Let’s face it: nothing beats the aroma of freshly picked lavender.

Whether you’re looking to brighten someone’s day with a fresh bouquet, enhance your home with the calming scent of dry lavender, or experiment with crafts or culinary recipes, caring for your lavender is key to preserving its natural allure.

While fresh lavender doesn’t have a particularly long vase life, the best way to extend it is to avoid overwatering it. For more information, check out how to care for your fresh lavender below.

How to Care for Fresh Lavender

1. Trim the bottoms of the stems, one-third to one-half inch.
2. Select a vase that does not reach the level of the blossoms.
3. Add minimal water to the bottom of the vase (remember not to use more than half an inch. Stems will disintegrate if there is too much water).
4. Change water at least every 1 – 2 days.
5. Rinse the stems and trim the ends again if you like.
6. After 1 week, remove the lavender from the vase, cut off the wet ends of the stems, bundle, and follow the directions below for drying it.

Once you’re ready to dry your lavender bundle, hang it upside down in a cool, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. For more information, check out how to dry your fresh lavender below. 

How to Dry Your Lavender

1. Cut off the stems that have been in the water.
2. Put a rubber band around the stems of your bundle.
3. Unfold a paper clip into an “s” shape and hook one end onto the rubber band. 
4. Hang your lavender bundle upside down in a cool, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight (keeping it away from sunlight will help retain its color). 
5. Leave it to dry for at least 10-14 days.
6. Place it back in a vase without water and use it in crafts or homemade aromatherapy products.

If you’d like to use lavender for culinary purposes, such as lavender cookies, lattes, lemonade, or tea, it’s important to note that not all lavender buds are edible. So, when selecting lavender for cooking, ensure it’s a culinary variety (typically cultivated from English lavender) so you can enjoy its taste and aroma safely.