Lavender

Unfortunately you can't eat lavender (WRONG - see the links section for Lavender Recipes). It does however have many other uses. Lavender is famous for its fragrance, its flowers are decorative, and it attracts bees, which then pollinate my pumpkins and other plants.

Lavender should be grown in full sun and will reward you if grown in well drained soil. I have one lavender plant which grows in a semi shaded damp spot in the corner of my backyard. It's big but leggy, and only just flowers. I'll pull it out eventually and grow a sudo rainforest there instead (with a hammock).

I also have many lavenders growing in the correct conditions which produce masses of blooms every year.

Our toilet usually has a bunch of lavender hanging from the wall for fresh smelling air. Place a bunch of lavender anywhere inhabited by silverfish and they'll more than likely move out. It's also great for removing nasty smells from spillages on carpets. Put on an old shoe, then grind a bunch of lavender into the carpet with your heel and vacuum the resulting mess. The smell of lavender will be overpowering for a while but once it's gone, so is the nasty odour.

Lavender is easy to propagate by using non flowering side shoots. Remove the side shoot from the plant, with a small heel still attached. Remove the bottom leaves, so that leaves only remain on the top quarter of the stem. Place in potting mix or old compost. The lowest leaf should be just above the soil. Water and wait. Spring cuttings will root quicker than autumn cuttings but both are highly successful.