The lavender lady

Claudia Dummermuth is living her dream, thanks to her 700-square-metre lavender field in a residential neighbourhood near Zurich.

Dummermuth uses the organic lavender to make essential oil, which goes into salves, soaps and bath salts, and also into lavender-flavoured jam and even a liqueur. Her idealism and love of lavender is evident in her motto: Grow slow and strong, like the plant. Surrounded by houses, her 700-square-metre field is located in Oberstammheim in canton Zurich.

The Mediterranean plant belongs to the mint family. The ancient Egyptians used Lavandula angustifolia to obtain precious essential oil for embalming mummies. The Romans, Greeks and Arabs used lavender for personal hygiene, as a laundry detergent, and as medicine. Thanks to its calming, anticonvulsant and balancing effect, today it is used in teas, tinctures, oils and creams to treat flatulence, insomnia, skin problems, and many other maladies.

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