In 1957, my family moved to Oakland when my dad started a new job as a detail rep for a pharmaceutical company. This job took him away from home for long stretches, leaving my mother with three young girls to keep occupied.
My parents rented an older home situated at the back of a long stretch of property. To me, it was heaven. My young child’s memory tells me the little two-bedroom, one-bath house was enormous, complete with a dark and damp basement housing spiders and an old metal bed. The expansive yard was filled with old fashioned plants and a vast assortment of fruit trees. This yard became our summer playground. Our childhood energy and imagination were boundless.
Close to the house was a lavender bush. Its stalks were long and woody, and its blossoms released the most captivating aroma when I squeezed them between my fingers. Early that summer, our mother taught us how to cut the long lavender stalks, cluster them together, bend them down to capture the tiny purple blossoms and carefully weave a lavender wand with satin ribbon. I was smitten. I spent days that summer sitting on the front steps, ribbon and lavender close at hand, weaving lavender wands.
Decades passed. Life carried me to the east coast, to the Southwest, and then back to California. When we moved into our Chico home, imagine my delight when I discovered a lavender bush. This was not just any lavender, but the perfect wand-weaving lavender. My muscle memory quickly kicked in and that first June in our new home was spent weaving lavender wands.
I have since learned that there many, many different types of lavender. Each has its own endearments. My favorite, however, and the type that is best for wand making, is Lavandula x intermedia Grosso – https://www.gardenia.net/plant/lavandula-x-intermedia-grosso-lavender. This is a hybrid lavender – a cross between English and Portuguese lavender. It is valued for the oils in its blossoms and the edible nature of its leaves and flowers. Its tall woody stems and strong fragrance are just what is needed to make an aromatic wand that will last for years.
Weaving the wands is not difficult, but it does take patience, and about forty minutes for each wand. There are several YouTube videos that will walk you through the weaving, step by step. Two nice ones are: How to Weave a Lavender Wand or DIY Lavender Wands. But basically, the process is simple:
Cut an odd number of lavender stems with full, robust blossoms early in the day. Work carefully around the bees. You need to weave the wand immediately while the stems are moist and flexible, and you will need an odd number of stems to ensure a successful weave. I like to use 35 stems because I like my wands fat and full. But lovely wands can be made using fewer stems; it is your choice.
Clean the stems by removing any leaves, side branches and buds growing low on the stem beneath the blossom.
Cluster the blossoms and tie together with one end of a long piece of ribbon. I like to use 1/4-inch satin ribbon. It is inexpensive, readily available and comes in a rainbow of colors.
Slowly fold the stems over the blossom cluster, pull the ribbon through to the top and begin weaving the ribbon over and under each folded stem, tugging as you weave to pull the stems closely together. The first few trips around are the most challenging because missing a stem will set your weaving on the wrong course.
Continue weaving, coaxing the enclosed lavender into an even, full shape.
As you come to the bottom of the blossom cluster, pull the ribbon snuggly and wrap it tightly around the stems. Tie a knot and finish with a bow.
Cut the ends of the stems evenly as a finishing touch.
Squeeze your wand and breathe in the soothing, healing scent. Even years after weaving, you only need to squeeze the wand to release the lavender aroma.
It is once again June, and my lavender bush is exploding with the promise of dozens of fragrant wands. Guess I’m going to be off the grid for a while.
The Red Bluff Garden Club is a member of Cascade District, California Garden Clubs, Inc., Pacific Region Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Our next meeting will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31 in the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 525 David Ave. in Red Bluff.
