Lavender Days

It's been a weird year weather-wise here, but one thing which has not failed is the lavender crop here in our vicinity.

Each summer when Sam and Sarah come to visit, we try to harvest a few handsful of stems to make lavender wands. They're wonderful to stash in your lingerie drawer or someplace in your car. The house was simply filled with heady, herby lavender aromas last night while we made wands....here are some photos showing some of the steps, if you are unfamiliar. All you need is lavender and narrow ribbon, 1/8 or 1/4-inch.

You start by tying the stems together below the blooms with a length of ribbon, then bending the stems back down upon themselves. You must use an odd number of stems. Five to seven work well. This first step, starting out, is the most challenging. After this it's a piece of cake.

Start weaving the ribbon over and under the stems.

Keep going until you reach the bottom, then tie off in whatever fashion you wish. Below are some finished ones. Sarah made a mini wand and attached it to her phone!