What can I do with my lavender flowers?

It’s late July, and it’s a busy time for us, as we bring in our harvest. We harvest in successive stages, so that we can make full use of the flowers. A common question we receive at this time of year is, ‘What can I do with my lavender flowers?’

Here are some ideas of how to use the lavender blossoms from your own plants at different stages of their growth:

The bud stage (mid summer) is the best time to pick lavender for drying. Dried lavender buds can then be used for cooking, tea, making infusions/tinctures, sachets/potpourri, or as ornamental dried flowers.

After the flowers open (late summer), they attract many pollinators to your garden. You can also pick some of the flowers to make flower water which can then be used for simple syrup to make incredible lavender drinks and desserts.

Once the flowers fade (late summer through autumn), they can be snipped off ('deadheaded') to encourage further blooming. The later blooms are usually not as prolific as the earlier ones, but every lavender bloom is precious and wonderful. 

If you'd like to collect your own seeds, simply allow some flowers to turn completely brown on the plants. Once they have browned, carefully cut them and place in a paper bag. Then shake the bag carefully to allow the seeds to fall out into the bottom of the bag. Store your seeds in a cool and dry place and try planting them next spring! (Please note, Lavandins (Lavandula x intermedia) like the popular cultivars ‘Phenomenal’, ‘Provence’, and ‘Grosso’ do not produce fertile seeds and are propagated by cuttings. English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) and most other species of lavender can, however, be successfully reproduced by seed.)

We hope that helps spark some ideas for how to make full use of the lavender blossoms in your garden!