The garden tools I need to have in my shed

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What Tools Do You Need to Garden?

The planting of seeds by humans is believed to date back tens of thousands of years. Even before that, people cultivated food forests by protecting useful plants and eliminating those which provided them with no benefits. 

In ancient times, a hole might be dug with a stone or stick, and water carried from a river in an animal bladder.

All that to say, it’s not the tools that make the garden. In the past, I have gardened quite happily with one shovel and a hand cultivator/hoe, but there’s no denying that having the right tool for the job makes the work of gardening easier and more enjoyable.

Are Garden Tools Expensive?

Garden tools are available at all price points. There will always be an endless chorus of marketers telling you this tool or that is better than the other, but remember you’re digging soil and planting seeds - not building a spaceship. You want something durable, but not necessarily fancy.

In some cases there is a real difference in quality between the cheaper and more expensive options. If you have a bit of money to spend on tools, the choice becomes, in which cases is an investment in a pricier tool a good financial decision?

But no matter what your budget is, there are sources other than the hardware store or internet from which to acquire tools. Just about every garage or estate sale has some which, while not brand new, have stood the test of time and have years of life still in them. Better yet, many older relatives have amassed a collection over the years and would be happy to pass them on to someone a bit more spry. Often these older tools are better made than what you’d find today. If they’re in rough shape, it’s easy enough to sharpen a hoe or replace a shovel handle. 

These options not only save money, they mean less is produced and less ends up in a landfill.

My Favorite Gardening Tools

As I said, in the past I have gardened with two simple tools. But at this point, our gardening has expanded enormously, and we’re lucky enough to be able to carefully spend on tools which make our work easier and are durable enough to last a lifetime. Barebones Living is a favorite among gardeners because they check all these boxes - plus, they are a certified B Corp dedicated to protecting the environment. You can find my favorite selections from Barebones below:

Seed Starting Tools

One of the foundations of economizing in our gardening is seed starting. It saves so much money as compared to buying plants!

There are many cheap and accessible ways to start seeds. Egg cartons, newspaper, or even toilet paper rolls can be used to hold your soil.

How to Make Seed Pots From Toilet Paper Rolls

Step one is to rummage through your recycling for TP rolls. Better yet, skip the recycling bin and save them up throughout the year for use in the spring.

Once you have your empty rolls, just cut four 1 1/2” slits in one end of the tube and fold them over themselves to create a bottom. Fill with soil and your seeds and get growing!

Using a Soil Blocker to Start Seeds

These days, we use a soil blocker when starting seeds. It’s a simple tool that allows me to work a bit more quickly, which is helpful for those times when I’m not feeling well enough for a longer project.

Blocks are also great for the plants themselves. Because each block is planted directly into the garden, the roots are not damaged and the plants aren’t likely to experience any transplant shock, giving them a stronger start on life.

One potential drawback of this tool is that it might be difficult for someone with arthritis or other pain in their hands to squeeze the handle that releases the blocks from the mold, so that’s something to keep in mind.

How to Use a Soil Blocker

Soil blocking is really easy once you get the hang of it. You might read in a catalog or hear from another gardener that you need a fancy soil blend designed for soil blocking, and I’m sure it would be nice to have, but I’ll take the giant $15 bag of soil from Lowes please and thank you. I’m not about to ship $50 worth of soil to my house - call me lazy, or a bad gardener, but I never have and everything grows just fine.

Just take your soil, mix water in until it’s just a little drier than mud and get pressing. The trick is to really firmly compact the soil into the mold with your hand as hard as you can. The blocker will form a small divot on top into which you can plop your seed. Cover with a bit of loose soil, and that’s all there is to it!

Tools for Planting

There are endless options for digging a hole, and I’m sure you’re familiar with most of them. A shovel or spade is best for larger holes, but one tool I particularly like for planting seeds and seedlings is the Japanese Hori Hori knife.

Like any knife, it’s best to find one which has a full, or integrated, tang, which will make it much more durable. With a full tang, the metal extends the whole length and width of the handle. 

Why Use a Hori Hori Knife for Planting?

A Hori Hori has multiple uses, including weeding and cutting roots and small branches, but in the case of planting, there are two things that make it the right tool for the job. 

One is that the point is sharp, but wide enough that, with a twist of the wrist, you can cut a hole rather than just a slash in the soil. The second is that most Hori Hori knives are marked to show you the depth of your hole, which is really helpful when planting seeds. 

Tools for Weeding

I’ve used hand cultivators and spades, Hori Hori knives, standing hoes, and shovels to weed over the years. I still prefer a shovel for very large weeds, but the tool I use most often to weed is this Japanese Weeding Hoe.

This hoe is very sharp. I use it to loosen the soil under and around the weed so I can easily pull it up and not lose any roots. The blade is also narrow enough to use around things I have planted without fear of damaging them.

