Member Reviews

This book starts with Terry's and Pine Creek Lavender Farm's history and finishes with an invitation to visit them.
If not for the information, you'll fall in love with the gorgeous photographs! Lavender is known for its beautiful colors: shades of purple, blue, pink, and white.
The author gives us so much information about lavender's many uses and benefits. There are many ways you can gain by using this beautiful and versatile plant.
Cosmetic products, culinary uses, recipes, ... - Lavender has so much to offer, so many benefits either by using its oil (topically, ingesting, smelling) or by consuming the plant.
Calming, regenerative, soothing, aromatic, oils, stems, buds, ... This plant has many uses!
We are even invited to visit Pine Creek Lavender Farm. So, if you are around Arizona, go check it out!
4,5*

Was this review helpful?

The Lavender Companion is a great book for anybody interested in exploring everything that Lavender has to offer. The book really illustrates the versatility of the Lavender plant! There’s a really in depth explanation of the different types of Lavender plant varieties and tons of recipes ranging from food and drinks to beauty products. I’m really looking forward to trying the recipes out!

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Lavender Companion is a stunning book filled with different ideas for using lavender for daily use.
Lavender is one of my favourite plant/flowers and before reading this, I never knew just how many different types of lavender there were! And I'd love to visit a lavender farm like the one in this book.
The book explains the differences between culinary lavender and non-culinary lavender, tips and information on how to grow certain types of lavender and then goes into some fantastic recipes for things to make using lavender such as Bath, body and skincare items and foods. The photography is just stunning throughout the book, and this book would make a perfect gift for any plant lover and especially fans of lavender.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced Review Copy. I enjoy using culinary lavender to make homemade ice cream and use the scent in candle and wax tart form as I find the scent relaxing and stress-relieving. I visited a lavender farm in Canada with my best friend a few years ago and that's where I first purchased culinary lavender. I enjoyed this book, from hearing about the history of the business, to the photos and descriptions of each type of lavender, to the recipes and other ideas for uses of lavender. If I ever travel close to Pine, Arizona, I'll be sure to stop by for a visit. This review is also posted on Goodreads.

Was this review helpful?

The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham – Beautiful, Helpful, and Informative

I was excited to read The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham. As a gardener, I love growing herbs and lavender is one of my favorites.

This book is beautiful, informative, and helpful. The authors go into detail about the benefits of growing lavender. This herb has many uses in recipes for food and drinks, seasoning, herbal recipes for bath and skin care, decorating and making your home more enjoyable with lavender’s lovely fragrance.

I appreciated learning about the history of lavender, the different varieties, and the best growing conditions for each type. Knowing this information, will help me choose the plant that is most suitable for where I live.

The authors also share food and drink recipes as well as medicinal or botanical recipes for bath and body and so much more. I also enjoyed learning about their lavender farm and how it has grown and developed over the years. For those who enjoy visiting gardens and farms, you may want to visit Pine Lavender Farm in Arizona. They have an online shop where you can purchase and enjoy their products.

I enjoyed reading The Lavender Companion - Enjoy the Aroma, Flavor, and Health Benefits of This Classic Herb by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham. I recommend this book for gardeners, those who enjoy growing herbs, or enjoy trying new recipes with the herbs grown in their own garden. The photographs are beautiful.

I would like to thank Story Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham. It was a helpful and enjoyable read and a great reference book.

Was this review helpful?

This book is definitely for the lavender lover. I particularly liked the details about the varieties of lavender and what they are suited for. My favourite lavender is the Melissa variety. As I write this I have 4 different essential oil varieties of lavender. This book provides a variety of recipes for lavender, both savory and sweet. My favourite section was the bath and home section. I'm definitely making a lavender cleaner for my home.

Was this review helpful?

I love lavender!!! It smells amazing and is so calming and relaxing. I bought some lavender and planted it by my front porch a couple years ago and I love it so much, I decided to plant even more this year. I use lavender essential oil in my daily life, too so when I saw this book, I was very interested in learning more about it! I want to pick some of my lavender and use it, but I had no idea where to start. This book has been wonderful and so informative. It gives you all the ideas how to use lavender, including ideas for bath and body type uses and using it in your food and teas. It's full of so many ideas and the recipes are included and are easy to follow. The book includes tips for growing, transplanting, and storing lavender. There is so much information in this book and the pictures are very beautiful. Highly recommend if you are a lavender lover!!

Thank you, Net Galley, and Storey Publishing for a copy in return for my honest review

Was this review helpful?

