How To Harvest And Dry Lavender From The Garden

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 on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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.



Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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.



Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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


Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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.


Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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.


Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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 on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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



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.



Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender.

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!



If you enjoyed this lavender harvesting guide, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your Gardening Ideas board on Pinterest.




Helpful tips on how to harvest and dry fresh lavender from your flower garden along with some creative ideas on how to use dried lavender. #harvestlavender #drylavender #prunelavender

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Comments

  1. I have always wanted to try and dry lavender! I think I may give is a shot, thanks for sharing :-)

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    1. I knew someone, besides me, would find this helpful! So glad I decided to share what I learned about drying lavender. It's the plant that keeps on giving. LOL Enjoy your lavender, Christina!

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  2. Marie I love dried lavender. It smells good it looks pretty and you can do so much with lavender. I love that you make the lollipops with lavender sugar for your daughter's wedding. That is such a great idea. Love seeing the pumpkins too. They are adorable. Happy Friday. Have a great weekend. xoxo

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    1. The lavender sugar was hard to find but so glad I did because the lollipops were amazing! Happy Friday back to you, Kris and have a great weekend as well! xoxo

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  3. Great tips Marie. Thanks so much. Our white lavender bushes have just started pushing out their little buds, I think they can smell Spring is around the corner - whoopity, whoop ;-) So I've pinned your post so I can come back in a few weeks. It does have such a distinct yummy smell and it would be lovely to have a reminder of all that loveliness when Summer is over

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    1. I wish we were where you're at with the arrival of Spring. We had a record breaking chilly and rainy summer and already it is starting to feel like Fall. This summer loving gal feels ripped off by Mother Nature. Thankfully my dried lavender will fill our home with the lovely scent of summer through the dreary months of winter. Enjoy harvesting yours!

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  4. This lavender is going to be fantastic for the Winter. Its so beautiful Marie, it must make your yard smell heavenly.

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    1. Sadly, I never get to smell the scent because it is in the flower bed in our front yard. Passersby can definitely enjoy the scent but not us. I'd love to plant lavender in our back yard near the deck but it just doesn't get enough sun facing north. I do enjoy the wonderful scent throughout the winter now that I dry the lavender.

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  5. I have a ton of lavender and I'm so thrilled to be reading your post. I wanted to save it and now I know how. Thanks for sharing with To Grandma's House We Go, I'll be featuring you next week.

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    1. Chas, I'm so glad this post was helpful. Yay, go harvest that lavender! LOL Thanks for the feature. xo

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  6. What a practical and pretty post! Really, love these photos! So smart to share tips with us on how to harvest and dry lavender, and love the practical uses for dried lavender, too!

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    1. Happy to hear you enjoyed the post and the photos, Julie. Your comment made my day!

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  7. Oh Marie, I hope to try this next year but I'll need to plant more lavender to be able to harvest enough. Your photos are so pretty. I'm excited to share your post today on Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. I hope you do try it next year, Michelle, the scent is wonderful throughout the winter months. Would you believe all my lavender came from one plant! It took a couple of years for the plant to get established enough to produce so many blooms. Thank you so much for the feature! xo

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  8. I use dried lavender for making bathbombs, and a lavender and rose salt scub. Last year,I made lavender bags for my walk-in wardrobe which help keep the moths out of my woolies! I love your paper clip tip for hanging, that will make my life easier so thanks for sharing. I'll bet your lollipops were delish too!

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    1. Isn't it fun to grow to enjoy the pretty flowers all summer with the intention of enjoying the scent year round. I don't know why I didn't harvest mine years ago! I'd love to make my own bath bombs, haven't tried that yet. Glad you found the paper clip hanger idea helpful 😊

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  9. I so enjoyed your article about lavender. My lavender is already starting to going brown in places . Maybe too much rain this season. Is it too late to harvest? It is still so pretty, I hate to cut it back but I really want to try harvesting. The plant is 2 years old, I bought at a local lavender farm. Thanks kindly,
    Toni from Cape Cod, Ma.

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    1. I didn't harvest mine until mid August, But I'm in Canada so I'm not sure when the end of your lavender growing season is, I suspect sooner. If they are already in full bloom, the scent won't be as potent but still lovely. I'm going to leave mine until the end of July. You may want to check in with your local lavender farm or greenhouse to see what they suggest for your area.

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  10. Thank you Marilyn for the pin and share, always appreciated. Have a great week!

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  11. Thanks for sharing with us at the To Grandma's house we go link party! I'm featuring you when the next party starts!

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  12. Marie, I have always wanted to dry lavender and now I am inspired to give it a try! I am excited to feature your post at Tuesday Turn About this week. Thank you so much for sharing!

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    1. Thank you so much for the feature, Lynne and I'm thrilled to hear you've been inspired to dry your garden lavender! xo

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  13. So glad you shared this with everyone on Farmhouse Friday. I love lavender and have always wanted to know how to do this. It will be featured tomorrow! Thanks for always linking up. pinned

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    1. I'm glad to hear you found the tips helpful, Cindy. A big thank you for the pin and the feature! xo

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  14. michele - vintage home designsJune 10, 2022 at 8:17:00 AM MDT

    Loved these tips and ideas. I would like to share your post on my Saturday Morning Gather post tomorrow.

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    1. Hi Michele! I'm glad you enjoyed these tips for drying lavender. Thank you and looking forward to seeing them featured in your post tomorrow!

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  15. Marie
    This is so timely as I have finally established some lavender in my garden. Thanks for sharing and I'd like to share a link on my Sunday, Dirt Road Adventures.

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  16. Hi Rachel! I hope you found these tips helpful for when it's time to harvest your garden lavender. I'm thrilled to hear you'll be sharing this in your Dirt Road Adventures on Sunday. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend! xoxo

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