... blog post:
It's that time of year again, with the sight and exquisite smell of English Lavender. Harvest time once more.
English Lavender, Lavandula Angustifolia, is more properly known as Old English Lavender and is a small aromatic evergreen shrub of the mint family, with narrow leaves and bluish-purple flowers, used in perfumery and medicine.
It is used for example to make lavender scented oil distilled from lavender flowers and things like lavender soap and various creams.
It can also be used in cooking as a spice or condiment in pastas, salads, dressings and desserts. Its buds and greens can be used in teas as well.
The derivation of the name lavender seems ultimately to come from the Latin lavare (to wash), referring to the use of infusions of the plants by the Romans to assist in their ablutions.
Finally, there is a very, very old nursery rhyme about lavender which goers something like:
"Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, Lavender's green
When l am King, dilly, dilly, You shall be Queen!"
Rather an appropriate rhyme given recent events. Well then, there you go, Old English Lavender - don't you just love it?