Have you ever harvested and dried fresh lavender from the garden? One of the flowers my daughter chose for her wedding was lavender. I soon learned the high cost of purchasing preserved and dried lavender when making the wedding florals and lavender-infused guest favors.

While pulling out of our driveway for the 9-hour trek to the wedding destination, I caught a glimpse of the abundant lavender blooms in our front flower bed. I got to thinking, had I the foresight to harvest and dry the lavender last summer, I could have saved a lot of money.

Helpful Tips To Harvest And Dry Lavender

I am embarrassed to admit that we've had the plant for several years and not once have I harvested the flowers. Every Summer I've admired the blooms and every Fall after the flowers died off I would cut them back.

Thankfully, after we returned from our daughter's wedding, the plant was still in full bloom and I decided this was going to be the year that I finally harvest the lavender! But first I needed to figure out how by doing some research.

After a ton of research online, I got to thinking if you might find what I learned helpful too. So today I'm sharing what I learned with some helpful tips on how to harvest and air dry fresh lavender from the garden.

But if you have successfully dried lavender and see any tips I may have missed, I'd be most grateful if you could share them in the comment section at the bottom of the post.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to prune and dry lavender from the garden, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

What You'll Need

Supply List

• Rubber Bands or Jute Twine
• Scissors
• Paper Clips
• Large Flat Sheet or Box
• Hangers, Chain, or Dowel Rod

How to Harvest Fresh Lavender

• The best time to harvest the plant is when the buds have formed but the lavender is not in full bloom. If you wait too long to harvest (like I did) the dried bunches will be less potent.
• Harvest the flowers mid-morning or evening when the sun is less intense and the plant is completely dry from any morning dew.
• Cut in bundles the size that can wrap around your hand.
• Leave about 2-inches of growth on the plant and don't go down to the woody portion of the stem.

How To Air Dry Fresh Lavender

• Wrap a rubber band or jute twine tightly around each bundle.
• Open a small paper clip and use it as a hook to hang the lavender.
• Hang the bundles of lavender upside down from a coat hanger, along a chain (like I did), or dowel rod.
• Lay a flat sheet or large cardboard box underneath to catch the petals that fall off because they are great for sachets.
• Drying upside down helps the lavender retain its blossom shape.
• Dry the lavender in a dry and dark place. Dryness is most important to prevent mold or mildew. The darkness helps the lavender retain its color.
• Let the lavender dry between 2-4 weeks until there is no moisture left in the stems at the center of the bundle.
• Check the bundles every so often because they could shrink a little and may require tightening the elastic or string.
• If you don't have a dark and dry place to hang the bundles, cover the bunches with brown paper bags with holes cut along the sides and bottom for air to circulate. Dry them in a place with more light.
• If you live in a high-humidity zone, tie the stalks individually with about 3-inches between each stalk on a strand of string, to prevent mold or mildew from developing.

Ideas For Dried Lavender

• Fill pitchers with dried lavender bundles for fragrant displays around the house.
• Use them in wedding bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages.
• Make small fragrant wreaths to hang on cabinet doors.
• Use them for scented drawer sachets.
• Blend with Epsom salts for relaxing baths.
• Make handmade lavender bars of soap. There are so many silicone molds available for soap making.
• If they were grown organically without pesticides, use the buds for cooking like my Lavender Shortbread Cookie recipe.
• Make fragrant Fire Starter Bundles from the cut stalks (pictured below).

Helpful Tips For Storing Dried Lavender

• Store bundles in a paper bag in a dark, dry place.
• Store flower stems in a paper bag or lidded mason jar.
• For cooking, potpourri, and lavender sachets - run your finger along the stalks to remove the dried flowers and store them in a box or paper bag.

Source List

• Garden Therapy
• Den Garden
• Preparedness Mama
• Expert Village

I mentioned earlier that I made lavender-infused lollipops dipped in lavender sugar for my daughter's wedding. Here's a link to the lavender-infused hard candy recipe.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you found these lavender tips helpful. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

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