Hill Country View
Lavender View 
Path to Lavender
Lavender Plant
More Lavender
Through the Lavender
Rows of Lavender
Lavender Row View
Picnic Area
Lavender To Go
Lavender Market
Handcrafted Bowl
Church
Bed and Breakfast Entrance
Courthouse Stands
Lavender Tea For Sale
All Photos Property of Travel Today
Lavender is a beautiful, hearty and disease resistant plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years by people around the world for its beauty and many varied uses: scents, salves, oils, soaps, shampoos, lotions, teas--even to enhance the flavors of foods and drinks.
Today lavender blooms from May through July throughout Blanco County, the official Lavender Capital of Texas, and is highlighted in the late spring at the Blanco County Lavender Festival.
With over twenty area lavender farms in Blanco County, the towns of Blanco, Johnson City and the surrounding countryside will be bathed in lavender during the Lavender Festival with the whole county participating in the celebration. Merchants will offer lavender merchandise and restaurants will serve lavender-flavored dishes and selected vendors and artists from across the Hill Country will offer lavender-related pleasures and treasures from the finest craftsmen.
http://www.hill-country-visitor.com/Blanco_Texas
The health benefits of lavender essen- tial oil include its ability to remove nervous tension, relieve pain, dis- infect scalp and skin, enhance blood circulation and treat respi- ratory problems. Lavender has the Latin name Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its aroma which fills a room spread with lavender oil with a clean aroma.
Lavender oil is extracted mostly from the flowers of the plant, primarily through steam dis- tillation. The flo-n wers of lavender are fragrant in nat- ure and have been used for making potpourris.
Lavender essential oil has been traditionally used in making perfumes due to its aroma. The oil is very use- ful in aromather-apy and many aro-matic preparations are made using lavender oil. Lavender oil blends well with many other essential oils including cedar-wood, pine, clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg. Today, lavender essential oil is used in various forms including aroma-therapy oil, gels, infusion, lotion, and soaps.
The various health benefits of laven-der essential oil include:
Nervous System: Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity.
Sleep: Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia.
Pain Relief: Lavender essential oil is also an ex-cellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. Massage with lavender oil provides relief from pain in the joints.
Urine Flow: Lavender essential oil is good for urin-ary disorders as it stimulates urine production. It helps in restoring hor-monal balance and reduces cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any associated cramps.
Respiratory Disorders: Lavender oil is extensively used for various res-piratory problems including throat infections, flu, cough, cold, asthma, sinus con-gestion, bronchitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapor or applied on the skin of neck, chest and back. It is also added in many va- porizers and in- halers used for cold and coughs.
Skin Care: The health benefits of lavender oil for the skin can be attri- buted to its anti-septic and anti-fungal properties. It is used to treat various skin dis-orders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammations. It heals wounds, cuts, burns, and sun-burns rapidly as it aids in the form-ation of scar tiss-ues. Lavender oil is added to chamomile to treat eczema.
Hair Care: Lavender essential oil is useful for the hair as it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits.
Blood Circulation: Lavender essential oil is also good for improving blood circulation. It lowers blood pressure and is used for hyper-tension.
Digestion: Lavender oil is useful for digestion as it increases the mobility of the intestine. The oil also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile and thus aids in treating indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence, vomiting and diarrhea.
Immunity: Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to diseases.
Other health benefits of laven-der essential oil include its ability to treat leucorrhea. It is also effective against insect bites. The oil is also used to repel mosqui-toes and moths. You will find many mosquito repellents containing lavender oil as one of the ingredients.
As with many other essential oils, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender essential oil. It is also recommended that diabetics stay away from lavender oil. It may also cause allergic reactions to people having sensitive skin. Some people may also witness nausea, vomiting and headaches due to usage of lavender oil.
http://www.organicfacts.net/