Tools for Watering Plants

Not rocket science here, any container or hose will do, but I do have my favorites. I have some difficulties with most hoses, which basically come down to the fact that I have a chronic illness. Most hoses are quite heavy and tend to kink. So aside from it being difficult for me to pull them out or coil them back up because of the weight, I have to walk back and forth any number of times to straighten up the hose so the water can flow through it, which quickly exhausts me.

I’ve found two hoses that solve these problems for me. 

Hoses That Make Gardening More Accessible

The Flexi Hose is a lightweight, expandable hose which does not kink. It’s available in lengths up to 150 feet and has solid brass connectors. We’ve had ours for three or four years now, and are very happy with it.

A more serious option if you’re looking to invest in a dedicated system is a Hoselink retractable hose reel. For me, this hose was worth every penny. Even with a lighter hose like the Flexi Hose, it can be difficult for me to pull the hose where I need it and then get it coiled back up. The Hoselink solves that problem by automatically retracting the hose when I give it a small tug. It still takes a bit of effort for me to pull it out to its full length, but it does not leave me fatigued the way other hoses do.

It comes with a wall bracket, and can be mounted on a pole or the side of your house. The longest length available for the Hoselink is 82 feet. I’d love a longer one, but it is definitely the hose to choose if you have a larger budget.

Pruning Tools

Like a lot of gardeners, I am fiercely loyal to my favorite pruners – the Felco F2 Classic hand pruners. 

Aside from being able to cut through fairly large branches, they are comfortable to use, have a thumb mechanism for one-handed opening and closing, and are easy to sharpen. On top of that, each of the pruner’s components is replaceable, meaning one pair, with some care, can last a lifetime.

How to Care for Garden Tools

It’s no use spending money on tools only to let their condition deteriorate over the years. Caring for your tools will make them last longer and be more pleasant to use.

Clean Your Tools

Give your tools a quick scrub or hose-down after using them. Be sure they are dry before putting them away.

In the case of pruners, it’s important to wipe them down with rubbing alcohol after each use. If you are pruning more than one tree, wipe them after you finish with each one, to avoid potentially spreading disease from one tree to the next.

Store Your Tools

It can be a pain to schlep everything back in when you’re tired out from gardening, but leaving tools outside is a recipe for disaster. Store them in a dry place, and hang longer tools so as not to dull their blades.

Sharpen Your Tools

Some tools come with their own sharpeners, but for those that don’t there are a wide variety available. Keeping your tools sharp will cut down on frustrations from them not working as well as they should when you need them.

Oil Your Tools

It’s a good idea to apply a lubricating oil to wooden handles and metal blades. This doesn’t need to be done every time you use a tool, but it’s great to do in the spring and fall. It will keep metal from rusting and wood from splitting.

Click here to shop my favorite gardening tools at Barebones Living

Bat Houses You Can Build Or Buy

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Bat Houses

When I was young, we had a playroom in our attic. One afternoon, we noticed there were bats hanging upside-down on one of the window screens. There were two big bats, and a little baby bat.

With the glass between us, we were able to safely look them over, and we learned something unexpected – bats are cute!

They stayed quite a while, sleeping all day and disappearing at night. We actually felt a little sad when they left for good, and so we bought a bat house kit.

Bat Facts

Bats have flown over the earth for more than 50 million years. Unlike birds, their fellow flyers, they are mammals, and are in fact the second largest order or mammals, with more than 1,400 species. 

Bats are nocturnal, and have wings where their forelegs might have been, making them the only mammals that can truly fly. (Flying squirrels don’t actually fly, they just glide small distances.) They are more agile fliers than most birds.

Bats pollinate night-blooming flowers, and are the primary pollinator of agave, which is the main ingredient in tequila.

The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat, which is about an inch by ¾ of an inch when full-grown. The largest is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox, which has a wingspan up to 6 feet. The 

Mexican Free-tail Bat is the fastest bat, and can travel up to 100mph. Mexican Free-tails gather in a cave in New Mexico to give birth, with a population of up to 20 million!

There are 10 or 12 bat species that regularly use bat houses. The two most common are Little Brown and Big Brown bats. Neither is a vampire bat.

Bat Get a Bad Rap

In North America, bats are closely associated with vampires, and this stigma often overshadows the many beneficial qualities of bats. In fact, of the 1,400 species of bats, only 3 are vampire bats that drink blood.

They are also stigmatized because people fear they’ll catch rabies from a bat. Bats, like most mammals, can carry rabies, but the fact is that the vast majority do not. So while we should still see a doctor if there’s any chance we’ve been bitten by a bat, catching rabies isn’t something we need to worry about very much.

What Good Are Bats?

When you’re sitting in your backyard and see bats flying overhead, know that on that night, a colony of hundreds of bats will consume hundreds of thousands of insects. Imagine how many million bats around the world consume!

Bats are the top predator for insects that fly at night, eating pests like flies, termites, flying ants, June beetles, and moths. They also do us the great service of eating mosquitoes. In agriculture, the more bats we have, the less pesticide is needed.

Aside from eating pests, bats who feed on nectar also pollinate plants like bananas, cloves, and peaches. And those who feed on fruit disperse seed through their guano, spreading plants to the surrounding areas.

