How to Care for Your Fresh Lavender Bundle
- Sandra
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
A practical guide from Willamette Valley Lavender
At Willamette Valley Lavender, we hand-harvest each bundle with care, using sustainable practices and time-honored techniques. Whether you’ve picked up a fresh bouquet from our farm or a local market, this guide will help you enjoy its beauty for as long as possible—and even repurpose it into something special.
1. Enjoy It Fresh
Begin by trimming the stems at an angle and placing your bundle in a clean vase with just one inch of water. Lavender prefers minimal moisture; too much can cause the stems to soften or discolor.
Keep the vase in a shaded, cool location—away from direct sunlight or heat—to help preserve the color and fragrance. Replace the water every one to two days if needed. After about three to five days, once the water evaporates, you may prepare the bouquet for drying.
2. Preserve Its Beauty
To dry your lavender bundle for long-term enjoyment, gently gather 20–30 stems and tie them with a rubber band, twine, or string. Re-trim the stems to ensure clean ends. Hang the bundle upside down in a cooler, darker space with good air circulation.
Avoid locations with direct sun or excess moisture. Drying typically takes two to four weeks. You’ll know the bundle is ready when the stems snap cleanly, and the buds feel dry to the touch.
Dried lavender can retain its form and scent for months—sometimes even years—when stored or displayed properly.
3. Refresh the Fragrance
Over time, you can revive the aroma of your dried lavender by gently rubbing the buds with your hands or placing the bundle in a warm room. The natural oils will release, subtly scenting the air.
4. Craft Something Meaningful
Once dried, your lavender bundle can take on new life. Gently remove the buds by rolling the stems between your fingers or shaking them over a bowl. These fragrant buds can be used to fill sachets for drawers or closets, or to create calming heat packs, bath salts, and more. Lavender sachets also make beautiful gifts—small gestures of calm and care.
Additional Tips from the Farm
Tip | Why It Matters |
Harvest Timing | Lavender is best harvested in the morning after dew has dried. Buds should be just beginning to open for ideal fragrance and color retention. |
Bundle Size | Keep bundles about 1 to 1.5 inches thick at the stems. This allows for even drying, reduces the risk of mold, and helps retain color and fragrance—especially in more humid conditions. |
Culinary Use | Only English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) cultivars are suitable for culinary use. Other types, such as intermedia or stoechas varieties, tend to have a more camphorous, resinous flavor that is generally considered unpleasant in food. |
Storage | Store dried buds in airtight containers, away from sunlight, to preserve fragrance for up to a year. |
A Lasting Presence of Calm
Whether arranged fresh in a vase, displayed as a dried bouquet, or transformed into hand-filled sachets, lavender brings a quiet beauty—one that lingers in both home and memory.
At Willamette Valley Lavender, each stem is organically grown and hand-harvested with care in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Our fresh lavender season is brief, typically beginning in mid-June and continuing through early July. During this time, most bundles are reserved well in advance for farm pickup only.
We also offer a year-round selection of dried bundles, thoughtfully prepared for shipping within the continental U.S.—so you can bring a touch of our fields into your home, no matter the season.
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