How to Grow Lavender for Tea

Prepare the flower bed so it is ready for the lavender. It needs to drain easily and get plenty of sun. The pH should be between 6.0 and 8.0. Take a soil sample to your local nursery to get tested if you don't know the pH. Add sand or crushed granite to the soil if it doesn't drain easily.

Buy lavender plants at your local greenhouse or nursery. Lavender does not grow well from seeds. Talk to the staff about the best varieties for local growing conditions.

Dig a hole for your lavender plant that is deep enough that the roots are covered and about 1 inch of soil is over them. If you are planting several plants, space them 3 feet apart for flower beds and 2 feet apart for hedges.

Water the plant sparingly. It probably only needs water in droughts or really dry climates.

Cut the flowering branches off the lavender after the dew has dried in the morning. The best time to cut is when they are just starting to open. Cut into the new growth not the older, thicker growth.

Hang the branches upside down to dry. You can bundle them together with string and hang them in a dry place.

Rub your fingers down each dry branch to get the flowers off. Rub them onto a surface like white paper where you can see them and easily collect them.

Add 1 to 2 tbsp. dried lavender to a tea infuser when making tea.

Store dried lavender in an airtight container.