What Do Bats Sound Like?

To our ears, bats don’t sound like much of anything, but the sounds they do make are clicking noises. Bats make these noises using their vocal cords, their nostrils, and their tongues. Some species of bats also make clicking sounds by flapping their wings. 

These clicking noises are ultrasonic, in a frequency 3 times higher than what we can hear with our human ears.

We know what bats sound like because of the use of bat detectors, which use an ultrasonic microphone and convert the sounds to a frequency humans can hear.

And so we know that if the noises are slowed down, they sound like the chirps of a bird, and that different species of bat have different calls, just as birds do.

Bats use these noises to echolocate, and presumably to communicate with each other. Their echolocation skills allow them to sense something as fine as a human hair.

What is a Bat House?

A bat house is built and secured somewhere high in order to provide bats with a space to live that mimics the roosts they would choose in the wild. 

Many bat species roost under the bark of dead trees (and if you have a dead tree it is safe to leave standing, you can leave it up to provide a natural bat house). 

Because this is the environment they choose in nature, bat houses are made to be narrow and tight. They are generally made from rough wood, so the bats can hang on without slipping, just as they would be able to between bark and the trunk of a tree.

Bat houses are often painted in dark colors, and the sides caulked, to recreate the warm and snug area they would naturally choose to raise babies.

Why Have a Bat House?

More than half of the bat species in North America are endangered. 

Some of the main problems in maintaining bat populations are a fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome and the very long gestational period bats experience. The common vampire bat, for example, carries its young for 209 days! Most bat moms only give birth to one pup a year.

But human activity bears the majority of responsibility for their population decline: the destruction of natural habitats, windmills, climate change, pesticide use, hunting for sport and meat, and stigmas which lead to their being killed.

Having a bat house is an easy way to do our small part towards helping them have what they need to survive. A bat house provides a safe, warm place for mothers to bear their young.

Bat houses also provide bats who have been ‘evicted’ from people’s homes an alternative spot to roost.

DIY: How to Build a Bat House

A bat house is fairly simple to make. There are tons of plans and instructions online. The government of Massachusetts provides this free plan to build a four-chamber bat house: https://www.mass.gov/doc/build-a-four-chamber-bat-house/download 

Their site details some key elements for a successful bat house. They recommend:

• Using exterior plywood or cedar. 

• Using rough wood.

• Not using pressure treated wood.

• Using exterior grade screws to assemble.

• Making your house at least 24” tall and at least 14” wide.

• Making a bigger box is better.

• Adding a 6” x  ½” vent on each side for airflow.

• Caulk all seams.

• Cover the roof with shingles or metal for a more durable bat house.

• Provide a landing pad of 3-6” just below the entrance.

The overall goals to keep in mind when building a bat house are warmth and tight spaces, as these will provide the right environment for babies. 

To help maintain a good temperature, bat houses can be painted, but it is not required.

What Are the Best Bat Houses I Can Buy?

Bat houses are readily available to buy online at Amazon, Home Depot, Lehman’s, and Etsy. Here’s a few top picks for handmade bat houses from Etsy:

DIY Bat House Kits

Bat house kits are easy to assemble, and most can be completed in under an hour. Building one is a great project to do with kids.

When shopping for a bat house kit, choose one that is made with quality materials.

A bat house kit should come with everything you need, with the exception of tools like a drill or caulking gun. The necessary wood will be included and cut to size.

Bat Conservation & Management https://batmanagement.com/ is committed to the conservation and study of bats. They conduct research and surveys and work to educate people about bats. On their site, they sell a variety of bat house kits you can assemble yourself or buy premade. Their designs are backed by many years of experience and study.

Where Should I Hang a Bat House?

• First, look for a place that is away from windows, doors, patios, or decks. Bats’ droppings make quite a mess.

• Choosing the location for your bat house can make all the difference as to whether bats will move into it or not. 

• Bats scout for new roosts at night while they feed. Here is what you can do to make them more likely to choose yours:

• Do not put your bat house on a tree. Bats can find houses more easily on a building or pole.

• Put your bat house near a water source.

• Install your house at least 12-20’ from the ground.

• Make sure the location gets at least 6 or 7 hours of sunlight.

• Consider placing it under your eaves, but only after making sure your house is bat-proof.

• Bat houses should be a good distance away from wires and tree branches so there’s nothing to impede the bats’ flight.

• Face your bat house to the south or southeast to catch as much warmth from the sun as possible.

• In cooler climates, paint the house black to increase heat absorption from the sun.

• While you can install a bat house at any time of year, you are more likely to get bats if you install it in spring or early summer.

How to Attract Bats to Your Bat House

One way to attract bats to your bat house is to grow night-scented flowers. These flowers often attract moths and other bugs which bats find tasty.

Night-Scented flowers:

• Evening Primrose

• Honeysuckle

• Goldenrod

• Fleabane

Another way to attract bats is to minimize (or better yet, eliminate) the use of pesticides in your yard. Bats are looking for a place where there’s a plentiful food source, meaning lots of bugs.

