Week 4: Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. (Jacques Maritain 1882-1973, philosopher)

Week 3: Website Update

I have added the process for making lavender essential oil to my website, http://www.driesfarms.com

Week 2: Lavender Varieties

I grow two varieties of lavender. One is lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' and the other is lavendula x intermedia 'Provence.' Both varieties have 24" long stems. Grosso has fat, dark blue-purple buds which make it ideal for dried bunches and loose lavender. The fragrance is heavy and spicy with a hint of camphor. The buds of the Provence variety are light purple and when dried are very light in color; however, their frangrace is more sweet and delicate than Grosso. Most of my lavender oil is made from the Provence buds.

So you see, not all lavender is created equal. When buying plants, ask what variety it is. Is it lavendula or true lavender.?How tall does it get? What kind of spike head does it have? What color is it. What does it smell like? Be sure you know what you are getting.
Margaret

Week 1: Distilling Lavender Oil

Since distilling lavender oil takes my undivided attention, I now turn to making oil all winter. This works out perfect for the oil because it takes 3-4 months to "cure." I'm not sure that is the right word. Most oils will have some extra odors from the plants that come along for the ride during the process. It takes several months for those odors to evaporate out. The first time I made oil it didn't smell so wonderful. Then I read about letting it sit to cure and sure enough in a few months it had that intoxicating, relaxing fragrance.