Whidbey Island, WA
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What is the proper way to care for my plant for the fall and winter season?
In answer to your question it depends. It depends on how severe the winters are where you live. Lavender is really nice in that you don't have to do much to it - but you should prune it each year. In general if you get really hard freezes (long periods of time when the weather is below freezing) then prune your lavender at the end of winter.
Lavender plants can live for many years. They can get a good sized trunk and branches and look like a bush or shrub and get quite woody. But, to get lots of lavender flower stalks you will want your lavender plant to be bushy and full of green growth. In addition to good growing conditions you’ll need to prune your plant at least once a year. Pruning is different than cutting off the flowers. It means you are cutting off some of the foliage, too.
Pruning should take off more than you think of the foliage area of the plant. It’s best to prune later in the fall, if you live in a zone that doesn’t get much freezing in the winter. Pruning in the spring can delay the flowering time of the plant, so if you live in an area of hard freezes then prune as soon as winter starts to break and spring is around the corner.
To prune, look at the foliage of the plant - you should see some live leaves and then the plant goes into the woody section. You’ll want to leave about two inches of foliage, even if it’s small. It can feel like you are giving the plant a crew cut. If you have an old plant that has been neglected you may not be able to take as much off. The next summer your lavender plant should reward you with lots of bushy leaves and more flowers.
What kinds of lavender do you include in your culinary lavender?
We use two kinds to create a robust flavor for cooking. The two we include are an x-intermedia called Provence, and an angustifolia called Hidcote. These two are known for their fragrance and their suitability for inclusion in recipes.
This is a good question, and one that bears looking into. As a business, I have to consider the extra expenses of processing food grade product and packaging it. The processing, packaging, and health department regulations add to the cost. For instance, I have to process and pack it in a commercial kitchen which costs money to build or rent. Also, the processing of it is more involved because it is sifted more and then ground to make it more palatable which takes more labor. Finally, there are packaging costs for the jars. By then, the cost of the lavender is pretty close to the cost of the bulk lavender. That's what I have to do to sell it to the public. You, however, can pick your own lavender and prepare it any way you want - that's the beauty of doing stuff yourself, and why I do a lot myself, too.
There are so many options and creative cooks are inventing more each day. I love lavender ice cream and strawberry lavender lemonade. I make a wonderful Toll-House chocolate chip cookie adding two teaspoons of lavener to a basic recipe. Shortbread lends itself well to lavender flavor. For some more savory adventures you can try making cream cheese spreads with herbs and include lavender, or use lavender when broiling or roasting chicken or fish. Making jams and jellies with lavender is a treat, and then using those jams and jellies in unusual ways - such as dips for Lumpia, chutneys with meat, or glazing after roasing is a great taste treat. (If you don't want to make your own jellies or jams, try our's).
I'd love to hear of your wonderful lavender creations - Go back to the Stories page to send it in.