Lavender Lil earns a break

A landmark day today. Sunshine and a light breeze heralded a welcome break from rain and the snow on the mountaintops brightened the mood all round.



Gill has officially put the 2005 lavender crop to bed. All plants are now pruned. All flower heads have been rubbed. All records are up to date and the harvest is finally finished. Jars and other airtight containers hold marketable lavender product - no raw material remains as raw material. Even the stalks will be used as incense. Ledgers and almanacks record the entire history of the 2005 crop, step by step, day by day, flower by flower.



The bottom line numbers tell almost nothing of the rich and varied story of the crop: just over 6 kilograms of dried flower buds, and 1.4 liters of lavender oil. A couple of hundred bushes: the planting, weeding, irrigation, harvesting and pruning of a couple of hundred bushes produced that yield. Yield per bush is up. Overall yield is up. Oil yield is new. Gill has done an amazing job and is still, as far as we can ascertain the only lavender farmer in Crete - she is certainly the best. All organic and totally chemical free lavender grown in Crete is now available.

Today I also finished the big clear up from the olive harvest - all cuttings and prunings rest in a massive heap between lav2 and the bamboo. A bonfire will be next - when we have a stillish, dry, day.

Time for a rest you might think. Gill has started talking about tidying up the front garden next!