Quiet perfume plant - Lavender

Lavender is a fragrant purple blue flowers. Also known as "quiet perfume plant." Hi drying in the Mediterranean region of origin, sex, shaped like a small wheat-like flower, with slender stems, covered with stellate hairs spend, tiny purple-blue flowers open on the tip, elongated leaves greyish green , adult up to 80 cm high, usually bloom in June. Whenever the wind from the bloom, the whole slice of deep purple lavender fields like stacks of waves heaving up and down, very beautiful.
Labiatae lavender, aromatic plants, because of her pleasant smell fragrant, herb garden is the favorite one, "after the fragrant herb" known reputation. Because of her aroma, people feel peaceful calm, with a clean mind and body effect, the Romans often used to bathe incense lavender, lavender Greeks will be used to treat cough.

I. Overview say and cultural history
Origin of less rainfall in the Mediterranean region, in Roman times is quite common herbs, then the use is added to the bath water, so relax, or incense pest control purposes as clothing, soap during 1562 It is quite expensive items, 4 pounds heavier soap and two pigs of the same price, so every household were planted lavender bath to provide health purposes. Until now, lavender has been widely used economic cultivation also these places mainly in Europe, America, Japan and other countries in Hokkaido, Japan in the summer season of even more famous in the world, marked "north of the romantic purple poster on tourism people "with different colors depending on the background of flower fields with each other, will not help any who want to live around, smell the air, a unique sense of flavor. Lavender was elected in 1999, the International Herb Association annual herb, showing its popularity.
Lavender is not widespread now, not much use, return reason is probably twofold: First, the plant itself like relatively cool environment, Taiwan's plains temperature is too high, difficult to grow and bloom well, another reason is Its aroma has a lot of people not in the habit, even people feel suffocated, so in Taiwan hope no local cultivation information, but it also means that there is a need to develop the market, the key lies in the direct use of fresh ingredients instead of oils, dried Mosaic, coupled with marketing efforts can only be successful mating.

Second, traits
Lavender is a perennial herb, according to varieties are 45 to 90 cm high, was shrubby, erect stems, leaves elongated another needle or feathery, flower spike-like terminal, blue, purple, pink, white, etc. color, whole plant are aromatic, because flowers, leaves and stems of the villi are in possession of the oil glands, gently touch the oil glands that is rupture and release the fragrance, so if the opportunity to go back in the lavender fields, ancient poetry "riding flower Guiqu horseshoe 'mood can be realized. There are many varieties of lavender, in addition to specialized refining oil varieties, there are a number of varieties can be used as cut flowers or flower beds purposes, Taiwan is currently the more common varieties of sweet lavender, lavender pinnata, smoked dentata Lavender, true lavender.

Third, the cultivation method
Lavender semi heat resistance characteristics, thus Taiwan's plains cultivated in the summer should be obscure at least 50% of the sun, so although weak growth, but still not to the death, but if the high altitude of 1000 meters in cold cultivation of the can grow well, on the contrary, lavender winter weather in the plains to grow well, but this time the sun is weak, it should be grown in full sun.
When planting, pay special attention to the selection-drained medium, after a pouring enough water, should be to give the water when the soil is dry, otherwise continuous Humid conditions may cause the roots do not have enough air to breathe and poor growth, and even sudden death of the whole plant, Cause cultivated lavender often fail here. In addition, lavender essential oil content of the most abundant flowers, often with flowers or inflorescence main use, in order to facilitate the harvest, small inflorescence of cultivated early may wish to shears Li-ping whole, new growth of inflorescence highly consistent, in favor of the first harvest, and some varieties of height up to 90 cm, also use this method to make low plants cause more branching and flowering, increase the harvest, but to pay attention to pruning in the cold season such as spring and autumn hours, and be careful not to cut into woody part, in order to avoid debilitating death of plants.
When breeding is available planting, cutting, planting in autumn is appropriate to broadcast on-demand method in 128 grid plug in, if transplant is not easy to hurt the roots, cuttings, is 5 centimeters long as the material of the terminal bud, do not use has emerged inflorescence The terminal bud cuttings, or bad hair root and future growth potential is poor, because the flowering branches mean aging, aging branch to take the reproductive success of course not. Fourth, harvesting and utilization
Lavender essential oil content in the flowers of the most abundant, so be it oil refining or cooking use, are based mainly flowers. A pair of scissors clipping inflorescence when harvested, dried want to save the backup, use the time can be directly on the indoor incense or perfume to essential oils of spices, tea bags, soap, trade names also have to lavender to name , so some people have not seen it though plants, but it is not unfamiliar with this name.
Pharmacologically lavender has settled the nerves, the treatment of insomnia, and promote the effectiveness of appetite, but the amount applicable to day consumption between 3 to 5 grams, oil in the 1 to 4 drops, such as bathing and incense topical if not in this limit. The most popular skin care bath, which is SPA, lavender is a good material, not only washed the body exudes fragrance, relax, and simple, with a small bag of lavender built along the water flows into the tub you can, pay attention to the water not too hot, too hot the skin will not absorb perspiration medicinal ingredient, after washing the whole body whole body relaxed, go to sleep, the whole process is complete beauty bath, you may wish to try test.

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