- Author: Jeannette Warnert
UC Master Gardener Richard Gillispie has two words of advice for Fresno County gardeners: “plant lavender.”
That's what he did in a big way when the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted plans to travel in his brand new fifth-wheel RV during retirement. Working alongside his nephew on western Fresno land that has been in the family for 90 years, Gillispie collected, propagated and planted 38 species of the fragrant herb.
Gillespie's fascination with lavender was sparked by his honey bees' keen interest in the plant. He took a self-paced online lavender class at Michigan State University, then converted a field where his father once cultivated cotton into waves of gray-to-green shrubs that radiate a sweet floral aroma.
Lavender is naturally drought tolerant. “Too much water will rot the roots,” Gillespie said. “The plants tell you when they need water. As a general rule, soak once a week, then leave them alone.”
In addition to honey bees, lavender attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. With many pollinators threatened by habitat destruction and climate change, lavender plantings are a welcome resource for insects that are essential for food production.
Lavender appealed to Gillispie in part because of its many uses:
Medicinal: Lavender is good for mental health, Gillispie said. The components in plant aromas affect the nervous system and have a calming effect, providing excellent therapy for anyone with anxiety or hyperactivity disorders, he said.
Culinary: Lavender honey is a luxury item made by bees that forage the lavender flowers. Lavender can also be used in sweet and savory recipes. Gillispie said he grills white fish on lavender sprigs to infuse a spicy, minty note. Lavender can be used to flavor lemonade, teas, ice cream, cookies and many other foods.
Potential for value-added products: A wide variety of products can be made with distilled lavender flowers, such as essential oil, soap and lotion and hydrosol, the watery by-product of lavender distillation that can perfume the home, laundry, face and skin with a fresh clean scent.
Learn more:
- Fifteen varieties of lavender fill a four-by ten-foot plot at the Fresno County Master Gardener's Garden of the Sun, 1750 N. Winery Ave., Fresno. Varieties include the fragrant French lavender Mailette, delicate white flower-bearing Edelweiss, the extra-large-leafed Hidcote Giant, and three-foot-tall Fatspike. The garden is open to the public Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 to 11 a.m.
- Cultural tips for growing lavender, UC Integrated Pest Management program
- Managing lavender pests, UC Integrated Pest Management program
I have always loved lavender's fragrance, its colorful prolific blooms, its delightful oils, and soaps. I recently had the pleasure of taking a Stanislaus County UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener workshop on lavender. It was led by fellow Master Gardener Heidi Aufdermaur, and I learned so much more about lavender.
History
A member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, lavender (Lavandula spp.) is an ancient herb. It is believed to have likely originated from Greece and is indigenous to the Mediterranean area, including Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Cape Verde. Long coveted for its fragrance, calming presence, and healing properties, lavender use has been documented for over 2500 years in many cultures around the world. The word “lavender” is derived from the Latin verb ‘lavare' which means “to wash.” In Medieval and Renaissance France, women who took in washing were known as ‘lavenders.'
- The Egyptians used lavender for cosmetics, medicines, and embalming mummies.
- Lavender was used in perfumes by the ancient Aztecs, in addition to mummification.
- In the 17th century, Arabs domesticated the plant and brought it to Spain. The Spanish brought the plant to North America.
- The ancient Greeks used lavender to fight off insomnia and back aches.
- Romans used lavender oil for cooking, bathing, scenting the air, and in soaps.
- In the 17th century lavender was used as a remedy for the Great Plague in London.
- Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender to be served at the royal table and fresh lavender flowers throughout her residence. She also used lavender tea for treatment of severe migraine headaches.
- Queen Victoria took an interest in lavender in the 19th century and the English variety became popular.
- History states that the Shakers were the first to grow lavender commercially in the Americas.
- Today lavender is cultivated commercially in France, England, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada.
Growing and Caring for Lavender
Lavender is an evergreen, herbaceous, semi-woody perennial with silvery-green square-shaped foliage whose spike-shaped flowers come in many hues of purple, pink, and white. While lavender grows well in California Central Valley's Mediterranean climate, and will tolerate some neglect, they do have some basic requirements:
- Full sun.
- Thrives in poor soils with little to no fertilizer providing there is good drainage.
- Since lavender is difficult to grow from seed, it is best to plant a young plant in the spring, after the threat of frost has passed when the soil has warmed up to at least 60°F.
- If planting in summer, make sure you water regularly to keep the soil moist.
- If planting in fall, choose a larger, more established plant to ensure their survival over the winter.
- They do not like “wet feet.” If use organic mulch, keep it away from the crown to prevent excess moisture. A better choice is inorganic mulch such as pea gravel, decomposed granite, or sand.
