DRIED LAVENDER LIVES ON

Enjoy the allure of lavender well beyond the bloom season.

Discover how our creative farmers use NW-grown dried lavenders & lavandins in a variety of locally-made crafts for home decor and holiday gifts.  Fresh lavender comes and goes quickly each summer, but a small miracle of nature allows us to preserve its fragrant essence by carefully drying the flower spikes.  Many of our growers make the effort to harvest some of their crop and form bundles that dry under well-controlled conditions.  These dried bundles can be transformed into a myriad of decorative and gift-worthy items.  Take for example our lead image of a horizontal lavender wreath surrounding the base of a candle as fashioned by Pam Baker of Little Lavender Farm in Newberg, OR.  Several other examples are illustrated below.  We invite you to connect with our member farms and businesses that specialize in crafting these fragrant and eye-catching designs: LINK.  You may be able to custom order specific items, and you might even get a lesson in how to make your own construction from the bundles you purchase.

LAVANDIN WREATH WITH BABY’S BREATH

Created by Michelle Lowe

Lowe’s Lavender Farm, Canby, OR.

Made with lavandins ‘Grosso” and ‘White’ (L. x intermedia ‘Alba’),
and dried white baby’s breath flowers on a grapevine wreath base.

LAVANDIN WANDS

Created by Carol Tannenbaum

McKenzie River Lavender, Springfield, OR.

Made with lavandins ‘Grosso’ and ‘Impress Purple’,
harvested at an optimal time, then
fashioned with ribbon and dried over ensuing weeks.

LAVANDIN SHEAF

Created by Michelle Lowe

Lowe’s Lavender Farm, Canby, OR.

Featured in a DIY article on this website: LINK

DRIED LAVANDIN BOUQUET IN TIN PITCHER

Created by Jackie Szarka

Lake Holm Lavender, Auburn, WA.

Vintage containers make ready vessels for tall lavandin bouquets
(‘Grosso’ as shown), lending a touch of nostalgia to the scene.
Tall L. angustifolia cultivars work well, too.

LAVANDIN SWAG

Created by Michelle Lowe

Lowe’s Lavender Farm, Canby, OR.

Made with wheatgrass and two lavandins, Lavandula x intermedia
cultivars ‘Grosso’ and ‘Riverina Thomas’, and tied with raffia.
Hang on the wall or a door inside your home or office.

LAVENDER HEART

Created by Mike Sullivan

Longview Lavender Farm, Somers, MT.

Wreath-making need not be confined to rings,
as demonstrated by this sentimental heart, annointed intermitently
with lavender essential oil to renew its fragrance.

HANGING LAVENDER CONE

Created by Pam Baker

Little Lavender Farm, Newberg, OR.

Simple materials put to elegant use…there are virtually
endless variants on these conical supports
for shorter lavender bundles.

MIXED LAVENDER BOUQUET

Created by Chris Mulder

Barn Owl Nursery, Wilsonville, OR.

Visual contrast achieved by the use of differently colored
lavender flower spikes adds to the appeal
of a simple dried bouquet.

LAVENDER PILLOW SACHETS

Created by Julie Park

Park Place Perennials, West Linn, OR.

Even the humble lavender sachet can be dressed up into something
worth looking at, in addition to smelling.

Caring for the dried lavender decor:  Keep it out of direct sunlight and avoid high humidity.  Use a hair dryer on a low, cool setting to remove dust and debris.  If desired, very small amounts of lavender or lavandin essential oil may be applied occasionally to the stems as a way to refresh the fragrance.

Photos: All of the photos were provided by the makers of each craft item shown above.

Edited & formatted by

Michael Lemmers & Chris Mulder

RavenCroft & Barn Owl Nursery