Any variety suggestion on lavendar? I'm looking to add some either to the herb garden proper or maybe slip a little in the landscaping beds. Thanks

Can you grow lavender in your zone? If so, it depends on how big a plant you want. In front of the roses I use short lavenders, I think munsteds. Other places I have various kinds of tall lavenders, most of them different colors of French lavender.

Here in Maine the Munstead lavender seems to grow the best...although, this year mine seems to have died off as I only have 3 little sprigs with any leaves on them, out of 6 big plants. But for the past few years it has been increasingly beautiful each summer. Will have to dig it out and start over I guess.

3GG - you need to look for varieties that will withstand your winters. Lavendar, being basically one of the "Mediterranean" herbs, loves the heat, so they'll most likely do well in your summers; it's the winters that will be the killer - literally. With lavendar, excellent drainage & air circulation is key. While I had lovely plants back in NY, here in VA the humidity has made growing lavendar (as well as Rosemary) dicey for me. At this point, I almost consider it an annual - lol!

quote:

While I had lovely plants back in NY, here in VA the humidity has made growing lavendar (as well as Rosemary) dicey for me. At this point, I almost consider it an annual - lol!

Are you sure it's the humidity that's making growing rosemary dicey for you? I'd think we're more humid than VA and if a rosemary is planted in the ground and has adequate drainage here they grow to a gargantuan size, like 4 ft. in diameter.

Normally I'd say no, I wasn't sure, since we have hideous clay soil here, & since buying this fixer-upper farm, I've been working hard to amend it.

But even Rosemary grown in containers with a well-draining soil mix don't live long for me. Always go fungal, thanks to our nearly daily summer thunderstorms I think. Which is really galling since I had a Rosemary grow into a long-lived actual bush against a south-facing wall back in NY.

But I'll keep trying. At least until the Rosemary Police come & arrest me for multiple murder - lol!

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll try some of the taller french lavender since I have an open section in front of my porch lattice. I'll have to treat it as an annual in my zone though since I lose most of my herbs to the dry cold.

Lavender likes well drained soil and some protection in winter. I cover mine with the remains of hanging pots to protect it. Sometimes the contents of the pots overwinter too.

3GG,
I'm in McHenry and thats pretty far north, I cut my lavenders down half way and cover them with leaves and an old flowerpot for the winter. So far I have only lost 1 of 6 plants.
datgirl

thanks for the tip Datgirl! I'll prep my plants that way and we'll see what happens.

Does lavendar do ok in part shade? I have only one plant and it's in full sun right now but I'm trying to find some plants that will do well in part shade but hot, hot summers as I live in the desert.

I wouldn't chance it. Lavendar is definitely a true sun-worshipper.

While it might "survive" in part-shade, it will get leggy & just look miserable after awhile. Plus, you'd most likely get little or no blooms.

I have four varieties, three tested true for winters and a new hybrid one that may or may not last. Munstead is quite hardy. Provence and Hidcote works well here, too. The French hybrid may not make it even with extra protection, but I wanted to try it.

Now I have more questions!

I planted munstead after all, but helpful DH planted them in a semi-shady site. They're just now blooming and I was wondering what parts to harvest and how?

thanks!

You can clip the long stems with flowers on and braid them with a narrow ribbon and it can be a decoration or a sachet.

Hang the cut stems with flowers upside down in a cool, dark place that has lots of air circulation, until they dry, then crumble off the flowers and put them into a sachet made of thin cloth you can almost see through for a sachet, and it helps keep moths away.

If you make soap, you can crush fresh flowers and add them to the soap mix, but some people's skin are too sensitive to aromatic oils, so check that first.

When I dead-head my lavender I put the cuttings into the food scrap compost and it smells great instead of disgusting!

If you use hot pots for air freshening, snip the flowers into the hot water to scent the room.

I have a ceramic light bulb air freshener that gets hot by sitting on a light bulb, and I put lavender and mint in it.

I get the most fun from them as plants in large pots all along where I enter the house, they smell great every time I come and go, and I can run my hands through them to scent the air.

Here is a nice site that I've gotten lavender from, it has good descriptions, and there are many kinds that will flower over a much longer period.

http://www.goodwincreekgardens.../AdviceLavenders.asp

And I haven't had them do well in the shade, sorry to say. They want it hot and dry, especially if you want lots of flowers and deep colors.