Lovely, Fragrant, Lavender

I have always loved the smell of lavender.  I can remember as a little girl going to the State Fair every year and there was a booth manned by a lavender farmer.  I thought it was the most divine thing I had ever seen, or smelled.

Don't you love this simple centerpiece made with vintage bottles, a vintage bottle crate and simple lavender sprigs, lovely!

Lavender can grow almost anywhere in the United States.  Think about it, Lavender has grown in England and France for Centuries, yet the climates are quite different.  Give lavender plenty of well drained loamy soil and it's a happy plant.  

Check which varieties are hardy in your growing zone.  This is what the lavender fields looked like when I was in the south of France.  It was breathtaking to see lavender fields next to centuries old farmhouses.

If you are entertaining overnight guests, think about putting a few sprigs of lavender on the bedside table, it will make the room smell so good.  Here you see it with bottles of Hydrangea and delphinium.

What a simple and beautiful way to add the fragrance of lavender to any room. Tiny sprigs of lavender are wrapped around a votive and held on with twine and raffia,  genius!

Consider a small organic sprig for garnishing lemonade or Iced Tea. Your guest will feel extra special.  If you think lavender is an odd garnish, remember it is in "Herbs de Provence" and used regularly in France and Italy.

So if your looking for something beautiful & fragrant next time your entertaining, consider lavender.  It's been making our senses smile for centuries :)