Showing posts with label tid-bit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tid-bit. Show all posts

Friday, March 7, 2014

Lavender Care & Pruning Guide

If you have visited the farm or one of the Lavender Planting Clinics, you may have learned that lavender needs an annual haircut. Did you remember to prune your lavender back in the fall around Halloween? If not, around Valentine's Day is a good Plan B time to prune in our Zone of 7a. According to garden lore, the best days to give your lavender a buzz cut are February 17, 18, 26 and 27. But it's still not too late...this weekend in NC, we are going to have two nice outdoor days. If you missed your annual prune in February, due to the massive amount of bad weather days, why not use the perfect weather this weekend and take care if some serious lavender business?




If you live somewhere other than our region, plan a late winter trim about the same time you prune other woody shrubs, like butterfly bushes. When lavender is trimmed annually, it retains its nice bushy shape and blooms incredibly. A lavender plant left alone will eventually sprawl all over the place, weighed down by unhealthy woody limbs resulting in few blooms and a short life in the garden.

So, PLEASE PRUNE YOUR LAVENDER! See below for a step-by-step pruning guide…


A quick and easy step-by-step lavender pruning guide-



  1. Trim away the spent, brown stems from last year. You will notice several inches of green foliage after the spent stems have been removed.
  2. Next give your lavender a good haircut but, be careful to not clip too far into the woody stems. Make sure to trim all the way around, leaving at least 1 inch of green foliage.
  3. Use this time to cut out dead wood or sprawling limbs.
  4. Step back and marvel at your AWESOME lavender prune job!




Have a wonderful lovely lavender weekend!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Lavender Tid-Bit #7

Most lavender lovers know that lavender was an important ingredient in the beginnings of the perfume industry in France. But, believe it or not, French lavender (Lavendula dententa) is not the fragrant perfume variety of lavender. 




That award goes to Spanish lavender (Lavendual stoechus)! 

Well, isn't that interesting...

Friday, September 6, 2013

Banana Nut Bread...Now with a Hint of Lavender

My hubby LOVES a good banana nut bread...yes, he does! I found an extra delicious recipe online (dense and moist) and wanted to make it as a treat for an extra busy weekend. But, how can you own a lavender farm and not want to put lavender into everything? The answer- add a dash of lavender to everything. Please enjoy!


INGREDIENTS-
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground lavender buds
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (grind using a mortar and pestle)

DIRECTIONS-

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Whisk flour, baking soda, ground lavender buds and salt together in large bowl.
  • Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup liquid).
  • Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1⁄4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth.
  • Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
  • Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.

It was delicious, by the way!!



The original recipe (sans lavender) can be found here-http://courtneyoutloud.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/recipe-better-banana-nut-bread/

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Lavender Tid-Bit #5

Did you know that over 2500 years ago, lavender was used in ancient Egypt during the mummification process?


Imagine...your entire body (inside and out) smelling like lavender forever! Something that I'm sure would have suited King Tut just fine.