Bay Laurel was used to crown the head of winners in the ancient Pythian games of classical Greece, and the wreath of bay laurel was one of the identifying symbols of the god Apollo, in whose honour the games were held. According to ancient myth, the nymph Daphne metamorphosed herself into a bay laurel bush… Read more »
As we know, we can smell the wonderful aroma of lavender, look at it’s gorgeous foliage and flowers and even listen to songs about lavender (for more information have a look at our Lavender’s Blue article), but what about watching lavender? Well here’s our list of lavender movies, so that you can take your pick… Read more »
Lavender is beginning to enjoy a long overdue resurgence of popularity in today’s kitchens, and so we thought that you might like to have a think about some of the many ways that you can use lavender in your cooking. To many people when thinking about using lavender as an ingredient, they will think of… Read more »
“Lavender” is part of the broad botanical genus – Lavandula. This is thought to be made up of 50 different species, and within some of these species are perhaps hundreds of different cultivars/varieties. For the purposes of lavender oil we are mainly concerned with two species –lavandula angustifolia (sometimes called English lavender or true lavender),… Read more »
If you could take a peek into a medieval kitchen, amongst the other herbs and spices that were on offer there would be nearly always be an abundance of lavender. It’s said that Queen Elizabeth 1st insisted that a jar of lavender conserve was served with every meal and that she was a devotee of… Read more »
With Valentine’s Day approaching, it seems a good time to examine some of the symbolic uses of lavender, and what lavender has often been thought to mean. As far back as Roman times lavender was highly prized for its use in the bath houses to fragrance and purify the bathing waters (it is believed that… Read more »
In the history of essential oils, Eucalyptus is a relative newcomer, only having become known from its native Australia in the mid 19th century. However this in no way diminishes its amazing array of beneficial effects. Eucalyptus can not only be used a fantastic aromatic and freshener, but it also has a number of medical… Read more »
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