In this section we will attempt to share some of what we have learned about lavender from our own experience, whether anecdotally derived or garnered from deliberate trial and error or more formal experimentation, from communicating with others who have come by their information in similar fashion, or from culling the literature as best we could to arrive at a sense of where the preponderance of the evidence points.

In writing what we do, we hope to make a positive contribution to the growing body of reliable information concerning lavender that is increasingly being sought by an exponentially growing audience. Much of what we ourselves have learned since 1998 has turned out to be more than passing different from what supposed “experts” had declaratively written or spoken elsewhere. Where what we write is beneficial or even revelatory to others, that will have made the exercise worthwhile, especially if it leads to a broader “cleaning up” of much of the misinformation that is out there in the “lavender info-sphere”.

To the extent that what we write here about any of the many interesting aspects of the world of lavender provokes some to challenge us, we welcome the debate. Indeed, should a lively debate ensue, those who have more than a passing interest in the topic will hopefully find the exercise stimulating and potentially rewarding. Our ultimate goal is to bring a better understanding of the many valuable ways lavender can contribute to the quality of all our lives.