Lavender Wands: The Scent of the Summer

The Lavender in the garden is almost in full bloom, the scent is absolutely gorgeous.  It reminds me of my childhood, making lavender bags and lavender wands.  I love Lavender.  We buy Lavender oil regularly for sprinkling on pillows and bed linen, we also use it on insects bites or for minor skin complaints.  It is a fantastic plant and I consider it to be another garden harvest.
Today I made my first Lavender Wand of the year.  This is another craft that my Grandmother taught me to do.  She used to make them as a child.

You need an odd number of freshly picked lavender stems, that are dry and just before the flowers are in full bloom.  I used nine.  You also need some scissors, cotton, a needle and about a metre of ribbon.

Remove all of the leaves from the stems and bind together just under the flowers.

Carefully bend the stems over the flowers, try not to break them.

Starting of can be a little tricky but you weave your length of ribbon around the stems, going under and over.

Until you have covered the length of the flowers.  Don't worry if Lavender flowers poke through, they look pretty.

When you get to the end of the flowers bind your ribbon around and stitch it securely.  Tie a bow to the stems.  The end of ribbon you started with may stick out, just gently use the needle to tuck it in out of sight.

I will be using my 'Magic' Lavender wand to help me sleep.  I am hoping to make a few more this year too.

Dig for Victory

Today there was some long awaited sunshine.  I have been thinking about the garden a great deal, but the time is not right to do anything about it yet.  This week I have been buying vegetable seeds in anticipation to start the growing year again but the ground has been frozen solid.  I did manage to get out and mooch about and see what is going on out there.  It looks sorry for itself but already there are signs of life and rejuvenation.  The first plant to bud each year is my big old blackcurrant bush, I only have one and it grows enough currants for at least 5lbs of jam each year.  I wait for optimum ripeness then I have to race the Blackbird to get them all picked.


Big Old Blackcurrant Bush - Always the first plant to bud

 I also have Raspberry canes, they are rather intrusive and love my garden so now my neighbour has lots too, wether he wants them or not!


Somewhat invasive Raspberry canes

 Last Year for my Birthday I had three large raised beds put in to the garden, they do not look great at this time of year but there is still plenty going on in there and in the summer when they a brimming with fresh green peas, courgettes, tomatoes, broad beans, turnips, beetroot, lettuce, chillis, rocket, herbs, spinach, onions, potatoes and runner beans they look alot more inviting. 
Please note Percy Pigeon observing the goings on.  We rescued a baby pigeon last year and nursed him for about a week until he left.  We worried about him like you would a pet.  We kept releasing him and then finding him wondering down the path at night in the dark, looking little and vulnerable.  He would bed down in a wicker basket with a Digestive biscuit soaked in  milk for supper, then go about his business again during the day.  One day he was strong enough to leave the garden and now four regularly feed here.  I am sure one is Percy, he has that look about him.

On closer inspection today there are still small tasty offerings to be had, that have proven their resilience against the extreme winter weather.

Kohl Rabi

Lovely Leeks

Curly Kale

Jerusalem Artichokes

Parsnips

Amazing Sage will soon be covered in flowers and Bumble Bees

'Greensleeves' Apple Tree and Percy Plum Tree

I will find it interesting to Blog the garden and its produce as the year evolves, It doesn't look much now but in the Spring and Summer it is my favourite place.