Lady Lavender, Lebanon's new love

I call her Lady Lavender and this Lady has taken Lebanon's 💜 by storm with its irresistible charm and addictive scent. From end of July to mid August, Lebanese growers are busy harvesting, distilling and falling in love with their Lady Lavender. 

You'll be surprised to learn that Lavender is not endemic to Lebanon. But we are a welcoming people and our lands have opened their arms wide to Lavandula angustifolia, or True Lavender (or English lavender). She has loved our climate and our soil and is giving back much love.
You'll find her painting the fields with her characteristic blueish mauve from Majidyieh in the South to the hills of Batroun, drawing a trail through the Bekaa valley all the way across to the feet of Mount Hermon in Kfarmechki.
Harvesting season starts around the end of July and goes on through August at high altitude. The Lady takes her time in the mountains. Some harvest lavender when spikes are still blooming with flowers, others wait until the flowers have withered. In any case, growers know that Lavender is here for the bees🐝 first.
Then comes in the magic of distillation which yields the beautiful lavender essential oil. This "must have" essential oil is used across the board from soap making, to cosmetics formulations, perfume blending and #aromatherapy.
In aromatherapy, #lavenderessentialoil comes in as a true panacea. It is known to calm the nervous system, help sleep, and sooth irritated and inflamed skin (burns, acne, insect bites, irritation, ...). But lavender essential oil is also amazing in relaxing muscle tensions and relieving joint pains.

💛 Fun fact: Lebanon actually has an endemic lavender called Lavandula stoechas and it is recognisable by its characteristic butterfly-like flower atop the spike.

Locally grown and distilled Lavender essential oil is available on Cedarmount Aromatics!