Growing Wise : lavender

Making scents

Elisabeth — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:11:00 GMT

Soon the long months of January and February will be upon us, and it will be time to hunker down and dream of next season's gardens. One garden dimension that often get short shrift is fragrance. The following is a handy list of five fragrant plants that no garden should be without:

Lilac: Spring would not be spring without lovely, sweet-smelling lilacs. You can choose from a host of cultivars that have purple, white, blue, near-yellow or bi-colored blooms. There are even relatively small varieties like dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa meyeri 'Palibin') that work in smaller spaces. Lilacs need sun and good air circulation, plus occasional pruning. If they are happy, they will live for generations.
Old-Fashioned Pinks (Dianthus): These low-growers generally smell like cloves. They are great for pots or the front of beds or borders and like sunny to partially sunny conditions
Mock Orange (Philadelphus): While Philadelphus does not really provide more than one season of interest, the white flowers are among the sweetest-scented blossoms around. Many people liken the scent to that of orange blossoms, hence the common name. A sun lover, mock orange is available in single, double-flowered and compact forms.
Roses: Not all roses have a pronounced scent. Read labels and merchandisers' copy to make sure that you invest in those that do.
Lavender: Given well-drained soil and a sunny exposure, lavender will produce lots of sweet scented purple, pink or even white blossoms. Gardeners in northern climates should be sure to select hardy varieties. Remember that the leaves and stems of the plants are almost as fragrant as the flowers and can also be used in fragrant potpourri, sachets and arrangements.

Lavender Indoors

Elisabeth — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:07:00 GMT

By this time all the virtuous gardeners have put in their bulbs, ordered amaryllis and/or paperwhites for the holiday season, and possibly even put a few bulbs in the refrigerator for forcing at winter's end. If you are thinking of ways to get through the plant-deprived winter months, consider buying a lavender plant to grow indoors.

Generally around holiday time, the stores sell pots of Lavendula dentata 'Godwin Creek Grey'. This lavender, which has toothed foliage that is almost more gray than green, is a variety of a species sometimes called "French Lavender". The name is something of a misnomer, since the plants are native to southern Spain.

The important thing to remember is that 'Godwin Creek Grey' and other French lavenders are too tender for cold-winter climates. Given enough sun, though, they are excellent pot plants. The purple flowers and aromatic foliage have all of lavender's winning traits--especially the wonderful clean fragrance. You can snip of flowers and leaves, dry them on a piece of newspaper and use them in sachets. You can also avoid all of that work and liberate that great scent by simply rubbing the foliage between your fingers every time you pass the plant.

Water your potted lavender only when it is dry and don't over fertilize as the plants like lean soil. When spring comes, take your lavender outside, where it can pretend that it is back in Spain soaking up the sun. Don't let the pot get waterlogged when it rains.

Growing lavender indoors means a winter of lovely fragrance. What could be better?

Caring for Lavender

Elisabeth — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:14:00 GMT

Do you have good luck with lavender? If not, there are a few possible reasons why the plants don't succeed.

Lavender needs the same amount of sun as roses--at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. If your lavender doesn't get enough light, move it to a better location.

Lavender must have excellent drainage. If heavy clay soil is a problem, transplant your lavender to a raised or sloped bed. You can also amend your soil with grit. Without soil amendment, the plants will be prone to rot.

Some lavenders are more cold-tolerant than others. Before you buy, check the USDA zone hardiness number on the seed pack or nursery tag. Despite the effects of climate change, you will have better luck with lavender if you match the plant's zone hardiness requirements to the zone in which you live.

Lavender looks beautiful and smells great. It is well worth a little extra care and attention.

Lavender--Against the Odds

Elisabeth — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:10:00 GMT

When it comes to growing lavender, the odds are stacked against me. Sure, my garden has sunshine, but my soil is heavy clay. Only a few areas of the garden have really good drainage, which lavenders appreciate. Winters here in Zone 6 are also a bit too cold for some of the more tender species and varieties. A cautious gardener would probably default to some other plant.

But I am not cautious and I love lavender, so I persist in growing it. Though I have tried many varieties, an old standby, Lavendula angustifolia or narrow-leafed lavender works best for me. 'Munstead', a variety named after the home of renowned English garden desinger Gertrude Jekyll, succeeds here, as does the dwarf variety, 'Hidcote Blue.'

'Munstead's flowers are medium purple. As you might expect, 'Hidcote's' have a blue-purple cast. Both are extremely fragrant.

Most of my lavenders grow at the feet of large rosebushes in slightly raised beds with well-amended soil. In the early spring I cut back the dead branches and prune again after the plants have bloomed. I harvest half of the flower stalks to use in sachets and leave the rest on the plants so that butterflies can feast on the nectar.

Even my tallest lavender doesn't grow as big and bushy as it would in the south of France, but I don't waste time worrying about that. It smells wonderful and thrives in its own way. Lavender is indispensable in my garden.