King County employees took a relaxation break on June 27 to join Heather Whitten, Goat Hill Giving Garden co-manager, in a lunchtime class about lavender.
Lavender has long been celebrated for its stress relieving properties. It’s often used in soaps and lotions, in sweet smelling sachets and to repel insects. It’s also easy to grow in the Pacific Northwest. We have four types of lavender at the Goat Hill Giving Garden in downtown Seattle. Besides making the garden pretty, lavender attracts bees who pollinate our fruits and vegetables making for a more productive harvest.
Over 20 employees took cuttings from the garden and stripped the flowers from the stems. Class participants then filled mesh bags with the flowers and made more than 60 natural sachets to donate to the Pike Market Senior Center clients.
While working hard to fill sachets, attendees sipped on lavender lemonade (we used less sugar and thought it was delicious) and learned about growing lavender at home.
Feedback was so positive, we’re considering repeating the class later in the year. If you’re not already on the Goat Hill Giving Garden’s email list, please sign up to receive information about other garden classes, harvests, and work parties. We send no more than one email a week. It’s a great way to stay involved.
The Goat Hill Giving Garden is managed by employee volunteers and sponsored by Employee Health & Well-Being. If you have suggestions or questions for us, please let us know.
Happy lavender growing!
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