Lavender makes me happy. Really! Aside from the incredibly soothing scent of lavender, did you know that it has many natural healing properties? The oil which comes from the flowery spikes, has been known to treat many ailments from: skin conditions, to sleep problems, muscle aches and tension, to depression, even stress and anxiety. It is one of my favorite scents and it really does takes away my anxiety, calms me down and makes me happy! Perhaps that's why everything from my skin cream, hand cream, shampoo and conditioner, bath oil, even cleaning and laundry products have lavender in it. When I can’t sleep at night, I put a bit of my lavender scented Shea butter creme around my nose. Every time I take a breath, the calming aroma relaxes me and helps put me to sleep. I even have lavender oil which I burn in my candle diffuser to bring the calming scent to the whole house! You can even cook and bake with lavender, although at this point, I just like to smell it :) I think this scent is pretty magical, it calms me from the inside, out. Not that I'm a bundle of nerves or anything, but who doesn't like to feel a little more at peace if they could, only by the natural scent in the air they breath?
I have quite a lot of lavender in my garden, both front yard and back. The little perennial plants that I purchased years ago and planted in both gardens, have grown and expanded beautifully. When I walk by a lavender bush, I can't help but run my fingers through the stems up to the flowered spikes. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and smile as the scented oils that had rubbed off onto my hands bring a state of calm and peace over me, even for just a brief moment. I have not yet been adventurous enough to use the mass of lavender in the garden to create my own concoction of home-made soothing scented products. Perhaps I’ll leave that to the professionals. All I can do is admire these beautiful plants, and from time to time, cut a few back and display them in a vase in my home from my indoor enjoyment as well.
I walked home after a rain shower a few weeks back and admired the changing colours of the lavender in my front yard. They had gone from a pale grey lilac colour to a vibrant purple in just a matter of weeks, and the colours seemed even more vibrant after the rain. I couldn't resist grabbing my camera to take a few snapshots of the garden.
After I took some photo’s, I wanted to do more. I photographed a few strands in a tiny vase to sit on my powder room's sink. The bathroom is tiny enough to appreciate the small bouquet. I still wanted more. I looked at my ever growing collection of plates and dishes that I have for my studio props. Over the years, I had photographed hundreds of meals on lovely dishes, for various recipe magazines, but every so often, the shot was about the place setting itself and not the meal. So I though, why not use the lavender to decorate
a place setting? Ok, so I'm not so formal as to use name tags for my dinner guests place settings, BUT, it might be a nice idea for a wedding, bridal or baby shower, or perhaps an anniversary party? Sky's the limit when you have fun and use your imagination!
I have quite a lot of lavender in my garden, both front yard and back. The little perennial plants that I purchased years ago and planted in both gardens, have grown and expanded beautifully. When I walk by a lavender bush, I can't help but run my fingers through the stems up to the flowered spikes. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and smile as the scented oils that had rubbed off onto my hands bring a state of calm and peace over me, even for just a brief moment. I have not yet been adventurous enough to use the mass of lavender in the garden to create my own concoction of home-made soothing scented products. Perhaps I’ll leave that to the professionals. All I can do is admire these beautiful plants, and from time to time, cut a few back and display them in a vase in my home from my indoor enjoyment as well.
I walked home after a rain shower a few weeks back and admired the changing colours of the lavender in my front yard. They had gone from a pale grey lilac colour to a vibrant purple in just a matter of weeks, and the colours seemed even more vibrant after the rain. I couldn't resist grabbing my camera to take a few snapshots of the garden.
After I took some photo’s, I wanted to do more. I photographed a few strands in a tiny vase to sit on my powder room's sink. The bathroom is tiny enough to appreciate the small bouquet. I still wanted more. I looked at my ever growing collection of plates and dishes that I have for my studio props. Over the years, I had photographed hundreds of meals on lovely dishes, for various recipe magazines, but every so often, the shot was about the place setting itself and not the meal. So I though, why not use the lavender to decorate
a place setting? Ok, so I'm not so formal as to use name tags for my dinner guests place settings, BUT, it might be a nice idea for a wedding, bridal or baby shower, or perhaps an anniversary party? Sky's the limit when you have fun and use your imagination!
mmmmm lavender, me like too.
ReplyDeleteI have made lavender syrup and lavender shortbread with great success.