Finally, make sure there are no outdoor lights near your bat house. 

It can take up to 2 years for bats to find and move into a bat house, so you’ll have to be patient. If no bats have made it their own in 2 years, you can move it to a different location and try again.

The majority of bat houses may never house bats. Don’t be discouraged by that! All we can do is our little part. The rest is up to the bats.

How to Save Sunflower Seeds

Ask me what snack tastes most like summer to me and I’ll say tomatoes, but sunflower seeds come in as a close second. Crunchy, salty, natural and good for you - who could ask for more in a snack?

Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds

If you’re wondering if sunflower seeds are good for you, here’s what you need to know: a quarter cup of shelled sunflower seeds has almost 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, and the seeds are packed with nutrition, providing a variety of vitamins, iron, copper, calcium, selenium, zinc, potassium, and manganese. Sunflower seeds are helpful to our bodies in many ways, from decreasing risk of heart disease to boosting our immune systems.

Health benefits of sunflower seeds include:

• Anti-inflammatory Properties: The vitamin E , selenium, and flavonoids in sunflower seeds can reduce inflammation.

• Healthy fats: A 1/4 cup serving of sunflower seeds contains about 14 grams of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats are linked to lower rates of heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. 

• A boost for the immune system: The zinc and selenium in sunflower seeds can boost your body’s ability to fight off viruses. Zinc is vital to helping your body develop and maintain immune cells, while selenium helps fight infection.

• Energy: Sunflower seeds are rich in protein, which directly contributes to your energy levels, but other nutrients in the seeds also contribute to keeping you active. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) helps your body convert food to energy, while vitamin B helps maintain that energy. The same selenium which helps your body fight infections also increases your blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your body, resulting in more energy.

How to Plant Sunflower Seeds

Sunflowers grow easily from seed and can be sown directly into the ground. They are not particular about soil conditions, and will be happy as long as they are planted in full sun.

Sunflower seeds do not like cold, and should be planted two to three weeks after the last average frost date, when the temperature of the soil is consistently warmed.

This will generally be somewhere between mid-April and mid-June. The timing of the planting can be individual to the variety, so check your seed packet.

From that point on you can succession sow, planting seeds every couple of weeks to extend your season.

Most sunflower seeds are planted 1-2” deep, but follow the directions for spacing printed on your seed packet. If you would like to produce smaller flowers, plant your seeds a bit closer than recommended.

Keep your seeds consistently moist until the plants’ root systems have had a chance to establish themselves.

Sunflower seeds are a favorite among the animals and birds we typically share the land with, so it’s best to protect the seeds through germination. This can be done by placing a mason jar upside-down on top of the soil above each seed. This will not only prevent thieving critters from stealing your seed, it will create a warm and moist environment for germination.

Once your plants emerge, remove the jars and thin the plants to provide proper spacing.

What Kinds of Sunflowers Should I Plant to Eat?

Some sunflowers are grown for cutting, and produce little to no pollen, without which they cannot produce seed. Others are grown particularly for their ability to produce delicious seed.

Varieties grown for edible seeds are sometimes called ‘confection’ types. Taller sunflowers produce the biggest crop of seeds, but there are shorter cultivars available which are bred to produce plump, delicious seeds.

Tall Varieties of sunflowers with edible seeds: 

• For flowers that grow 12-16’ tall and produce large blooms with lots of seeds, there are a number of options, including:

• Titan sunflowers are enormous, up to 24” wide. The plant grows about 12 feet tall.

• Mammoth Russian sunflowers grow 12-15 feet tall and produce 15” flowers. 

• Giganteus sunflowers grow 10-12 feet tall, and produce flowers up to 18” across.

• Mammoth Gray Stripe sunflowers grow 8-12 feet tall, with flowers of 12” 

• Shorter varieties of sunflowers with edible seeds:

• Royal Hybrid sunflowers grow 7 feet tall and produce 8” flowers that set a lot of seeds.

• Super Snack Mix sunflowers have a 10-inch wide flower on a 5-foot-tall plant. Its seeds are plump and easy to crack open.

When to Harvest Sunflower Seeds for Eating

You will want to wait to harvest when the sunflower has lost petals, and the back of the flower is yellow with some brown spots. Any flower on which seeds feel a bit like wiggly teeth should be harvested immediately.

If it’s almost time to harvest and you’re concerned about wildlife getting to the seeds before you do, as soon as petals start falling, tie a brown paper bag or some cheesecloth around the flower right out in the garden and leave it until the seeds are mature.

How to Harvest Sunflowers

Once the flowers are ready for harvesting cut them off the stem an inch or so behind the flower. Remove the leaves and the loose petals around the edge of the flower.

Sunflower seeds form beneath tiny flowers (florets). At this point, the florets will be dry, and you can use your hand to wipe them off and reveal the seeds.

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds to Eat

• Some flowers will have seeds you can easily coax out with your fingers or by rubbing two sunflowers together.

