A couple of years ago, I discovered the Lavender Farm located in Suburban St. Louis. Winding Brook Estates. It's a lovely place, with a Lavender Gift shop on the farm, and in the little suburban towne of Eureka, they have a store where you can take classes. I learned to make a lavender wreath there earlier this year. Anyway.....a couple of years ago I went with a couple of friends to pick lavender...it was $12 a bundle. You got pretty much for your $12. But decided I wanted my own. So in spring 2007 I planted 3 plants. I didn't get very many blooms. But this year they are blooming like crazy. Today I decided to try my hand at making a lavender wand. I found these instructions on line. http://www.joys-of-lavender.com/lavender-wand.html. Pretty easy to follow....I didn't play complete attention, which is the story of my life. I wove/weaved over one lavender stem, the instructions said two.
So pick yourself some lavender, an even number. Try to make the stems 2 times as long as the blooms. Tie a piece of ribbon just below the blooms. Turn the stems with the flowers down, then gently bend each stem down, making a cage around the blooms. I gently tied it at the bottom to keep them together, sort of arrange them a little so they are evenly spaced, I didn't do that...but will on my next wand. Then pretend you are doing embroidery, or cross stitch, you know...don't try a knot. and then just weave.....as you get closer to the bottom you might loosen the tie...then when you feel it is finished, wrap some ribbon and tie a bow. I used a tapestry needle, easy to thread the ribbon thru, and Joann Fabrics and Crafts had craft ribbon on sale today , 4 rolls for $1.00. I'll have to get some photos of the lavender, it grows next to the garage, kinda bushy, and I probably didn't prepare the soil properly. The soil in this area has a lot of clay, and I think the plants need drainage, but with all the rain we have had, they look pretty robust. They get full sun all afternoon. And hey, they survived a St. Louis winter. Now it just needs to sit and dry!
