Lavender
is hard not to grow and once your
seedlings and young plants have been established, they will bush out and
produce loads of scented stalks, flowers and seeds. This bounty will become
your source for teas, tinctures, bath salts and infusions.
For tea, the rule of
thumb is one teaspoon dried lavender flowers to one cup boiling water to aid tummy
trouble, headache, aches, insomnia and even for calming the mind. You can
easily amp up the therapeutic power of your brew, add any of these excellent
herbs - dried yarrow, St. John’s Wort, or chamomile. This is a simple and streamlined way to
infuse lavender: pour heaping tablespoon into a bowl of hot water and then
drape a towel over your head and breathe in the aromatic fumes to deal with
respiratory issues, coughs, colds, headaches, stuffy sinuses and nervous
tension. You will come away feeling renewed and your kitchen will smell like
the heavens above. You can use the water in your morning bath or to your sink
garbage disposal; grinding up the flowers refreshes that hard-duty kitchen
appliance.
Lavender
Tincture
This
cure-all should be kept on hand at all times for soothing the skin, the stomach
and anything in need of comfort. I have even seen it be used to stanch bleeding
in small cuts. You need:
Dried
lavender
Clear
quart jar with lid
Cheesecloth
Dark
glass for storage
2
cups distilled water
1
cup clear alcohol such as vodka
Fill
your clear quart jar to the halfway point with the dried lavender. Pour in the
alcohol also to the halfway point, Add in the water and seal with the lid
securely and shake for a few minutes until it seems well mixed. Store in a dark
cupboard for one month, shaking once a day.
After 30 days, strain with cheesecloth into the dark glass storage jar
and screw the lid on tightly. The lavender leavings will make lovely compost
and the liquid tincture will soon prove itself indispensible in your household.
No comments:
Post a Comment