• For tighter groupings of seeds, you have a few options:

• Cutting the flower will expose edges, making it easier to get in under the seeds.

• A spoon will allow you to dig in a bit to get things started.

• A knife accomplishes the same thing as a spoon, with a bit more danger for thrill-seekers.

• If the seeds are extremely tight, allow them to dry longer on the flower head before harvesting.

roasted sunflower seeds

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Author: The Cottage Peach

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Roasted sunflower seeds

Some people skip brining sunflower seeds and just roast them on cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, but salting and roasting improves their flavor and extends their shelf life. Fresher seeds will have a better flavor after roasting than older seeds would so it’s best to do this soon after harvesting your seeds.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 24 H & 35 M

Ingredients

• 8 cups warm water
• ½ cup table salt

Instructions

1. Dissolve the salt in the warm water and stir in your sunflower seeds, making sure that the seeds are completely covered with liquid. The sunflower seeds will want to float so you can put a plate on top to weigh them down and keep them submerged in the brine.
2. Allow the sunflower seeds to soak for 12-24 hours. The salt will stick to the seeds. Stir well and drain, transferring the seeds to a baking sheet. Spread the sunflower seeds in a single layer.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake the sunflower seeds for 25-30 minutes to completely dry. Store in an airtight container.
4. Don’t have time to soak your sunflower seeds overnight? You can bring a pot of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer your sunflower seeds for 1-1.5 hours and then roast.

Notes

Once roasted, you can eat the seeds as they are or with a bit of oil and a sprinkle of spices. 

You can also use them wherever you want to add a salty, crunchy ingredient. They’re delicious in trail mix with dried fruit and chocolate chips, and make a nice addition to salads. They can be used as nuts for cookies or cakes, stirred into oatmeal, or added to a stir fry. 

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What To Avoid Doing When Drying Sunflower Seeds

Some people recommend rinsing your seeds before beginning to dry them. I don’t find this to be necessary, and don’t recommend adding any moisture when the goal is to get the seeds completely dried out.

Roasting Sunflower Seeds

Some people skip brining sunflower seeds and just roast them on cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, but salting and roasting improves their flavor and extends their shelf life. Fresher seeds will have a better flavor after roasting than older seeds would so it’s best to do this soon after harvesting your seeds.

Roasted Sunflower Seeds Recipe

Once you’ve removed the seeds from the flower, pour them into a bowl and skim through with your fingers, removing any leaves or flower debris. 

Ingredients:

• 8 cups warm water

• ½ cup table salt

Dissolve the salt in the warm water and stir in your sunflower seeds, making sure that the seeds are completely covered with liquid. The sunflower seeds will want to float so you can put a plate on top to weigh them down and keep them submerged in the brine.

Allow the sunflower seeds to soak for 12-24 hours. The salt will stick to the seeds. Stir well and drain, transferring the seeds to a baking sheet. Spread the sunflower seeds in a single layer.

Preheat the oven to 325 and bake the sunflower seeds for 25-30 minutes to completely dry. Store in an airtight container.

Don’t have time to soak your sunflower seeds overnight? You can bring a pot of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer your sunflower seeds for 1-1.5 hours and then roast.

Ways to Eat Sunflower Seeds

Once roasted, you can eat the seeds as they are or with a bit of oil and a sprinkle of spices. 

You can also use them wherever you want to add a salty, crunchy ingredient. They’re delicious in trail mix with dried fruit and chocolate chips, and make a nice addition to salads. They can be used as nuts for cookies or cakes, stirred into oatmeal, or added to a stir fry. 

Saving Sunflower Seeds For Planting:

Sunflowers are an annual plant, meaning they fulfill their life cycle in one season: planted in the spring, setting seed in the fall, then dying back all together. Because of this, new seeds must be planted each year.

Saving seed from sunflowers you have grown is simple and will help you save money on buying new seeds!

When to harvest sunflower seeds for planting

As the seeds grow in size, the flower will begin to bend over from the weight. Eventually, outer petals will become dry and begin to drop. When the back of the sunflower goes from green to yellow and brown spots appear, the flower is ready for harvesting.

How to harvest sunflower seeds for planting

When the flower is ready, cut it with a 12” stem. Unlike with sunflower seeds you intend to eat, seeds for planting must dry on the flower itself. Tie a brown paper bag around the flower head and hang it upside down indoors for two weeks.

At that point, the seeds are ready to be taken off the flower. Remove them, spread them out, and allow them to dry out for another week or so. 

When the seeds will crack if you try to bend them, they are completely dry and ready for storage. 

How to store sunflower seeds for planting

Choose the biggest seeds to save. (The rest can be roasted) Put the dried seeds in an airtight container and label with the variety and date. 

Sunflower seeds stored in a mason jar will stay viable for about five years. They can also be stored in a Ziploc bag or paper envelope but won’t retain viability for as long. If you don’t have a jar available, a Ziploc is a better choice than an envelope, giving your seeds another year or so of use. Keeping the seeds in the refrigerator is another way to extend their usefulness.

Can you harvest seeds for planting from cut flowers you buy? 

