I can't imagine having a garden without lavender growing somewhere--preferably close to the kitchen door so I can smell that beautiful fragrance!  Gathering stalks of flowering lavender and tying into bunches to dry must be one of the most delightful tasks of the herbalist's year.  Try hanging a few bunches near open windows and doors, to scent the air and deter insects.

Drying lavender for use in recipes is a more serious business.  Tie several stalks together with cotton or string, then place, flower heads down, in muslin bags.  (You can make these yourself).  Gather the top of the bag around the tied stalks and tie again with string leaving a loop.  Hang the bags until the stalks are brittle, and to remove the leaves and flower heads, simply untie the bag, grasp it firmly round the stalks and pull the stalks toward you.  The lavender will be rubbed from the stalks and fall into the bag without any mess.

How to use this abundance of fragrance?  The most obvious way is potpourri and pillows.  Mix the lavender with dried rose petals, chamomile or even thyme or mint, and place around the house in pretty bowls.  Stuff small pillows for a sweet fragrance at bedtime.  Or place in smaller muslin bags and add to your lingerie drawer or linen closet.  Not only will they scent the fabric, they will help deter moths.

One unusual use for lavender is in cooking.  If you haven't tried this before start with a truly rural recipe, Lavender Shortbread.  Place a small amount of dried lavender (a teaspoon will do) in a mortar and pestle and grind it to a fine powder.  Make up a simple shortbread recipe by creaming three quarters of a cup of butter with one quarter of a cup of sugar.  Add the ground lavender to two cups of all purpose flour and mix well.  Then mix the flower into the creamed sugar and butter and form into cookie shapes.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

Lavender Water is a wonderful refresher on hot days.  Infuse two tablespoons lavender in one cup hot distilled water overnight.  Drain and add one liquid ounce pure alcohol.  Keep in a spray pump bottle in the fridge and use as a refreshing spritzer, or spray on clothes before ironing.

Lavener Honey is another summer treat.  Cover two tablespoons of lavender flowers with a cup of honey and heat through.  Do not boil the honey but just keep warm in a bowl of hot water.  Leave it for one hour, topping up the hot water as needed.  Sieve the honey, place in a clean jar and let cool.  Spread the flowers on a sheet of greaseproof paper, sprinkle with sugar and let dry (you can place them in a very low oven for an hour).  Use to decorate cakes or to snack on.