15 years ago I was a salesperson and lavender product production person for a lavender farm. I was indoctrinated into the mysteries of lavender's gifts of healing, soothing and cleaning. I marveled that growing lavender had finally migrated to the United States. I had no land for a farm and satisfied my lust for planting lavender by inserting it into every nook and cranny around my garden space. Melissa's sweet fragrance and perfect pink greets me by my front door. Continuous volunteering and hybridizing steochas delights with its rabbit ear blooms signaling its sophisticated cousins' approach. Royal Velvet and Hidcote compete for my olympic rating for their richest of lavender’s purple. Grosso and Provence stand tall ready to be made into lavender wands. Edelweiss's white accents break up the sea of purple reminding us of the myriad of colors lavender has to offer. Folgate's softer green foliage lends visual complexity to the garden landscape.

 

My days in the farm shop and nights at home with a bevy of lavender wasn't enough. I wanted to make something which would showcase lavender. I turned to my training in surface design. I felt fabric wasn’t versatile enough and thus taught myself production ceramics in order to achieve the result of necessary function. I turned to my garden as my palate. By pressing the lavender into clay I found it offered a visual library of the different varieties. As well the relief of the lavender made it functional for preserving soap by being able to drain the dish. This process has now become my method for all my lavender based work. 

While not having a lavender farm, I was able to make lemons into lavender lemonade.

 

 

 

Thank you for indulging me.

 

Cheers,

 

Lauren