Lovely Lavender

The lovely lavender plant has been around for centuries, is a member of the mint family, and with 39 species, its beautiful plants are grown world wide.

Lavender was used in ancient times for mummification, in Roman times for scented bathing, and it is used today for everything from scented water, scented soap, culinary uses, and as a migraine cure.

Pictured right - Illustration from "A Wold of Flower Fairies" by Cicely Mary Barker. Copyright The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker.

Lavender comes from the word lavare, meaning to wash. What a treat to have lavender scented soap! For that matter, I love lavender scented anything....





Today in France, lambs graze in lavender fields to enhance the flavor and quality of their meat.

This year my flower beds are lush with lavender and as I walk the gardens I always break off a piece of lavender and I inhale its lovely fragrance as I tour the flowers and veggies.

My lavender pictured above.

The lavender that I started from seed last year is growing like crazy this year and it is just stunning to see. The fragrance is wonderful!!

While perusing the web looking at all the wonderful information on lavender I discovered this nice video on how to start a lavender farm. It's a fun idea....

With 39 species and multiple mutations within those species, how do you select the best lavender variety for your climate?

Click here for a guide from Mountain Valley Growers to assist you in selecting the right species for your location.

Here in northern Ohio we are fortunate to have a wonderful lavender resource, daybreak lavender farm.

During the summer, daybreak lavender farm hosts a lavender festival where you can picnic, pick your own lavender, or purchase lavender products, such as soaps and culinary treats, from their company store.

daybreak lavender farm

9292 Market Square Drive

Streetsboro, OH 44241

For more information on the Lavender Festival click here

I have only cooked with lavender a few times in the past but plan on experimenting this summer with my new bounty. I think that I will try the recipe below for Lavender Creme Brulee from What's Cooking America.

Food Sytlist is Chris Russell

Photo by Carrie Russell


Lavender Creme Brulee

4c. heavy cream

1 tbs dried lavender flowers

8 egg yolks

3/4 c. granulated sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter (6-ounce) custard cups and set them in a glass baking dish.

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add cream and the lavender flowers; heat just to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow lavender flowers to infuse with cream for 5 minutes. Strain cream mixture through fine strainer to remove lavender flowers.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 c. of sugar until light and creamy. Slowly add the strained cream to the egg mixture, blending well. Divide evenly among the custard cups.

Bring the water for the bath to a boil. Add just enough water to the baking dish to come half way up the outside of the custard cups.

Bake 60 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center.

Remove from oven. Leave in water bath until cooled. Remove from bath and refrigerate 2 hours to 2 days.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with 2 tsp. each of remaining sugar. Using small torch or broiler, cook until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8 depending on custard cup size.

Williams Sonoma Herbs de Provence

I used these Herbs de Provence from Williams Sonoma when cooking meat. You can see the lavender when you rub the seasoning on the meat.

Most intriguing to me is the use of lavender in pillows. Lavender is thought to produce prophetic dreams. I don't know if the dream part is true but lavender is certainly a lovely scent to enjoy while falling asleep.

Buckwheat and Lavender pillow fill

Buckwheat is a wonderful pillow fill - try it!

Buckwheat and Lavender pillows from Lavender Fanatic.

Pictured right is lavender from my garden. I tied the lavender together and placed it on top of our headboard.

I don't remember any interesting dreams last night, but I will keep you posted if there are any of note.

Click here for instructions on how to make your own lavender dream pillow.

I have a flush crop this year and would love to try any lavender recipes that you have - please share.

I hope to visit daybreak lavender farm during July while my niece, Claire, is visiting from New Hampshire. I think it will make for a memorable outing. I will be sure to take some fun photos of the fields of lavender and I wish that there was a way to share the beautiful scent that I know we will experience in the fields.

What a powerful link there is between scents and memories. I look forward to making a few memories with Claire this summer.

War in the Garden

That's it!! I declare war in my garden!!

While I was out of town for four days, count them FOUR days, the garden was decimated by cucumber beetles. I returned home and toured the garden - I am heartsick.

