Part of my challenge was to cut and use some of the lovely fragrant stems in an arrangement, but I did not have a huge abundance of lavender nor a small pot in which I would create a little arrangement for a vignette or small space. So my mission was to find something at a store which would allow me to use the delicate lavender.
Here is what I found. This charming little rake from Stein's Garden Center is made of metal with a distressed finish and includes an attached pot which is perfect for holding a small arrangement of flowers or herbs (or maybe even a candle). They also had one in the shape of a shovel. Both are darling, but I could only choose one. The rake captured my heart and I could envision the bouquet of lavender and daisies in the pot with a sweet burlap bow to finish it off. Perfect for a front door entrance.
My next challenge was to use the lavender in either food or drink. Since we are having a hot spell, I thought it would be interesting to make some lavender lemonade. What a pleasant twist to a great summer time staple. To make the delicious lavender lemonade, I made the simple syrup with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring it to boil and drop in 4 stems of lavender and let cool. During this time, make your lemonade. Since I had only a few lemons on hand and not enough for an entire pitcher, I used a combination of fresh lemons in water and some powdered lemonade to make a greater serving amount. I then added the lavender-infused syrup and ice to the lemonade. The lemonade has a hint of lavender flavor. It does not over power the lemonade, but if you prefer more of a lavender flavor, you could definitely add more cut stems to the simple syrup. In larger quantities, the lavender may even change the color of your lemonade to a lovely light purple. How refreshing on a sunny summer day!
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