It’s the time when the colour purple coats our countryside, a radiant paint crisscrossing the landscape over dale and meadow, carpeting hills and pathways during these summer days. Lavender creates peaceful scenery while fragrancing the air it breathes. This coloured flower is also the root of bi-products bringing us therapies for many an ailment, as well as adding delicate flavours to our food.
Lavender Fields
Enveloped by the painted landscape the butterflies provide theatre by weaving between the mosaic of shades, fluttering by, kissing the petals atop neat rows and skipping over well-trodden pathways, devoid of weeds thanks to volunteers and paid custodians of the fields. A landscape of complete stillness and peace. Lavender farms and fields have matured into tourist attractions drawing lovers of purple settings to Kent, Somerset and Surrey, Norfolk and the Cotswold Hills displaying different hues, breeds and varieties. In London, Carshalton Lavender is an award-winning heritage community project which aims to revive and maintain the heritage of local lavender which date back in the early 1900s. Each year, it holds London’s only not-for-profit Pick Your Own Lavender event, at the three-acre Carshalton Lavender field, (part of the Stanley Road Allotment site). It’s 25th annual harvest takes place on 27-28th July. The project is run solely by volunteers, and proceeds from this harvest event keep the field running from year to year. Apart from a colourful day out for families, Carshalton Heritage Lavender products are available for purchase which contain essential oil harvested from the field.
In Surrey, the Mayfield Lavender Farm has in the past charmed Chinese visitors eager to Instagram the traditional red telephone box set amidst the flowering rows. Here lavender is grown and nurtured in the same fields as centuries past. Banstead and the surrounding areas were once home to a thriving industry which supplied companies known across the globe such as Yardley and Potter & Moore. Here afternoon tea is served with lavender as the main ingredient in scones, iced cakes, tea, biscuits and even ice cream.
Dusky purple shades and delicate fragrances are also emblematic of regions in Provence where lavender is known as blue gold and where mini festivals and farmers markets celebrate in its honour. There is even a Museum of Lavender in the dry-stone village of Cabrieres d’Avignon which is packed with interesting details on planting, harvesting and distillation. The best time to visit any of these decorated fields is between June and August but check the purple progress beforehand.
Benefits
Lavender is more than a pretty scent. It has long been renowned for its soothing and stress-relieving aromatherapy properties. It is an essential oil believed to have antibacterial and antifungal properties which can aid problems caused by natural imbalances in the skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe mild skin irritation and redness. And of course, it is widely known to help in relaxation and encouraging peaceful sleep.
Lavender Fragrance
Famous as a purveyor of luxury fragrances and soaps and once holder of a Royal Warrant, the House of Yardley was established in 1770 and lavender has remained at the core of the brand. Its clean, fresh note is added to many unisex scents as well as floral perfumes, chosen by the top names from Chanel, Tom Ford, Acqua di Parma and Jo Malone.
History
The ancient cultures of the Greeks and Romans used lavender to perfume their baths, Egyptians used it in rituals to honour the dead. During Medieval times it was strewn on the floors of churches and homes while in Tudor times it was stuffed into quilted jackets and caps. Lavender is thought to have originated in the highlands of India but today it grows in many sunny, well-drained spots around the world with France being the epicentre.
Today, lavender is widely used, whether in the form of salts or soaps, encased in ragdolls, adorned as cards, stuffed in pillows, added to liquors, dried into teas, sprayed as a pillow mist, enjoyed as flavoured chocolate, or as an essential oil for aromatherapy. For many of us, it is the signature of summer, lacing the fields in a calming hue of colour, bringing peace of mind and embracing us in its aroma.
Six Ways to Use Lavender for Wellbeing
To access lavender’s calming effects, the essential oil can be used to make a pillow spray by mixing equal parts of distilled water and witch hazel and then adding several drops of lavender. This mixture can be kept in a spray bottle and applied to a pillow at night.
Add 5-10 drops into a warm bath to relax and rebalance mind, body and soul
Freshen clothes by placing a lavender bag into drawers. Remember to squeeze gently regularly to reactive the fragrance
Plant lavender on either side of garden pathways or in window boxes so any movement releases the fragrance to uplift your spirit.
Spray a piece of fabric with lavender oil and carry it with you throughout the day to remind yourself to relax.
Please note, users should check for any allergic reacting by patch testing new products before use.
Jane Wilson is editor of www.thewellnesstraveller.co.uk
