From mid-May until well into August, French Provence is a sea of purple flowers. The months of July and August in particular are regarded as the main flowering period, during which numerous lavender festivals take place in smaller and larger towns. The lavender blossom is a popular destination for tourists every year.
heyday in Germany
Provence is located in southern France, where the Mediterranean climate is significantly warmer and also has more hours of sunshine than in Germany, which is rather cold. The conditions are only similar in the milder German wine-growing regions. Therefore, growth conditions, overwintering and, of course, the flowering time of lavender are quite different: In cold northern Germany, the plants bloom for a shorter time, they also develop fewer essential oils and therefore do not smell as intensively as the sun-kissed lavender in the wine-growing regions - or even in Provence. The exact flowering time depends on the variety.
Flowering time of each variety
The French lavender blooms both the earliest and the longest. Depending on the weather, it opens its calyxes as early as mid to late May and blooms into August. For this reason, the variety, which remains quite small, is also often used for pot culture. The other lavender varieties do not flower until June/July and are then usually already faded at the end of July/beginning of August in German climates. If you prune faded lavender, you encourage the plant to flower again.
Use of the dried flowers
For further use in the kitchen and household, you should harvest the flowers when only the middle panicle is in bloom. This is when the concentration of essential oils is at its highest. Buds are best tied into airy clusters and hung upside down in a warm, dark, and dry place. Admittedly, there is often a hint to leave the flowers in the blazing sun for the time being, but this is now discouraged. The volatile aromatic substances are quickly lost as a result of the radiation, as well as when drying in the oven.
tips and tricks
It is best to harvest the lavender flowers in the midday sun. On the one hand, the essential oil content is at its highest at this time and, on the other hand, the plant has then dried up. Moisture - from morning dew, for example - can cause the lavender to go moldy as it dries.
IJA