Lavender has been popular for centuries not only for its fragrance but also for its medicinal properties. In Victorian times lavender was used to scent the linen cupboard and keep moths away. The lavender bottle is so called because of its shape. pick the lavender on the morning of a dry day, when  the flower is reaching full bloom. Make the bottle the same day to avoid working with brittle stems.

You will need:

• 19 heads of long-stemmed lavender, freshly picked
• 1m of narrow lavender-coloured ribbon

Tie the heads tightly together with the ribbon, just before the flower spike. leave one end of the ribbon about 24cm long.

Bend each stem back over the flower heads so that all the stems lie parallel and make a ‘cage’ around the flower heads.

Wind the ribbon tightly around the stalks a few times, and finish off with a bow, using the other end of the ribbon.