USES FOR LAVENDER

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 288, 1 September 1931, Page 4

USES FOR LAVENDER

An Old-fashioned Recipe The flowering time Of lavender will soon be with us ee more, so if you have any of this frag, nt old-world plant in your garden, made the most of it, says a writer Fn “The Queen.” If you wish to, make lavender bundles, pick an early supply whilst the stalks are green, and before the flowers are fully out. Remove the leaves and place the stalks together, cutting them to make all the ends even.

Now take a piece of narrow mauve ribbon and tie it tightly round the bundle, making the bow close up to the heads aad leaving a length of ribbon hanging. Threading the ribbon round the bundle, weave it in and out of the stalks till they «re completely- covered, and fasten them securely at the end. Lavender “faggots” are made in the same wav, except that the stalks are l>eut backwards over the heads and the ribbon woven in and out of the stalks till the heads are covered. If these bundles or faggots are hung in the bedrooms they impart a cool fragrance which is very welcome in hot weather.

Of course, every woman knows the value of lavender bags' among her linen, for besides the freshness the perfume imparts, lavender is a sure safeguard against moth. Here then is the best way to make lavender bags.Cut off the flower heads and leave them to dry in a shady spot for nt least an hour. Do not dry them in the sun .yr else pinch of their precious fragrance will be lost. Strip the flowers by hand, put them into muslin bags, and tie them tightly with ribbon. If you have lavender to spare, more elaborate concoctions can be made.

For instance, have you ever made lavender incense? When burned indoors it imparts a delicious fragrance to the whole house, while out of doors it is invaluable for keeping nwijy those irritating ami often painful midges. To make a small quantity of incense you require 4oz. each of frankincense and gum benzoin, loz. of myrrh, and Soz. of dried lavender flowers.

Pound thoroughly together, store in an airtight jar or tin, and it is ready for use. Then there is ‘‘lavender vinegar,” which was a gi*eat favourite in our grandmothers’ days, and which was used as a cure for headaches and the “vapours.” Here is the genuine old-fashioned recipe: To each pint of toilet vinegar allow an ounce of dried lavender flowers. Cover the jar very closely, and stand it for at least six hours in a pan of boiling water on a hot. tiro. When cold pass through a strainer and store in corked bottles. The lavender vinegar ip quite cheap and simple to prepare, and is popular with many women, who, whilst disliking “bought perfumes,” appreciate the cool dainty fragrance of ‘sweet lavender.” Lavender will flourish in almost any soil. Buy one plant, and once it is established, it' is quite easy to propagate cuttings from it. Take some slips in the autumn by breaking off a joint, and put Miem in the ground close together. Thin out later leaving only the best shaped bushes, and these must be kept pinched well back.