Blog Description

A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box

Monday, July 19, 2021

When you cannot go to France, bring France to you. French lavender is in full bloom in July in the sunny Provence region of France and fills the summer air with a heady lavender fragrance. Bring that French experience to your living room like I did by filling a rustic blue box with lavender plants. 



French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
July brings memories of walking through commercial lavender fields in France once upon a time. Several years ago my sister, a work colleague, and I traveled to France with an itinerary designed to walk through lavender fields, to visit perfume factories, and to stroll stone streets in picturesque hilltop villages around the fields. We continue to reminisce about that trip and to dream about returning to France to make more memories. With no travel plans in the near future, a rustic box filled with lavender brings a little of France to us. 


F R E N C H   L A V E N D E R  

in a 

R u s t i c   B l u e   B o x  


French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
Feathery lavender stems with pale lavender blooms are much like the French lavande (lavender) we saw growing in vast commercial lavender fields. The established growing lavender plants in France were much larger than these 4" starter plants from Trader Joe's. Each plant in the fields was about 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide in full bloom. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
One French lavender plant was wider and taller than all these six starter plants together in the rustic box. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
Yet these small lavender plants are as aromatic as the plants growing in commercial lavender fields in Provence. Their fragrance is so strong, the entire living room, dining area, and adjoining sunspace are filled with their scent. 

Close my eyes and
 I could be walking in a lavender field. 


Yes, the box-filled lavender arrangement 
brings France to me. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
What better way to add another layer of French Country design to my French-inspired home than to add a signature French fragrance? 

The lavender blooms and fragrance add to the existing French-inspired impressionist print on the wall, the fleur de lis decorative finials on the table, and the curved apron edges of the side table. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
The rustic blue wooden box and a heavy antique iron French fence finial provide more French Country style to the living room. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
Another post with more details about the summer look in my living room is coming soon. If you love blue and white, as well as French Country style, you will not want to miss the upcoming Summer Living Room Blue Decor post. 




French Lavender in Rustic Blue Box
Please PIN ⇑ to your Pinterest 
French Country style or Gardening boards 


Watch for small starter lavender plants from your local garden nurseries to add authentic French style and fragrance to your own home. You do not have to use a rustic blue box. Instead, you can use a large basket or ceramic urn. Both are perfect containers for genuine French style. 


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Do you know I post a photo for every Botanic Bleu blog post on my Pinterest board, Botanic Bleu Blog? The collection of photos is a pictorial catalog of Botanic Bleu posts all in one location making it easy to browse the photos for posts you may enjoy reading. Take a peek. You may spot a post you missed when it was first published. While there, take the opportunity to follow all my boards for more inspiration. 




S O U R C E S  

French Lavender  Scenes from lavender fields in Provence, France

How To Style A Rustic Box  Step by step instructions for styling the blue box with a fall arrangement 

Lavender - Trader Joe's 

Rustic Box - Several years old