Uses for lavender

phizzimum

It's lovely added to a sponge cake. Chop up a few flowers and add to the mixture. or make a syrup by boiling up sugar, water and lavender flowers. Use it to make icing for the cake or pour over ice cream

calicocat

I seem to remember my mum would hang in bunches in the airing cupboard, I think it she did this to dry them out gradually and keep the fragrance. I have done it in an oven before to make pot-pourri but think the airing cupboard method is better if you have one. You can then remove flowers and sew into bags for drawers/wardrobes/pillows etc.

I haven't done it but sure you could put into oil to make a fragrance oil for the bath? And according to Kim and Aggie program leaving it strewn on a carpet and then vaccuming up is a great carpet freshener.

DawnW

Hugh Fearnley-Wotsit's lavender shortbread - lovely, and really easy - ideal for kids to make x

meritaten

oh pick them and dry them! put the heads into paper bags and tie them in bunches and put them a darkish room hanging upside down! they take a few weeks to dry out completely. the paper bags are to catch the falling petals which go great into little jars to use in cooking!
the whole stalks and flowers can used in dried (or fresh) flower arrangements. or the heads cut off and used in pot pourri or press flat and used to decorate candles, cards photo frames etc.
you can also strip the petals off and mix with confetti for a lovely fragrant confetti shower!

Possession

Rabbits also love lavender if you know anyone who has them.

tallyhoh

lavender, jam, jelly. Put a few sprigs in with your teabags for a different flavour.

Pee

In Booze for Free there was a recipe for Lavender Wine which sounded quite appealling...

FairyPrincessk

Dried flowers can be stored in an airtight jar with sugar to make lavender sugar--this then blends in well with soda water and squeezed lemons for a lovely summer drink. Storing the dried petals in linens is an old fashioned way to make them smell nice and is supposed to repel some pests that might eat woolens. You can also sprinkle the flowers in a bath, or add the dried ones to homemade bath bombs.

lostinrates

Another eating one, a little is nice in a loaf of bread.

The lavender jelly mentioned above is lovely with lamb.

meritaten

when cooking with lavender, err on the side of caution - the taste can be overpowering - you only want a hint of it!