Lavender is a perennial flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. Munstead Blue, in particular, is its compact, early blooming, English variety, with bluish-purple flowers above slender, aromatic, grey-green leaves. First introduced in 1916 by the garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and named after her house Munstead Wood in Surrey, England, this variety is a great choice for containers and is widely used in cooking as a condiment for salads, soups, stews. It provides a very aromatic flavour that is too strong to be used in large quantity. Its fresh or dried flowers are used to make tea, while the fresh flowers can be crystallized or added to jams, ice cream and vinegars. An essential oil is also made from the flowers for both culinary and therapeutic purposes.
