Lavender for Our Peaceful Sleep

A magical, magnificent, healing and still fragrant herb in your garden. This is how we can briefly characterize such a unique medicinal herb as lavender.
Lavender (lat. Lavandula angustifolia) or English lavender, true lavender - these are all folk names for this continuously fragrant herb. We classify it in the Lamiaceae family. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin word lavare, which means to wash.

The first written mention can be found as early as 77 BC in the work of the Greek physician Dioscorides, who collected herbs of the Mediterranean throughout his life and studied their effects. He characterized lavender as a soothing remedy for headaches, neck pain and a cure for treating open wounds on the skin. Already in ancient times, Greeks and Romans used lavender for fragrant baths, perfuming their own bodies, their beds and, last but not least, for disinfecting the air in rooms where they cared for the sick. They burned a few sprigs and the room was filled with a distinctive sharp scent that also had antibacterial effects. In ancient Egypt, lavender was used as an ingredient in soaps, perfumes and in the embalming of the dead.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, lavender was medically referred to as the "plant of the Mother of God", which drove away strange desires. Thanks to its intense fragrance, lavender was able to "drive out demons." It also played a significant role during the plague epidemic, when people believed that oil from lavender worked against this disease. In the 17th and 18th centuries, every proper lady added healing lavender to her bath, which they believed had a positive effect on maintaining youth and freshness.

Blue-violet lavender

Lavender is a branched subshrub, woody in the lower part, growing to a height of approximately 60cm. It reaches its full size in the third year of life. It grows in well-drained sandy soils with limestone content. Lavender loves sunny locations - the more sun it has, the more beautiful and fragrant it is. We water the lavender plant only when the soil is completely dry; it is a drought-loving plant. It has greyish-green opposite, linear and felted leaves. Lavender flowers are beautifully blue-violet in color and bloom from June to August. Subsequently, lavender produces a fruit, which is a four-seeded capsule with glossy black seeds. We mainly collect the flowers and occasionally the leaves. We dry lavender spread out on screens or tied in bunches at temperatures up to 35°C. Drying reduces its weight by 70-80%.

A very important part of caring for this undemanding herb is regular pruning. Lavender is pruned twice a year - at the end of summer after flowering and then in spring. We take care not to cut into the woody part of the plant. We prune two-thirds of the plant, and the remaining third of the lavender will produce new leaves.

Growing Lavender

Lavender is grown from seeds or from cuttings obtained through regular pruning. Seeds are sown in spring (February-March) in a propagator, at a temperature of 20°C they will germinate in approximately 3-5 weeks. When the small lavender plants reach a height of 10cm, we can place them in the bed at a spacing of 40x50cm. Cuttings 10-15cm in size are planted directly into prepared substrate (types of substrates).

Lavender is not a frost-resistant plant. For winter, we cover it with conifer branches or burlap cloth, and if growing it on balconies, we move it to cool rooms for overwintering. The lifespan of a lavender bush is 20 years, until the bush becomes completely woody. That's when it's time to grow a new plant from seeds or cuttings.

Lavender - Healing Beauty

• Lavender flowers are used to calm and soothe migraines, dizziness, hysteria, nervous strain and insomnia. At the same time, we recommend using lavender for various colics - gastric, intestinal and even kidney. During seasonal illnesses such as flu and bronchitis, they are used for inhalation.

• Oil prepared from lavender can be used for massage for rheumatic diseases and neuralgia, where it has a refreshing and stimulating effect.

• Lavender essential oil irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive system and kidneys, so it can be taken internally in amounts of maximum 8 drops per dose, but diluted with water.

To ensure good and peaceful sleep, we use small bags made of linen cloth filled with dried lavender (flowers + leaves). We place them under the pillow and let them work - they should induce pleasant and peaceful sleep.

• Bags filled with lavender are also used in wardrobes to repel moths. It repels not only moths, but also flies and mosquitoes, while attracting bees. The dried lavender mixture retains its fresh aroma for a very long period. To achieve the most intense aroma, we must collect lavender flowers with stems or just the flowers at the beginning of flowering, as only then do they contain the most aromatic substances.

• Lavender bath has a beautiful scent, refreshes and energizes the body, while also improving the condition of skin diseases and having a rejuvenating effect on the skin.

• In the kitchen, lavender leaves and flowers are used, which with their slightly bitter taste resemble mint, rosemary or thyme.

Products with lavender "flavor"

• Lavender tea or compress

Boil 20g of fresh lavender flowers or 10g of dried flowers in 1 liter of water. Then let it steep for 5 minutes and strain. Sweeten the lavender tea with honey to taste.

• Lavender tincture

Prepare it by adding 25g of lavender to 250ml of alcohol. Let the mixture steep in a well-sealed container for two weeks. Strain the prepared mixture and store in dark containers. Use lavender tincture for temple massage for headaches, as aftershave water, etc.

• Lavender ointment

Add 100g of beeswax to 1 kilogram of homemade lard and heat the mixture in a water bath. Later add 250g of lavender flowers (fresh) and stir intensively for 10 minutes. Let it stand for 24 hours, heat again and strain through cloth. Store the prepared lavender ointment in a cool, dark place.

• Protection for houseplants against aphids and mites

Add 10 drops of lavender oil and 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil to 500ml of water. Spray affected plants with this solution for one week.

• 10-minute bath for tired and burning feet

Add a handful of dried lavender to 1 liter of water and bring the mixture to a boil, then let it steep for 10 minutes. After the bath, do not dry your feet but let them air dry.

• Lavender inhalation

Lavender inhalation is used to treat flu, bronchitis, and tonsillitis. It relaxes muscles and clears airways. Add 10g of flowers to 1 liter of cold water and bring to a boil. Then let the covered mixture steep for 10 minutes. Inhale several times a day.

The use of lavender is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

To create a pleasant atmosphere after an exhausting day, we can add a few drops of lavender oil to an aroma lamp, which will scent the entire room and help relax both tired body and mind.