How quickly these *%$!@*& ravenous bugs can wipe out a garden!

This is not the first time that I have to do battle with these pests. I tried to be proactive this year and sprayed with a "green" pesticide spray when the little seedlings emerged. I thought I was safe - HA!!

The cucumber beetle LOVES to eat cucurbits. They are difficult to battle as they winter over in the soil. Previously I purchased beneficial nematodes and released them in the garden in my quest to be green. The nematodes supposedly eat the cucumber beetles.

Results from the nematodes - not so good!!! The cucumber beetles laugh at the nematodes.

One year I tried making traps by painting a few boards yellow and applying a sticky substance. The bugs are supposed to be attracted to the yellow and get stuck in the tanglefoot. HA!! I got a just a few in the trap and the rest merrily chomped away on my veggies.


So after much insistence by my fellow gardener, Steve, out comes the sprayer and the big guns. :(

Well, the hope is to get this under control before the plants die, if they are not dead already, or before they bloom. Can't spray when the bees are present. What a conundrum!!

I am sick about it. I WANT to be an organic gardener. What if I was a pioneer, without the local grocery down the street, and I had to depend on what I grew? Could I afford the risk of loosing my whole crop? I am not crazy about wasting all of my time preparing the ground, planting and weeding just to be foiled by the bugs.

What do you do when the bugs are winning???

Eggplant

Squash




See the dead little $%#*&@# cucumber beetles on the leaf

Butternut Squash

Muskmelon

Pumpkin

Corn

Looking healthy from a distance

Upon closer inspection you can the the beginnings of Stewart's Bacterial Wilt

See the curled and brown leaf? It's starting.

On a brighter note...happy radishes for breakfast

My Hydrangeas - love all the colors!!

Doesn't that just make you smile?

I need something to make me smile after the morning tour of the garden.

Timberframe Journal - Update

Lawry's Timberframe home is finally coming together. I know that we are close to completion when the light fixtures go in and the balance of the tile is being installed.

Hurray for Lawry!! I know that he can't wait to move in!

The project has been a true labor of love for Lawry as he has been "hands on" literally through every square inch and every phase of building his new home. He has applied the finish to the exterior siding, sanded and applied the finish to the cut beams that I wanted for window sills, applied finish to the base molding, and on, and on.

He has driven and picked up siding, tile, beams, appliances, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, finishes, etc. He has sorted and cleaned literally tons and tons of stone and I bet that Lawry dreams of rocks in his sleep.

Here is a short video showing the pools and waterfall that Lawry recently finished. He has been tweaking the waterfall to get just the right sound. I think he's got it!!

His soul is in this home and I feel it when I enter this warm, rich, inviting abode.

I thought I would share some pictures from my site visit today. Our finished project photos in the future will better convey the beauty of the spaces but here is a tickler of what's to come.

View of Dining Area fixture from 2nd Avenue and the Hammerton fixture for over the Kitchen Island.

The Hammerton center island light fixture. I love this fixture. I think it makes the space!

2nd Avenue fixtures for above the long dining table.

Fire Mountain Forge chandelier for the Great Room.

We have two of this smaller sized fixture on either end of the Great Room and one larger version of this fixture in the center of this great space - just in front of the wonderful fireplace.

We spent many, many hours searching for the right tile for the bath floors. Lawry doesn't like anything with too much pattern or movement. He likes clean, natural, real stone. Ah, a man after my own heart. :)

In the end we selected this 12"x12"quartzite tile. My tile rep. (who walks on water) had the factory sort the tile and in the end we received just the right colors. Whew. It was a long process with a happy ending.

I found this pillowed limestone, in stock, with just the right feel and tone to work with the quartzite on the floor. It feels wonderfully smooth to the touch.




As soon as the warm weather arrived, Lawry headed outside to work on the landscaping and the stonework. He is amazing! He and another person have been busy building this fire pit and laying out the stones for the patio.

Lawry is using reclaimed curbs that he found. Aren't they beautiful?

