Fun With Lavender & Gifted Citronella
Golden D Homestead THRIVING With Activities
I was out in the greenhouse this morning before the sun crest the horizon (it's going to be another near 100-degree day here with heat indexes upwards of 105-110) and I wanted to make sure ALL my little friends were watered, healthy and had no visible signs of droopy leaves and stems.
I stopped at the lavender in its container and thought...
"WOW! Look at those beautiful flowers..."
I had originally planned on adding lavender to my herb and flower garden for a variety of reasons:
- Beautiful- really add a burst of color to the overly-green hue of the herb garden
- You can't go wrong with purple flowers
- Great pollinators for all the bees around the homestead
- Great for medicinal uses
- Great for homemade remedies
I only planted four lavender and am now wishing I had planted a few more. They are just gorgeous with the sunlight hitting them at just the perfect angle. I know it is a perennial and will hopefully spread a little over the next few seasons. I'd like to be able to separate once they become bushy into a few other places around the flower beds. That POP of purple is just so dang appealing to me.
Gifted Citronella Plant
Mr Golden D came home from work the other day with a GIFT for me; he didn't try and take credit for it either, but someone (fellow shop guy) knows how much I love gardening and my passion for it, so he had been out buying things at the local big box home improvement store over the weekend and bought this for me.
I have never had a citronella plant before and was actually going to plant it in the herb and flower garden this morning, but decided to check up on how to grow, maintain and harvest for best results...
SO glad I did that!
Apparently, this perennial needs to be brought in if you do not live in USDA Zones 9-11/2. I live in Zone 6a/b, so it needs to spend its winters indoors. WHEW! So instead now I will be planting it in a larger container that I can bring inside before the first frost and perhaps I'll try to propagate it for more to spread around and give away to people. And now I am in search of some home remedies using this beautiful plant!
I don't know about you, but I LOVE the scent of Citronella!
ALL images are my own
I like growing citronella just to help keep the mosquitoes at bay. I really do some research into its other uses...
People around the world in the old days would bathe their children in a "lavender tea" bath, I would word it, at night. It was to help them sleep.
I will have to try some. I already use Lavender oil for burns (best treatment for burns I have seen). The no frost info on the citronella is good to know, I will put it by the door into the greenhouse.
:Dhowdy there @goldendawne! ya'll have enough variety going on there?
my gosh it's amazing and we get to learn as you go along. Had no idea that lavender flowers were so beautiful, I only knew about the many uses of the oil.
great job!
2 of my absolutely favorite herbs :0)
What a beautiful and nice smelling post! Hey your tag, would you mind using ghsc 😀
Such lovely photos @goldendawne! Lavender is my favourite plant/herbs. I find it so calming and therapeutic. We've got that same oppressive heat here. I am wilting but at least the tomatoes are loving it. :)
I love lavender so much! Do you know how to make the wands? I did a post tutorial on that last year. I've never grown citronella, but we've had such an ant problem this year, that I think I want to get one! Thanks for the info. :)