The short answer is no. Sellers harvest cut sunflowers before their seeds fully develop, or sometimes before they set at all. Even if the seller is a little late in the cutting and seeds have begun to set, they will not reach maturity on a cut flower.

Benefits of Lavender and How to Grow Your Own

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Since we grow more lavender than any one family needs, we’ve found just about every way possible to enjoy dried lavender around here. Recipes and gift ideas are below, but first let's talk a little about why I love lavender so much!

What are the benefits of lavender?

Lavender is beautiful, but that’s only one of its many benefits. Its soothing scent makes it a much-loved ingredient in soaps, sachets, lotions, eye pillows, and shampoos.

The aroma itself comes from oil in the small flowers, which grow together on long stems above the silver-green foliage. Lavender essential oil has been studied for a variety of potential medicinal uses, including preventing hair loss and reducing agitation in people with dementia. Its antiviral and antibacterial uses are also being studied.

Lavender has traditionally been used medicinally for insomnia and anxiety due to the sedative effects of its aroma. It is frequently used to fill pillows in order to encourage sleepiness, and strewn in water to make a hot bath even more relaxing.

I've been using lavender to soothe my anxiety since I first sprayed a lavender scented room spray on my pillow as a teenager. Now I like to put a few drops of oil on my hair scrunchie when I'm feeling stressed, and keep a bundle on the windowsill beside my bed for sweet dreams.

How to Use Lavender for Aromatherapy

Want to know the secret to a soothing shower? I bet you won’t be surprised when I say lavender. Simply bundle some stems of dried lavender and tie them together with a length of twine. Make a loop with the end of the twine, which you can drape over your showerhead. 

This simple, beautiful, natural decor item will bring a sense of peace to your home. Bring your lavender in the shower with you - I promise you won’t regret it!

Alternatively, dried lavender can be mixed with Epsom salts in a bath. 

Lavender will make your bathroom a retreat in which to relax, calm, and soothe not only your mind but your skin as well.

Lavender-Infused Sugar Recipe

Add a handful of dried lavender buds to a cup of sugar. Store it in a cabinet or on the counter in a pretty mason jar - I love these wooden lids you can put on Ball mason jars. Lavender-infused sugar is a delicious addition to tea, cookies, or pound cake.

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe

My favorite thing to do with our homegrown lavender by far is to infuse it into a simple syrup. This syrup can then be used to make mocktails (see recipe below), popsicles and many other desserts. You can make your own lavender simple syrup for drinks and desserts at home in just a few minutes!

Ingredients and supplies:

• 1 Tablespoon lavender buds

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• A sieve or cheesecloth

• A leak-proof jar

Directions:

In a small pot combine the lavender, sugar, and water.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then let it boil for one minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and steep the syrup for one hour before straining.

Strain with the sieve or cheesecloth.

Pour into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator. 

This simple syrup keeps well in the fridge for about 3 weeks, but don’t worry - you’ll finish it long before it has a chance to go bad!

Lavender Lemonade Summer Mocktail Recipe

Summertime drinks are just more refreshing when fresh fruit, herbs, and flowers are added. This Lavender Lemonade Mocktail recipe is a favorite. Just don’t ask me how many glasses of this I’ve enjoyed over the past summer - it’s more than I care to admit!

Ingredients:

• 1 oz lavender simple syrup (see recipe above)

• 1 oz lemon juice (fresh-squeezed is a must!)

• 1 oz sparkling water or seltzer (tequila would work too)

• A slice of lemon

• 2 small sprigs of lavender 

Directions:

Combine simple syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water in a glass with plenty of ice. Top with a slice of lemon and the lavender sprigs and enjoy!

DIY Lavender Sachets

Lavender sachets are super useful in drawers and cupboards where clothes are kept, as they will both keep your clothes smelling fresh and deter moths. Consider placing one between each of your wool sweaters for extra protection.

Supplies:

• Fabric scraps (Thinner fabric is best, to allow the scent to easily diffuse. Quilter’s cotton works well.)

• Needle

• Thread

• Dried Lavender buds

Directions:

Sew fabric scraps into small squares or rectangles, with the fronts of the fabric facing each other. Leave one side open. Turn right-side out and stuff with dried lavender flowers, then finish sewing it closed. Alternatively you can use hem tape for a no-sew version.

How to Grow Your Own Lavender

Of course, these five ideas for using lavender are even more fun if you grow your own! Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, so it prefers a hot, dry spot. It isn’t picky as to soil type, and will grow just fine in a rocky or sandy area. 

Lavender plants are quite easy to care for, and don’t need fertilizer or supplemental watering. To make the treats above, be sure to plant an edible variety. 

We like to grow Hicote and Munstead lavenders, both of which are English varieties. Hidcote has dark purple flowers which form tightly, while Munstead has lighter flowers that are more loose and open. Our favorites are the Hidcote, as the color is deep and doesn’t fade much, if at all, when it is dried, but combining the two makes for a beautiful garden bed and bouquets.

