Lavender

LAVENDER - Lavandula angustifolia - Mint FamilyCommon names: English lavender, spike lavender, French lavender, sweet lavender HISTORY OF USELavender is a well known and much loved herb of the mint family for its distinct aromas that lasts well even when dried. It’s been used in sachets, and in eye pillows for its tension relieving quality. It has a long history of culinary and medicinal use throughout the Old World.The use of lavender has been recorded for more than 2,500 years. Egyptians, Phoenicians and the people of Arabia used lavender as a perfume -- and also for mummification, by wrapping the dead in lavender-dipped shrouds. In ancient Greece, lavender was used as a cure for everything from insomnia and aching backs to insanity. By Roman times, lavender was a prized commodity. Lavender flowers were sold to ancient Romans for 100 denarii per pound -- equivalent to a full month's wage for a farm laborer -- and were used to scent the water in Roman baths. In fact, the baths served