Lavender is a remarkable herb that has been used for it soothing scent and medicinal properties since ancient times.

What is lavender and why do so many people like it? And better yet, why do so many others not even know what it is or what you could use it for? Lavender is a plant that you can grow in your garden. It produces beautiful purple flowers. Many people like to use the buds before they flower to make lavender essential oil or make a sachet with the buds. The buds are where all of the fragrance comes from. Once the buds turn into flowers they aren’t as fragrant because the oil inside of the lavender buds are what gives it the unique fragrance.

Lavender is a common ingredient in the kitchens of Europe and is one of the key ingredients in Herbs de Provence – the European version. Americans tend to leave it out, probably becuase they don’t know that it is an eatable herb. Using Herbs de Provence is a great way to begin cooking with lavender if you don’t want to try it on it’s own.

Lavender is gaining popularity as a culinary (eatable) herb in the United States and many lavender farms have popped up over the last 10 years in states like Washington and California where the climate is pristine for growing lavender.

Growing lavender is easy if your climate is right. If you live in a humid state or get a lot of rain you may have a problem. If it gets too much snow or gets too cold you could have a problem growing lavender. Lavender plants like it dry but it does need to be in an environment that does get cold and snow.

Lavender is a member of the mint family. You can use it as a substitute for the Rosemary, although it does have a different taste than Rosemary. It blends well with sweet and citrus dishes.