How to Prune Lavender

Lavender wants to grow into a woody and not very attractive plant, so it’s important to trim it twice a year, once when the first flush of flowers is ready for harvest, and again in the fall to prepare them for winter. After the first pruning of the year, they will bloom again, although the harvest won’t be as thick or showy. 

I think of this pruning as giving the plants a haircut. You don’t want to give them a buzz cut, removing all of the green leaves. Instead, leave two or three inches of green growth on each stem. 

Keeping up on this pruning twice a year will ensure your plants maintain a pleasing shape and prevent the stems from hardening. Once a lavender plant becomes woody, it won’t produce well and you’ll likely want to replace it.

How to Harvest and Cure Lavender

The key to long-lasting dried lavender is the timing of the harvest. Through years of research, trial + error, I’ve learned the optimal time to pick each bloom so the dried flowers are less likely to fall from the stems, and the scent will not quickly fade away. It’s best to harvest lavender early in the day, while it’s cool but the sun has been out long enough to dry any remaining dew, and just before the flowers have completely opened.

I count down the minutes until I can pluck each stem from its plant and bring it into our home. For weeks after the lavender harvest, our whole house smells like sweet lavender, and peace prevails.

When the time came for our latest harvest, I made my way outside as the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, and I experienced a really beautiful moment. I looked up and the moon was still high overhead, and at the same time the morning sun warmed my face. Having both the sun + moon to keep me company was more than enough, but then I heard a rustle beside me and when I turned, I saw the most peaceful bunny eating breakfast. We coexisted together while I finished my work and then went our separate ways.

You will find that a lavender bed is full of bumble bees just about any time you look at it. Sometimes they try to hitch a ride on the cut flowers! Lavender attracts all sorts of beneficial insects.

To harvest, I gather bunches of stems with one hand, and cut each bunch all together, being careful to keep the stems as long as possible. I find Felcos to be the best tool for the job. A Hori Hori garden knife is also effective, but tends to leave the plants looking a tiny bit shaggier and not as neatly clipped.

While still outside, I separate the harvest into bouquets which I bind with a strong elastic to dry. The elastic works best for drying because the bundles will shrink as the moisture evaporates making twine too loose.

Curing locks in the unmistakable scent we all know and love so well. Our bouquets hold their scent for more than a year - you can re-activate it by giving the bouquet a gentle squeeze to release more essential oils! Just do this over a sink as some buds will fall off.

This curing process is essential to your bouquet carrying the smell of lavender through your home for many months to come. Over weeks we watch the buds pulling closer together and feel the stems turning crisp under our fingers. It can be done very simply by hanging the bundles by loops in their twine on a folding laundry rack or even your curtain rods. 

One fully dried, a flurry of commotion results at my kitchen table as bundles are wrapped with twine. Now our bouquets are fair game for all of the above uses and more.

What is your favorite way to use lavender?

How to Grow, Care for and Arrange Hydrangea Flowers

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I’ve been somewhat frantically snipping blooms for the kitchen, because the shift of seasons is in the air and I’m determined to make the most of every summer moment before it’s too late. 

Slow living is all about letting go of worries about the future and living in the moment so we can fully enjoy the present. When I smell fall in the air and feel a moment of panic that a long, cold winter is on its way, that’s my cue to take a deep breath and make an effort to notice and enjoy what’s happening around me. One of the first places I’m likely to turn in order to reground myself is my garden.

Flowers That Bloom in August and September

The biggest show going on outside my window (in zone 6) at this time of year is being hosted by my Endless Summer Hydrangea bushes. Hydrangea bushes are at their happiest after the worst of the summer heat has passed. In July, they can look almost as though they are dying, with drooping leaves and flowers that look a bit pinched and dehydrated, even with consistent supplemental watering.

In August and September the bushes grow taller and more hardy-looking, and absolutely overflow with flowers. Hydrangea blooms are so large, just one stem in a small vase or jar can be a striking moment on a counter or bedside table. I’m lucky to have more than a few bushes, though, with a seemingly unlimited supply of flowers, so I decided to use quite a few stems in a larger vessel.

Choosing a Container for Flower Arrangements

Vases are great, but just about anything that will hold water can be used for a flower arrangement, whether a small one or one as large as I wanted to put together. Many things we have at home can easily be repurposed, including bottles, cans, and drinking glasses. In the case of a large arrangement, the choices are endless.

There are also all sorts of options available to purchase which are not intended to be used for cut flowers, but would make for an interesting and unusual arrangement. For example, any of these items would make for a beautiful arrangement:

• Clay planter

• Galvanized metal milk pail

• Stoneware fermenting crock

• Ceramic pitcher

• Metal watering can

• Large bowl planter

In this case, I chose to use a large Ohio stoneware fermenting crock for my hydrangea bouquet. In the past I have used it for making sauerkraut and storing utensils. I make intentional purchases by prioritizing owning things which can be used for multiple purposes. That way, in the end, I need to buy, store and clean fewer things, which is better for me, my budget, and the environment.

