As enduring as the color and as fresh as the fragrance, lavender
offers much to the full-sun garden.
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region. Through thousands of
years of human attention, lavender has been selected for a variety of characteristics
that enhance its value in the garden. Variations in plant size, leaves
and flower color make lavender equally useful for an edging plant or the
back of a flower border. While not reliably hardy in our region, they deserve
space in the garden.
Dwarfs for edging include Nana Alba. This variety grows to one foot
and has gray foliage and white flowers. Munstead, the most popular compact
lavender, dependably develops lavender blue flowers a month earlier than
other varieties.
In the middle of the border, the deep violet flowers of two-foot Hidcote
contrast nicely with its silver-gray foliage. If mulched, Hidcote does
well in hardiness zone four of the foothills growing zone. Pink-flowered
Jean Davis is another mid-sized border plant.
Taller varieties also have their place in the garden. Twickel Purple,
the hardy English lavender, is superior for its gray leaves and dark violet
flowers on extra long spikes. Provence is a two-foot tall, light purple-blooming
plant grown in the lavender fields of the French region that bears its
name.
Any type of lavender works well in containers, and will produce a refreshing
fragrance indoors. Be sure to provide at least four to five hours of sun
and keep soil lightly moist, not soggy.
Throughout the summer, remove old stalks when flowers fade to encourage
reblooming. Plants typically freeze back in the winter. In spring, cut
plants back by one-third or to live stems before new growth begins. Lavenders
make excellent sachets and potpourris, as well as fresh and dried flowers
for decorative arrangements.
