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Lavender Offerings

It’s the time of year where Lavender is bursting with beauty and swaying softly in rays of purple and blue. Lavender is a great plant for sun- loving Montana gardens as it’s drought tolerant and does well in most soils. It’s a great addition to veggie gardens as it’s excellent nectar for pollinators.

To celebrate the extensive medicinal and useful properties of this beautiful and enjoyable plant we teach at the Annual Six Mile Lavender and Herb Festival with our beloved local herb shop, Meadowsweet Herbs!

This Sunday, August 6th, from 10-4pm we will be celebrating Lavender with an oil extraction demonstration, herbal creations, plant walks, and more!

Come visit us at the festival for our Herb & Lavender Creations Workshop from 1-3pm.

Visit Meadowsweet Herbs at 1802. 3rd St. to purchase a ticket, or bring $10 to the event.

The festivities continue with our Lavender, Herb and Flora Crown Workshop on Tuesday August 8th. To learn more and to register visit our education page.

Below we highlight three lavender varieties that are best adapted to the Montana climate and recommended by lavender expert and friend Karrie Westwood. 

‘Munstead’ Lavendar (Lavandula angustifolia)

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This English variety of lavendar has the characteristic grey green foliage with compact cool blue violet flower spikes. This variety is an excellent dried element for crafting, and has the best flavor for culinary uses.

 

‘Hidcote’ Lavendar (Lavandula angustifolia)

 

This English lavender variety stays compact in its growth and is known for being cold hardy, a valuable trait here in Montana. ‘Hidcote’ has a high concentration of oil making it the best candidate for potent extractions and medicinal applications.

 

‘French Grosso’ Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

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‘French Grosso’ is a French variety with a larger growth habit, and compact tapered flower heads. This variety’s profuse flowering makes it an excellent candidate for harvesting from for herb craft. This variety can bloom earlier in summer than other lavender varieties

Lavender has a delightful and potent scent from the oils it its flowers and foliage. These aromatic oils can be extracted for use in the kitchen or the medicine cabinet. The medicinal properties of lavender are antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, making it popular in skin care, treatment of minor burns and wounds, and other skin irritations. Internally, lavender oils have been used to successfully treat anxiety, insomnia, and digestive problems.

Sources:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265922.php