Garden: The Benefits of Lavender
By Samridi Iyer
The Gauchos Go Green Garden’s lavender bush
Happy spring! This is the season for blooming and growth, and one of our longest blooming residents in the garden is our French lavender bush, braving the Santa Barbara seasons (although this doesn’t mean much) for over a year and supplying a constant splash of vibrant purple to the view. I remember frequently visiting my backyard at home down in Southern California in search of our lavender bushes to pick the leaves off and use it as a perfume, but only in the past few years did I learn about the many other benefits lavender carries.
Lavender is commonly sold as an essential oil for its incredible effects on our mental and physical health. If you’re dealing with mild insomnia, just taking a few deep breaths of lavender oil can help you relax and get a better night’s rest. If you’re like me and struggle with anxiety, adding small amounts of lavender to your diet (like in tea) or a few drops of essential oil to your pillow can significantly decrease anxiety symptoms by calming your nervous system and clearing your mind. With these soothing effects, headaches can also be treated with lavender if you’re looking to move away from Advil and for a more natural way to remedy the discomfort. The therapeutic effects of lavender really are endless!
Growing lavender is also quite easy and very rewarding. If you want to grow lavender from seeds, you can start with a small nursery tray. Fill the tray about 2” with soil and sow the seeds about an inch apart and cover with a very light sprinkle of soil as the lavender seeds will need direct sunlight to germinate. They will need 8-10 hours of exposure to sunlight daily and remain relatively warm throughout. Lightly mist the tray when the soil starts to feel dry, and a week after germination, you can transfer the seedlings into individual pots or into your garden. Be patient, lavender blooms may take some time, but most definitely worth the wait!
Almost two years ago, I visited a lavender farm in Sequim, Washington, while on a trip with my family. We walked through fields of lavender, visited some farm animals, and took home souvenirs, namely their lavender lemonade, and it did not disappoint. I thought I’d share a recipe (linked) that I found from B&B Family Farm’s webpage (although we visited a different farm) to keep you all refreshed as the weather gets warmer. This recipe uses English lavender rather than French, so watch out for that!
A photo from my visit to the Purple Haze Lavender farm in Sequim, Washington
While a trip to the store to buy lavender is a much easier and quicker way to access its benefits, growing it yourself is a sustainable way to learn about how gardening can make a real difference in your personal life and in the environment. Lavender’s strong root system helps soil retain its nutrients and prevents degradation, and can be a great addition to your garden if you want a good place to grow plants nearby. We hope to share the benefits of lavender with our community in the upcoming quarter and continue spreading our goal of a greener campus!
