Decorating? 4 Reasons You Need To Use Lavender
All of us like to make our homes comfortable and “our own.” We pick out furniture that we need and like. Then we strive to add interest to our home’s basic necessities through artwork, lighting, and other decorative features. Some of us may even have a particular style or color palette in mind. For example, we may be looking for a rustic country style with light colors or a earthy-toned mid-century vibe.
However, not all of us have the patience or interest to take great care in decorating. We look for easy and potentially moveable items to use as we may change our minds quickly about placement. Plants certainly fit these requirements and can improve our home’s air quality in addition to adding color and texture. They bring an element of nature into our space, generally making it more relaxing. However, just like a pet, living plants require care.
If caring for a living plant is too much effort, artificial plants are another possibility for “plant decor.” Yet they do not have the same advantages in purifying the air. They also fail to add anything other than decorative appearance—and often look fake on closer inspection.
So is there an easy compromise? Yes—dried plants! They often retain some of the scent and color from their previous living state, but do not require constant care.
Dried lavender is especially a great choice for dried plant decorations. And it can come in various styles, from bouquets to wreaths! It even adds a touch of purple color in contrast to other greenery. Here are four reasons why you should decorate with dried lavender:
1) Easy Care
It’s super easy to maintain. Basically, you can ignore it! Dried lavender is no longer living. Therefore, much like artificial plants, it does not require watering… great news for those of us without a green thumb! I personally tend to eventually kill my live plants because I forget to water them. I am trying harder with maintaining a watering schedule with success, but I am honestly relieved to have some dried lavender bouquets in my home garden too!
Dried lavender also doesn’t require any soil or transplants. So there are a lot less worries about pesky bugs or needing to purchase additional materials.
2) Long-lasting
Not only can you ignore it on a weekly basis, but it lasts a long time too! I’ve recently been moving apartments, and I originally placed lavender bouquet inside the former apartment’s fake fireplace. This lavender has been sitting there for over two years and is still in great shape. And the fireplace smells super good too!
The only slight work required for dried lavender involves maintaining the scent. If you find the scent disappearing, then simply pinch a few of the lavender buds. This gentle pinch releases the scent. Repeat as often as needed. No wonder the lavender inside my fireplace smelled so nice—and strong too after a slight nudge!
3) Place Anywhere
And yes, I mean anywhere. I just mentioned that I had placed lavender inside a fireplace. Very little sunlight ever reaches that fireplace in that apartment—so obviously it’s not the ideal location for a living plant. Do you have little natural light in parts of your home? Does your bedroom window practically touch another building? Do you have a windowless bathroom? These are all spots that can be difficult for living plants, but are perfectly fine for dried lavender. After all, it doesn’t need sunlight anymore.
Additionally, dried lavender bouquets can rest in any container you have. Teapot? Vase? Basket? All good. Don’t have a container? Simply hang your bouquet on the wall or rest it on a shelf. You have plenty of options on placement depending on your decorative style and what you have at home.
4) It’s Good For You
Lavender scents shows up frequently in aromatherapy—and for good reason. It’s scent has been shown to reduce anxiety (see here for general information.) I personally have found this to be the case. Lavender scent has helped me alleviate stress and has even eased my bouts of insomnia… although in all honesty the insomnia sometimes still wins. In any case, having lavender scent around me has created a more calming and peaceful home atmosphere. What better decoration to come home to after a long work day—or to keep you company in this unsettling COVID-19 era?
Any Disadvantages?
I’ve just listed a handful of reasons to use dried lavender in decorations, but there are two small problems that can arise from that use. First, the lavender buds are extremely delicate and can fall off the branches easily. Any bump can result in a handful of buds scattered on the floor. For this reason, I have always bought my lavender bouquets locally to avoid shipping bumps. For those of you in the NYC area, I have purchased from the Lavender by the Bay farmer’s market stand at Union Square and from Trader Joe’s (when in stock.) If you do order bouquets to be shipped, which is perfectly fine as well, do expect to find some loose buds at the bottom of the box.
The second issue with lavender is that pets can be sensitive to its scent. My cat tends to avoid lavender when the scent is stronger, but he doesn’t seem to mind it too much otherwise. Incidentally, it has worked out well for me as I use the lavender to protect some of the plants my cat enjoys chewing on. My window sill edge has a few lavender bouquets in residence for this exact reason!
Personally, I have always found that the pros have outweighed the cons. I urge you to try a lavender bouquet or wreath in your home. It will provide a bit more color to your existing space accompanied by a wonderfully calming scent. You may feel transported into your own personal indoor garden!
