you for years.

Where to plant: Choose the sunniest spot you have. Lavender hates shade.

Soil: It needs to drain fast. If your soil is heavy clay, plant in a raised bed or a large pot.

Water: Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant. Water deeply but infrequently.

Pruning: Give it a good haircut after it blooms — cut back about a third of the growth. This keeps it from getting woody and leggy.

Varies to Start: True Lavender is a really great lavender to start with that has a wonderful aroma and it looks beautiful when dried.

---

Harvesting & Drying

When and How to Harvest

Harvest just as the flowers begin to open—that’s when the oils (and scent) are strongest. Do NOT wait until the flowers have died or you will have brown lavender flowers to work with. Cut long stems in the morning after the dew has dried.

To dry: Bundle 10-15 stems together with twine and hang upside down in a dark, airy spot for 1-2 weeks. Once dry, strip the flowers into a jar and store out of direct light.

Dried lavender will keep for about a year. After that, it’s still pretty but starts to lose its punch.

---

Three Simple Recipes

Our Favorite Ways to Use Lavender

Recipe 1: Lavender Honey

This is the recipe I reach for most. Drizzle it on biscuits, stir it into tea, or eat it by the spoonful when you need a little calm.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey (local is best, but any works)
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender buds

Instructions:

1. Warm the honey gently in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not boil.
2. Add lavender buds and stir.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Pour into a clean jar and seal.
5. Let it sit for one week in a sunny window, shaking gently each day.
6. Strain out the buds (or leave them in for stronger flavor).

Storage: Keeps for months in the pantry.

---

Recipe 2: Relaxing Lavender Tea

A simple cup of lavender tea is one of life’s small luxuries. I drink this in the evening when I need to unwind.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds
• 1 cup boiling water
• Honey to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place lavender buds in a tea infuser or directly in a cup.
2. Pour boiling water over and steep for 5 minutes.
3. Strain if needed, add honey, and sip slowly.

Tip: Try blending lavender with chamomile or lemon balm for an even dreamier bedtime tea.

---

Recipe 3: Lavender Bath Salts

After a long day on the farm, this is my go-to. It soothes tired muscles and helps quiet a busy mind.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• ¼ cup dried lavender buds
• 10-15 drops lavender essential oil (optional, but nice)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Store in a glass jar with a tight lid.
3. Use about ½ cup per bath. Drop it in as the water runs.

Make it a gift: Put in a pretty jar with a ribbon and a tag that says “For soaking and soothing.”

---

From Our Farm to You

Try Our Farm-Made Lavender Goods