Lavender Baskets

I have been immersed in the heady fragrance of lavender today.  The flowers from this bush are paler in color than the ones in the photo I posted earlier but they are much more fragrant.  I don't keep track of the kinds of lavender I plant but this is probably English lavender and the other may be a Hidcote.  It doesn't matter:  I love them all!

These come from one large bush that I would have cut two days ago except for the rain.  It's really too late to just hang the stems to dry (if the flowers are open they drop off) and I can hardly stand to waste these fragrant spikes that bring so much pleasure with their memory of summer in the dark days of winter.

I decided to make some lavender baskets.  They are a wonderful way to preserve the fragrance of the harvest...

... but they each take an hour or more to make.  Below is nearly a whole day's effort and activity!  Perhaps they will be gifts to others who love their fragrance as much as I do.

I like this little tribute to lavender written by William Shelstone in his poem, "The School Mistress."  (Mickle means "much, great.")

     And lavender, whose pikes of azure bloom
     Shall be, erewhile, in arid bundles bound,
     To lurk amidst the labours of her loom,
     And crown her kerchiefs clean with mickle rare perfume.

I hope you have lavender to smell!

--Nancy.
.