Caring for lavender:
- Water regularly until the plants are established, after which they need little water. Yellowing leaves is often a sign of over-watering.
- Prune during the fall months.
- To keep plants neat and compact, shear back by one-third to one-half every year immediately after bloom.
- The flowering stems can be harvested while in bloom or snipped off after the flowers fade. Consider letting some of the blooms go to seed for small seed-eating birds such as finches and sparrows.
Varieties of Lavender
The three most common varieties of lavender are English, French, and Spanish:
- English lavender (Lavandula angustifola) is also known as True or Common lavender. Fragrant-rich, coming in both dark and light purple colors, it is a favorite culinary lavender, adding a sweet floral flavor to beverages, desserts, savory dishes, and meat.
o Cultivars include: ‘Hidcote', ‘Lady', ‘Campacta', ‘Ellegance', ‘Goodwin Creek', ‘Jean Davis', and ‘Pastor's Pride'.
- French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is related to English lavender, but French lavender is larger, has a lighter scent and is less frost tolerant. It has a long bloom time, from spring through summer. It is used as cut flowers and potpourri.
o Cultivars include ‘Allwood', ‘Lambikins', ‘Linda Logon', ‘Ploughman's Blue' and ‘Pure Harmony'.
- Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), otherwise known as Butterfly lavender, are frost tolerant, low bushes with long stems, and distinct dark purple heads that have “rabbit ears.” Due to their smaller size, they grow well in pots. Highly aromatic, they are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Used in aromatherapy, soaps, cooking, in tinctures and oils, as well as cocktails!
o Cultivars include ‘Anouk', ‘Ballerina', ‘Munstead', ‘Otto Quast', ‘Papillon', ‘Regal Splendor', and ‘With Love'.
Lavender Uses
The most popular use of lavender today is in cosmetics and fragrances, including making bouquets, wreaths or wands, small sachets, eye pillows, potpourri, soaps, perfumes, facial and body oils. Culinary uses include herbal teas, cookies, lavender ice cream, as a flavorful addition to wine, and even as a spice rub for beef and lamb.
If you enjoy doing crafts, make a lavender wand, which makes a great gift.
Here are a couple how-to-do links:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UboN-V4Mv-c
- https://blog.pelindabalavender.com/2021/06/how-to-make-woven-aromatic-lavender-wand-instructions.html
For creative cooks, there are many lavender recipes from sweet to savory. An excellent book is The Lavender Cookbook by Sharon Shipley.
More Love for Lavender
Visit the local Pageo Lavender Farm in Turlock (http://pageolavenderfarm.com/) to see its fields of lavender and visit its shop with many lavender products.
Learning more about lavender has increased my appreciation for this beautiful, versatile plant. I made a lavender wand which lightly perfumes my closet, have a lavender eye-pillow for when I do the savasana pose in yoga (very relaxing!). I look forward to baking lavender shortbread, exploring other uses of lavender, and increasing the diversity of lavender plants in my garden!
If you do not already have lavender in your garden, consider planting some. Along with their lovely flowers and aroma, ease of care, they also attract bees, butterflies, and birds. You will love them!
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to fellow UCCE Master Garden Heidi Aufdermaur for sharing her love and knowledge of lavender!
Resources
- Lavenders for California Gardens: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8135.pdf
- Sunset Western Garden Book
- The Timeless Allure of Lavender by local author Cynthia Tanis (Kindle Edition on Amazon)
- How to plant, grow and care for lavender: www.almanac.com
- Lavandula: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula
Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UCCE Master Gardener with Stanislaus County since 2020
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- Explored the history of lavender and its uses.
- Learned about different types of lavender and how to grow them.
- Snacked on goodies made from lavender, like lavender lemonade and shortbread.
- Made a lavender wand.
- Took home a lavender sachet and lavender plant.
We hope you will join us for a relaxing time, while making new friends and learning all about this rejuvenating herb. This year, the Lavender Committee will be giving away lavender eye pillows instead of sachets.
Where: Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, Harvest Hall rooms AB&C, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, 95358.
When: Saturday, June 24 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $30
Note: 30 spaces available
Questions? (209) 525-6862
Sign up online: https://ucanr.edu/lavender/2023
Master Gardener Instructors: Nancy Robinson, Heidi Aufdermaur, Bonnie Jones-Lee, Connie Gardener, and Janet Wickstrom.
If you cannot afford to pay full price for this workshop, please contact Anne at (209) 525-6862 or aschellman@ucanr.edu for a partial scholarship (while supplies last).
*lavender wands can be placed in clothes drawers or cabinets to release a fresh scent and may last for years. Or keep your wand near your desk and inhale its relaxing fragrance when needed.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Thar's gold in them thar hills, and then there's that ol' golden dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria.
