Garden Diary - May 2024

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May

The Lavender Companion
by Terry Barlin Vesci with Jessica Dunham
photographs by Tosca Radigonda
a book review
Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Provence? No, I was visiting a lavender farm in Pennsylvania, not in France.

It is relatively easy to grow a few lavender plants for yourself. It should be somewhere sunny with good drainage. No garden? Grow lavender in pots. Delightfully enough, varmints such as rabbits and deer leave strongly scented herbs - such as lavender - alone. But once you have grown it, what might you do with lavender? There's a recently published book for just this conundrum.

The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci shares the author's expertise as co-owner of Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm in Pine, Arizona so that you might "Enjoy the Aroma, Flavor, and Health Benefits of This Classic Herb."

Photography by Tosca Radigonda. All rights reserved. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
with Jessica Dunham, who writes about food and other topics for a wide range of publications.

What do you need to know, and what will this book teach you? Use lavender fresh or dry. Apply as a topical on the skin. Olfactory - oh yes, I imagine you saying, I've heard of that, it's aromatherapy. Or use lavender for culinary purposes - the North American version of herbes de Provence includes lavender, along with the typical savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.

But one of the first things to learn about lavender is that not all species and cultivars of lavender are the same. Some such as English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, she suggests, are better for culinary purposes than others. And in fact, not all lavenders are, well, lavender.

Photography by Mars Vilaubi. All rights reserved. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
As well as blue, purple, and lilac, some are pink and there are even some cultivars that are white.

Having discussed the various lavenders, the next chapter suggests ways to be Layering Lavender into your life. Multifaceted, there are suggestions and recipes for external applications such as a body scrub, a wellness soak, make-your-own bath bombs, and much more, all beautifully photographed..

Into the Home offers ways to enjoy the delicious and relaxing scent of lavender. A multi-page set of instructions explores something wonderful and also useful in the kitchen: a braid of culinary herbs. Of course, make sure it will include several different kinds of culinary lavender, and also rosemary, thyme, sage, and other herbs that will dry well. This is, Terry notes, one of their most popular classes at the farm.

While the directions are thorough, and with multiple pictures, it might seem daunting to a novice.
Besides, acquiring all the necessary fresh materials seemingly needs a visit to the farm. Don't fret.
Having started this chapter with perhaps the most complicated option, there are many easy others

Photography by Mars Vilaubi. All rights reserved. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
A lavender sachet just needs some dried lavender flowers, plain white rice, buckwheat hulls,
and some cotton or linen fabric. With a little effort, it becomes a sachet to place in a drawer,
with your bed linens, a pet bed, a relaxing pillow for your eyes, a hanging sachet for your car.

By far the largest section of The Lavender Companion might be termed a cookbook, with recipes for In the Kitchen and on the table. It begins with Pantry Staples, directions for making and storing lavender Himalayan salt, your own Herbes de Provence, lavender sugar, lavender simple syrup and more. With your pantry stocked up, think ahead - these will be charming gifts too. There are recipes for main dishes incorporating lavender as seasoning for chicken, salmon, tomato soup, and even a vegetarian curry.

It is with desserts that lavender really comes into its own, with recipes for cakes, cookies, ice cream and more.

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Photography by Tosca Radigonda. All rights reserved. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
Lemon Lavender Sandwich Cookies

By now as you read through the book, is lavender driving you to drink? Indeed, a section on Lavender Mixology offers directions for all-natural lavender margarita, non-alcoholic options such as lavender lattes and cocoas, and a few more

Photography by Tosca Radigonda. All rights reserved. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
such as Lavender Mint Sun Tea, gently brewed by the summer sun.

Having decided it would be sensible to grow your own, there's a penultimate chapter on planting, harvesting, and drying lavender. And in conclusion, the story of how Terry and her husband left the corporate world and brought new life to a pioneer farm that became Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm. They are enjoying their life there, sharing with students, and with this book - sharing it with you.

I'm finding lavender all around me. It was on Wednesday, 15 May 2024 that I was at the New York Botanical Garden for the media preview of Wonderland: Curious Nature. The public will enjoy the event, open through Sunday, 27 October.

If you are looking for a mail order source for lavender plants, let me suggest Well Sweep Herb Farm in Port Murry, New Jersey. They have an excellent, extensive selection of lavenders (and many other herbs and perennials too.) Unfortunately, due to state import regulations, they are unable to ship live plants to AZ, CA, OR and WA. They apologize for any inconvenience.

The Lavender Companion
by Terry Barlin Vesci with Jessica Dunham
photographs by Tosca Radigonda
published by Storey Publishing, an imprint of Workman Publishing,
a division of Hachette Book Group
ISBN: HB: 978-1-63586-684-1, hardcover $26.00

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher

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