Can't you picture sitting here with your feet up by the fire, relaxing, and gazing out over the valley below?

Note the interesting stone pattern that Lawry designed radiating out from the fire pit.

Stacks of limestone, sorted by size and waiting to be incorporated into the patio and retaining walls.

More stone stacked and waiting to be installed.

How beautiful are these?? The colors are wonderful!!

Great color on the stone.

NeoCon 2010 Visit

I just returned home from my ASID training in Chicago and from the subsequent two day adventure to NeoCon. I love visiting Chicago, meeting new people, seeing new and beautiful things; and then it's always good to return home.

I really enjoyed the training seminars from ASID National. Our seminar given by Jody Turner from Culture of Future on Generation G and on the new trends has given me much food for thought. Some of her material I push back on but...then that fits my Baby Boomer mentality.

Some of the information about Generation G makes me cringe (and I'm obviously not techno shy) - and then, man does it make me feel like a dinosaur. It also makes me want to know more to overcome my limiting thoughts.

She talked about being ahead of trends in her life and I could relate to that. Long, long before there was a Starbucks on every corner, I told my ex-husband we should open a coffee shop. Sometimes I just know stuff.

I hope to share more about what I learned at training in the future. Thanks to ASID National for the opportunity to learn new skills and to participate in growing our profession.

Now for a few fun things from NeoCon.

Herman Miller Eames Sofa in white leather. Very classy and comfy.

Great lamp in the Steelcase showroom.

Steelcase Mediascape Lounge. This office furniture offering is part sectional, part desk, and part entertainment center. My initial reaction was to want one for home - something to lounge around and work/watch tv/peruse the Internet - all with a large screen and all with plenty of space to accommodate multiple people working together.

My next thought was that this would be phenomenal for a college campus. Great for students to hang out, work collaboratively, and spend time together. Really, it's comfortable, roomy, and provides great sound isolation and acoustics.

Large monitor on the Steelcase Mediascape Lounge.

Table with multiple connections on the MediaScape Lounge

Me, relaxing a moment and trying out the Denizen Personal Table from Steelcase.
Perfect height for a laptop.

Great vignette in the Milliken Showroom. Love this look.

As always - Boyd Lighting is wonderful, clean, modern and classic.

I have been eyeing the yummy leather floors from Edelman Leather for years. You know how it is - know a product is beautiful and just waiting for the right space to come along where you can finally incorporate this beloved item. I am still waiting for that perfect study, lobby, or office to appear.

My Rep, Elle, (she's wonderful) was in the showroom when Steve and I stopped by. She showed us the new blue and white leathers grouped together in a wonderful display. Apparently blue and white are all the rage. :) I love blue and white!!!

Pony hide covered mirror frame. Don't you think my timber frame home client, Lawry, should have this in his home? It is terrific. Note the cowlick on the top of the frame.

I caught Steve in the mirror reflection. I'm a little mischievous sometimes. ;)

Woodland has begun offering lighting and all the fixtures are OUTSTANDING!!! They also have a striking rug line along with new painted wood artisan finishes. We spend quite awhile in the Woodland showroom taking in all the beautiful new things.

Another selling point for me is that the Woodland line (except for the rugs) is manufactured here in the US - always one of the first questions.

The Janus et Cie showroom had loads of great new furniture to see. We were especially taken with the bamboo chair pictured above.

Can I take these Foo Dogs home????

I see Feng Shui at work everywhere I go.

One of the things about Chicago that impressed me was the use of flowers and green space everywhere. There were planters with flowers overflowing on almost every street corner. The city is clean.

This brings me to one of the tidbits that I took away from an ASID training seminar this weekend - Guerrilla Gardening. Stay tuned as I learn more about this movement that started in the UK. It's gardening without boundaries and it's global and ... it makes the world a better place, one small garden at a time. I'm in - anyone care to join me????

Thanks for following my blog and I hope that you have enjoyed this quick peek at some of my finds from this year's NeoCon. More to follow....