Every July, the visitors of the SNFCC park come across a sea full of blooming lavender.
As their name suggests, the "Julien" flowers of Lavandula x intermedia “Julien”, also known as the Provence Lavender, stand out for their beautiful light purple color, throughout this month. Lavender is a perennial plant that belongs to the Labiatae family and the Lavandula genus. This genus includes about 30 different species found in the Mediterranean countries, the Canary Islands, India, West Asia, America, and Australia. The name "Lavender" comes from the Latin word lavāre which means “wash or clean”.
It is a brushwood and a multi-branched plant, with upright shoots that grow from the base. It is, therefore, a shrub 30 to 80cm tall. It has gray-green leaves, narrow and lanceolate. The flowering shoots end in an inflorescence that resembles corn ears and is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Lavender is harvested in late July, during the full flowering stage and mainly in the morning. It is an aromatic plant and rich in essential oils.
Bees also “harvest” Lavender, producing a unique honey with an amber color. In fact, the presence of bees can increase by 20% the lavender essential oil, which is used in perfumery, soap making and pharmaceuticals as a tonic, while in large doses it acts as a hypnotic. It also has insect repellent and antiseptic effect and is used in wound healing, too. The thermal properties of Lavender have been known since antiquity and are also mentioned by Dioscorides, Pliny and Galen.
Calcium-rich soils improve the quality of the essential oil and help the growth of Lavender. The soil for its cultivation should be light and gravelly, as Lavender does not like moisture, nor does drought. Today it is cultivated in Spain, France, Bulgaria and several North African countries, while in Greece it is cultivated in Arcadia, Kilkis, Kozani, Kefallinia, Serres, Komotini and Samothrace.
You can purchase the handmade soap with lavender essential oils grown in the Stavros Niarchos Park from the SNFCC online store or during your visit to the physical store.
