The other day I was walking through the gardening center and saw a plant that brought back a found memory of children, plants and Mother’s Day.
When my daughter was about 3 years old she was asked what here favorite color was.
She replied, with her little 3-year-old voice, purple, pink and blue.
Every piece of clothing, shoes, and toys needed to be one of those colors. My son was a little easier and only liked black but he could tolerate other colors.
So during the 3rd year of being a mother, my husband took the twins to the gardening center to pick out mom’s gift. Our daughter wanted everything purple, pink or blue while our son was disappointed that flowers were not black. So through trials and tribulations, my husband and the twins picked out the perfect gift.
This gift arrived a little worn as you can imagine towing two kids, card and plant. My special day started off sort of what you see in Family Circle. My son presented me with my card as I fixed our breakfast. He announced, in between what is for breakfast and calling for his sister that flowers were not black but he found a card that had black on it.
His sister came down the hall, dragging the plant by it blooms and rubbing sleepies from her eyes. When she came up to me she said “Here mommy I picked it for you.” I was not surprised what color it was and we all can guess, purple, but the type of plant surprised me. Lo and behold it was a beautiful lavender plant.
Today, some 17 years later, this lavender plant is as beautiful as the first day I received it. Lavender is very durable as long as it is planted in a location that receives at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. In this case, the more sunlight the lavender receives the better. Lavender, also, requires a well-drained soil and does poorly in soils with high clay content. Lavender’s ability to thrive in dry conditions makes it perfect for areas that experience droughts.
Lavender can be used as a fragrant hedge or as a focal point in a flower garden. But what some people may not know is that lavender also has a place in the herb or vegetable garden. Lavender blooms and flowers can be found in culinary kitchens around the world in such dishes as ice cream, jams, jellies, cookies, tea, and even in lemonade.
To use lavender for culinary purposes, first pick the blooms in the early morning and place the stems in a glass of water, if using the same day. If using later, consider drying the blooms by gathering the stems and hanging upside down in a well-ventilated room. Once dry, remove the blooms from the stems and place in a glass jar that is stored away from direct sunlight.
When using lavender for culinary purposes, only use organically grown lavender and look for English lavender (Lavandula. angustifolia and Lavandula. munstead). This variety of lavender has the most fragrance and taste.
If using lavender just for fragrance, dry the flowers as described, store and use in potpourris, sachets, and even in candles. But do not discard the stems after the blooms have dried. The stems still have fragrance and are a wonderful addition to a winter night fire.
So until we blog again, as I sit and enjoy my Mother’s Day treat, I will reflect on the memories that be. I will sit and view my yard full of flowers from Mother Days here and far. And as I remember how each one was given, I will drink my lavender lemonade with a sigh of remembrance, of the little girl who liked purple, pink, and blue with her twin brother who only liked the color black.
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| Tags: Memory, Mother’s Day