Lavender

I'm a lazy blogger! However, I am not a lazy gardener! The recent blast of summer has really got things going in the garden, and it's a never ending task of cutting back, mowing, watering and feeding.

Check out my pumpkins....

 And the tomatoes are certainly coming along

What I am most excited about is the copious amounts of English lavender in my front garden. A few years ago I tried lavender meringues for the first time. A heavenly combination of subtle scent and a hit of gingery spice. It's amazing just how much of an impact a small amount of lavender can make. I'm thinking of a lavender and white chocolate muffin, lavender ice cream and maybe even lavender added to some kind of morrocan stew!

To harvest lavender, cut the freshest looking flower heads and wash them thoroughly. Leave to try in some paper towel and use fresh, removing the flowers from the stems. For dried lavender, which you can add to little sewn parcels to add to drawers or cupboards, or also cook with (dried lavender has a more intense flavour than fresh so use more sparingly), cut longer stems and tie together in a bunch. Hang the bunch upside down in a warm, dry area, and rub off the dried flowers when they are completely dried. This can take up to 2 weeks depending on how wet the foliage is to start with.