Lavender Bottles

It rained and rained last night, and filled the house with the beautiful scent of drying Lavender

A Lavender Bottle

A gentle squeeze refreshes the scent

A hand painted sachet makes a welcome gift

Wear a few lavender sprigs under your hat and the headache disappears, tuck it under your pillow for a restful sleep, in your drawer it repells moths.

Did you know that lavender was the gayest color that the Quakers were allowed to wear?

The name is derived from the Latin "lavare" to wash, hence lavenderess, a washerwoman.

Varieties such as Hidcote, Munstead and Grappen all have long stems, required for making lavender bottles. If you don't have freshly picked lavender, soaking stems overnight in luke warm water will also work.

Gather an even number of stalks (about 20 will do) and tie a string just below the flower heads. Now, carefully, bend the stems backward and over the flower heads making a "cage". Tie loosely with another string at the bottom. Weave a pretty ribbon through the stems, starting in the middle of the cage and finishing to either end. Remove strings and tie a bow with the remaining ribbon.

The first lavender bottle will take about half an hour to complete. The next will be much easier.

Gina