pungent taste
cooling energy
carminative: prevents gas formation, helps expel gas, combats flatulence
diuretic: increases rate of urination, excretes water from body
antispasmodic: suppresses spasms of smooth muscle such as stomach, intestine, bladder
mood enhancer; “pick-me-up”
aids sleep
sitz bath
digestion
soaps: French—laver; Latin—lavare; Greeks and Romans used when laundering
sachets
most fragrant of all herbs
antiseptic: kills bacterium such as thyphoid, diptheria, streptococcus, pneumococcus; carry to ward off disease

tender perennial
downy grey leaves
Munstead is hardiest variety— -30oC with snow cover
difficult to start from seed
buy 2 year old seedlings
full sun
dry, sandy, well-drained soil
prune in spring after frost
never cut old wood
fall foliage helps insulate
plant on prevailing wind side of evergreens to catch snowdrifts
edible
harvest leaves just before last flowers on each stalk have opened fully
cut springs where they attach to the main growing stem
use fresh, dried, frozen
perfect cut flower

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

2 c butter
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
4 c flour
1 T fresh lavender flowers finely chopped
1 t cinnamon
1 t pure orange extract

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in flour. Add lavender, orange, cinnamon. Shape dough into ball and refrigerate 2 hours. Roll on floured surface until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (0.5 to 1 cm). Cut out cookies and place on cookie sheet and bake at 300oF for 25 to 30 minutes.