It's a red-eyed blond that definitely demands your attention.
You can find the larvae--if you're looking for it and know where to look--in the feces of large animals, including horses, cattle, sheep, deer and wild boar, where the insect breeds. The larvae eat the dung, and that's why this insect is important to natural decomposition. One of nature's recyclers...
The adult is a predator; it hunts for flies and other small insects. The adults also sip nectar, just like honey bees and other pollinators. BugGuide.net provides more information on the golden dung fly.
Carl Linnaeus first described the insect in 1758 as Musca stercoraria, according to BugGuide.net. Cathophaga originates from the Greek word, "skatos," meaning "excrement" and "phagein" for "to eat." Stercoraria is derived from the Latin "stercoris," meaning "of dung."
So, Happy Friday Fly Day--from a Golden Goddess...of sorts.
- Author: Dayna Ravalin, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover wine or perhaps a bottle that didn't quite suit your taste? I know I have been in this predicament a few times. It's a shame to pour it out, so what do you do with it? How about make some wine jelly? The procedure is simple, and it will yield a flavorful product that can accompany a variety of cheeses, meats, and charcuterie boards. Or, if you're like me, enjoy it on a cream scone or slice of sourdough toast with a cup of tea. YUM!
Recently, I opened a bottle of champagne and didn't like the taste so I decided to use it to make wine jelly. I chose the Herbes de Provence Wine Jelly recipe from the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preserving 2012 edition. Since I used champagne instead of still white wine (my champagne was flat) and dried lavender for the Herbes de Provence, the variation I made is called Lavender Wine Jelly.
First, before starting any preservation project, make sure your workspace is very clean, including all equipment. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you begin. Next, gather your supplies.
Then, measure your ingredients using appropriate utensils for the job. Use dry measuring tools for non-liquid ingredients and liquid measuring tools for liquids, of course!
Next, wash all your jars, lids, and rings and prepare them according to the manufacturer's recommendations. As you can see from the photo, I use reusable lids for my canning projects. Single use lids work very well too.
Pour your measured wine into a stainless-steel pot and add the dried culinary lavender.
Note: Make sure the variety of lavender you are using is meant to be used in cooking. Not all lavender is created equally.
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Bring the lavender and wine to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
After steeping, I transferred the liquid using a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl and let it drip for several minutes. You can also use a dampened jelly bag for this step. You will need 1 ¾ cups of infused wine. You may need to squeeze the cheesecloth or jelly bag to get enough liquid.
Meanwhile, heat your jars in your atmospheric steam canner or boiling water canner. I use a steam canner, when possible, to minimize the amount of needed water for processing and ease of use. The processing time is the same as for a boiling water canner. Recipes must require less than 45 minutes of processing time and be considered a high acid food in order to be safely canned in an atmospheric steam canner.
Transfer the steeped wine into a large stainless-steel pot. As you can see, my wine turned a beautiful rose color thanks to the newly dried lavender pigment.
Stir in the sugar all at once.
Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down and stir in the pectin.
Boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and quickly skim off the foam.
Quickly pour the hot jelly into the hot jars removing air bubbles and adjusting headspace to ¼ inch. Wipe jar rim and lid your jar.
Apply the jar ring and load into the canner.
Process these jars in a boiling water canner or atmospheric steam canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the canner after the recommended wait time and allow to cool for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, check seals, remove rings, and store in a dark cool place. Make sure to place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator to enjoy right away.
This recipe is such fun and doesn't require the longer preparation time that other jelly recipes do. Enjoy this during the upcoming holidays or enjoy now during the warmer months as part of a charcuterie board, or just pair it with a wedge of brie cheese and your favorite cracker. Either way, you'll always want to have some in the pantry! It also makes a great gift!
Recipe:
Lavender Wine Jelly
Ingredients
2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp. dried culinary lavender
2 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch (3oz.) liquid pectin
Directions:
- In a large stainless-steel saucepan combine wine and lavender. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Measure 1 ¾ cups infused wine. If you do not have the required amount, squeeze the bag.
- Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars, and lids according to manufacturer recommendations.
- Transfer infused wine to a clean, large, deep stainless-steel saucepan. Stir in sugar.
- Stirring constantly over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.
- Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met then increase to fingertip tight, or according to manufacturer directions for reusable lids.
- Place jars in canner and process for 10 minutes. Once process is complete, remove jars according to canner type after recommended wait time (5 minutes for boiling water canner), and cool for 24 hours. Label jars with contents and date of preparation and store in a cool, dark place.
UC Master Food Preservers do not endorse or promote any brand of products.