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡 was a lovely read and would make a lovely coffee table book. With its beautiful images and informative layout, it is pleasing to look at. The variety of recipes within is also impress and range from creams, oils and sachets to meat dishes, veggies and desserts. Truly impressive. I highly recommend this beautiful book.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed reading The Lavender Companion as well as the exquisite photography that was included. I have always considered lavender as the "swiss-army knife" of the plant world so it was so refreshing to get an entire book dedicated to the subject!! I was pleased to see recipes included, but do wish there had been some sort of disclosure referencing ethically sourced oils, etc, since they were essential in many of the recipes. Overall, well done and I think this would be a great addition to anyone's home with a passion for this amazing and diverse use plants!

Was this review helpful?

The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Durham is a prettier way of saying "Summer". Since living in the Mediterranean in Croatia, lavender has become an important part of my life. It's beautifully integrated into festivals, food, wellness, culture and traditions, not to mention simple beauty. As I type this, my swathes of lavender are gently nodding in the breeze and humming with bees. Is there a purer scene?

Not only is the history of lavender highlighted but so are the nearly 50 varieties and uses, planting and growing requirements, uses in wellness and culinary applications, storage and harvesting. But that's far from all. If the sublime photographs don't move you, what will?

I could close my eyes and point to any recipe (food or otherwise) and be excited to make it. Amongst those I will try first are the sugar scrub, tea, lemon-lavender sandwich cookies (using my own gluten free base as I have celiac), eye pillow, lavender lemon pepper, lavender simple syrup, lavender peach jam, sticky lavender honey chicken, lavender cinnamon rolls and lavender ice cream. To think all this is in reach makes me smile! But one needn't live in the Mediterranean to enjoy this book and information. I've grown lavender as an annual in frigid Saskatchewan, Canada.

Turning the pages I could practically smell and taste the words and photos. If you seek a book about this topic, make it this one. The authors know their stuff!

My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this phenomenal treasure. Every time I flip through it I discover wondrous nuances as evinced by the light bulbs above my head.

Was this review helpful?

I never knew there were so many varieties of lavender, but this book introduced me to new types and the photos throughout were beautiful. I also enjoyed the different ideas for recipes, things to make for your home, and tips for growing and transplanting lavender plants in the garden. Definitely has great ideas for what to do with fresh or dried lavender bundles from your garden or farmer’s market this summer.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Was this review helpful?

My absolute favorite scent, I am just beginning to learn about it's application in cooking. And this book delivers with glorious photography about all things lavender. Chapters on lavender varieties and which cultivars are best for which purposes. And how to effectively grow your own lavender, make skin scrubs and masks. How to make a delicious simple syrup plus so many wonderful recipes.

Was this review helpful?

This book was very interesting to read. Who knew you could write a whole book on just lavender? It didn't meet my needs, but it did give me a few insights.

Was this review helpful?

This book smells and tastes so good.
That is all I wish to say, because I think it is sufficient :)

Was this review helpful?

Do you love lavender? If you do, this is a book that you need to read and own! It helps you learn about the plant and grow it and have it thrive in your garden. I absolutely love this book!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for arc.

Great book looking forward to trying out the recipes and crafts!

Was this review helpful?

I grow and use a lot of lavender and it was really useful to have all this information in one place.

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful book. I've recently planted some lavender so was excited to read this book for some tips and ideas of what to do with it. I never knew you could come ok with lavender! There are so many fantastic recipes and ideas. I can't wait to test them out.

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful book for lavender lovers and growers. I have lavender growing in my yard so I was stoked to learn more about this plant. Can’t wait to get my hands on this book. I was given a free copy in exchange for my review. Many thanks to NetGalley and the author. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I love the scent of lavendar but I have a husband who is very sensitive to smells and sometimes they trigger migraines for him. So I can't very well disregard his opinion when it comes to scents. But I did enjoy this ebook, which I requested from NetGalley for free. The book gives a thorough overview of of everything lavender, from history, aromatherapy, crafting, baking and cooking, planting, harvesting and drying lavendar. Different types of lavendar are outlined along with notes on how each type is best used. The book ends with a short history of the author's Pine Creek Lavendar Farm where she and her husband not only grow lavendar but hold tours and offer classes on using lavendar. This is a great book to page through if, like me, you just want to look at beautiful pictures and add a little knowledge to your trivia store. It is also a good introduction, I believe, if you are interested in growing or working with lavendar.

Was this review helpful?