Drying Lavender

Lula13

Morning all, I have lots of lavender growing in my garden and I want to dry it out to make material lavender hearts.... Does anyone know what is the best way to dry the lavender?

Gingernutmeg

Normally I just cut it, put the heads on some sheets of paper and let it dry, but then I never have that much lol You could put it in bunches and hang it upside down to dry, if you've got somewhere to hang it from like a laundry airer. The thing to be careful of is making sure that the bunches aren't so big that the air can't circulate right through. If it is a bit damp then it'll go a bit fusty smelling.

greenbee

If you want to retain the colour, hang it in bunches as gingernutmeg says, but tie paper bags over the heads. If you have an airing cupboard, dry the heads on trays in there.

Once it's dry, you then have the fun of rubbing all the flowerheads off the stalks! At least you'll smell nice

morganlefay

Can I ask what stage you'd pick it at ? Do you wait till it's finished flowering, or pick it just as it's flowering or what. Thanks OP I have always wondered how to do this !

Antispam

I pick mine when its dry on the plant which is around late August early September

Mines only just gone to flowering

Rikki

You normally pick it before it flowers if you want to make lavender bags.
As has been said before; pick when dry, tie in bunches and hang upside down with a paper bag tied over the flower heads in a dry place.

Lula13

wow thanks for that..I'll get making the bags then wait till they have flowered, I've wanted to do this for ages and I love the smell of lavender. Cath Kidston has some made from vintage material but there expensive so i'll get cracking..

Gingernutmeg

You can get really nice 'vintage' material and trimmings from charity shops. I've bought loads from there over the years. Often there are baskets of old curtains, tablecoths etc, and sometimes there are clothes that reap a lovely hoard of stuff, I've bought things because they've had lovely buttons! Men's shirts can often be cut up to make lavender bags etc, the stripy ones can look really pretty. Much cheaper than forking out for Cath Kidston (although I agree it's lovely fabric )

Little_Mama

Antispam wrote: »

I pick mine when its dry on the plant which is around late August early September

Mines only just gone to flowering

Same here, also made some lavender hearts last year and they are still smelling lovely.

Good idea Lula13 to get cracking on the sewing now. I ran out of time.....and lavender!..... last year, so plan to get cracking in August on those.

LM

nuttywoman

A friend of mine made lavender wands last year - if you google it , you`ll find a website lol

Lula13

Lavender wands...um i'm intrigued now and will have to look..sound exciting though.