Here’s a few options if you’re looking to purchase something new for flower arranging that would be multi-purpose:

How to Arrange Flowers in a Large Container

As I started placing the hydrangea flowers into my fermenting crock, I found the flower stems were flopping all over the place, making it difficult to form them into any sort of pleasing arrangement. I also realized getting new, clean water into the crock to keep the flowers fresh was going to be a bit of a pain. I was able to solve both of these problems with one simple solution: I put a smaller Ball mason jar inside the crock to hold the stems upright.

I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it! It was really effective in keeping the stems upright and allowing me to arrange them in a way that looked purposeful and pretty. A bonus is that using a smaller container inside of a larger one reduces water waste, as there’s no need to fill that larger container with water. That’s less water wasted when I change it out, and less water I have to pay for.

How to pick Hydrangea Flowers

Like most flowers, hydrangeas appreciate being treated with a bit of care when they are picked. Here’s what you’ll need to cut your Hydrangea:

-A pair of flower snips. I use Felcos for pruning and love them, so I tend to use those when cutting flowers as well since I always have them handy. There are less expensive options available, though, if your tool will only be used for cutting flowers, such as these flower snips from Terrain.

 -A bucket with a bit of water. While the ‘hydra’ in hydrangea does not, in fact, derive from the word for water, but rather from the fact that the person who named them thought their shape was reminiscent of a water pitcher, hydrangeas are water-hungry plants that produce water-hungry flowers. Putting the stems directly into water after cutting will prolong their vase life and prevent them from drooping while you finish gathering the rest of your flowers.

Place your bucket in a shady spot. Using your snips, cut at the desired length, just above a set of leaves. Strip the leaves from at least the bottom few inches of your stem, and all the way up if you prefer that look. Doing this outside makes for less of a mess to clean up indoors.

How to Make Cut Flowers Last 

For best results, cut-flower food should be added to the water in your vessel. There are many ready-made options for sale, but you can also mix up your own from ingredients you likely have in the house. 

Here’s a recipe for flower food: 

• 1 Quart of water

• 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon of sugar

• ½ Teaspoon of bleach (The bleach is not food, but rather a way to inhibit fungal and bacterial growth.)

One thing that will help hydrangeas in particular last longer in a vessel is to dunk them in cold water when you get back into the house. That water can then be used to water other plants, so it doesn’t go to waste. Alternatively, cold water can be run from the faucet over the blooms. Give them a gentle shake, and they’re ready for arranging.

The next important step before you start arranging is to make sure that if you’ve left any leaves on the stems, they will not make contact with the water in the vessel. Rotting leaves will spread bacteria, which is not only bad for the flowers themselves, but creates an unpleasant look and smell.

Finally, the water in the vessel should be changed often – every two days or so. When changing the water, each stem should be cut slightly shorter, to provide a fresh area through which the flower can take in the water.

If you follow the steps above, your flowers should look fresh and healthy for a week or more longer than they would otherwise have.

What Kind of Hydrangea to Grow

Winter is coming, there’s no denying it. Before it’s too late, take a look around at the bits of summer still remaining, and find a way to make the most of them, whether that’s going out for ice cream, walking on the beach, or cutting flowers to bring a bit of that summer inside with you. And if, like me, you don’t look forward to long, dark days, you can skip right over them and take a peek into the future, too, dreaming about what you might like to plant when the light returns.

If you’d like to grow hydrangeas yourself, there are two things to consider: do you have a sunny or a shady spot in mind, and which variety looks most attractive to you? There is a hydrangea variety for just about every garden spot. Some, in particular the Panicled or Paniculata varieties, want full sun, with a bit of afternoon shade in very hot gardening zones. Big leaf hydrangea, on the other hand, do well in shade or partial shade. I have stretched that a bit and have some in both sunny and shady spots, and while the ones in the shade definitely suffer less in the high heat of summer, I haven’t lost any bushes to the sun.

How to take care of Hydrangea plants

All hydrangea varieties are easy to care for, requiring only a bit of cleanup once a year to remove dead wood. Pruning for shape can also be done once a year, but is not strictly necessary. It’s important to note whether your variety blooms on new or old wood, and to time your pruning accordingly.

All varieties of hydrangea love water, and will do best if it’s provided consistently. Those in the shade can go without supplemental watering for the most part after the first year or two, while those in the sun will thank you for regular attention throughout the years.

On any variety of hydrangea, deadheading the bushes once or twice a summer will extend your bloom time and keep the bushes looking fresh.

How to change the color of hydrangea flowers

There are a few reasons the Endless Summer variety is my favorite, and what I grow so many of. I love the way they look, and that the bushes bloom from the end of May through to the first frost. But I also love that I can adjust the soil to encourage either blue or pink flowers. 

Each spring, I add Holly-tone fertilizer to my soil. This increases its acidity, which results in blooms in beautiful shades of blue and violet. Without that acidity the blooms will grow in shades of pink, which are also gorgeous. Because I can switch it back and forth as I’d like, it’s as if I have two plants in one spot.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What’s beautiful in your life today?