A Love of Lavender

      The summer I graduated college, I went on a road trip with my grandmother up to Washington. The circumstances were somewhat sad, as we were going for her sister's funeral, but the trip was amazing. If you have never traveled up the Pacific Coast, you may not know that produce is abundant, and every season has its specialty. We were blessed to be travelling in Cherry season- we feasted on red, purple, and yellow cherries from roadside stands all the way through Washington. We went to charming boutiques up and down the Washington and Oregon coastlines, where we saw beautiful hand blown glass ornaments and luxurious satchels of, you guessed it, lavender. I would dip my face in the smell and soak it in. When we reached Pike's Place market in Seattle, we walked through the fresh flowers and I found vendors selling piles and piles of intoxicating fresh lavender. I purchased some dried and some fresh, and took it home with me. I had a satchel for my car and one for my desk, and I would crush it in my hands for months afterward to sniff its beautiful fragrance. I was becoming a lavender addict. Of course, lavender satchets don't last forever and after a while I needed to get a fresh fix. I purchased Lavendin oil to go in my baths, looked for delicious smelling soaps and lotions, and started receiving gifts from family members who had caught on to my somewhat obsessive interest.
              Then I married a man who was not so big a fan of lavender or other overpowering scents, and objected somewhat to painting our entire home purple and green. My displays of love for lavender have been relegated to our bathroom (mostly,except for the subtle packets in drawers and on shelves throughout the house) , which my grandmother, a talented lady, painted sage green for me to match my purple towels and white-framed photographs of lavender fields. If our first child is a girl, her room will become a lavender field. If its a boy, his will be a train yard- overlooking lavender fields!!!

            I am not the only one who has discovered the awesomeness of lavender. It has historically been used to cure insomnia, decrease anxiety, and improve overall health. Recent studies have suggested that properties in lavender act like estrogen for both males and females, with somewhat embarassing results for young boys who began developing breasts due to excessive use of lavender based roducts. The following is a good blog detailing these studies:
http://readingdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/lavender-and-tea-tree-oil-estrogen.html.
 Lavender is, apparently, pure femininity in plant form. Its an excellent fit for an anxious woman like myself, although not for children!!!

I also found out there is a lavender farm in my town: BJ's Lavender. 

but I just missed their open season. Next year, I will be there. 

When we landscape our yard, I am going to try my hardest to landscape with lavender. And today, I found out there is also yellow, red, green, blue, and white lavender!!!

I just don't think my yard is big enough. Or my budget for lavender splurges!

And you? Is there an herb or a plant that you simply can't get enough of?