Lavenders are versatile perennial plants that add color and texture to the garden while helpful in crafts, culinary uses, and medicinal practices.
At their core, lavender plants require well-draining soil to thrive in most growing zones except those experiencing extreme heat or humidity. Being resistant to many environmental factors makes them the perfect additions to gardens or low hedges.
Spanish Lavender
Lavender is an easy herb to cultivate and is the ideal flowering plant to add to any garden. Low maintenance requirements only necessitate watering it a few times weekly after planting until its deep roots have taken hold within one year, at this point, mulch should be applied around its base for added weed prevention. Lavender should ideally be planted in early spring before any risk of frost has established itself.
Otto Quasti cultivar of Spanish lavender produces dark purple flowers with a lovely fragrance while being more cold-hardy than many other varieties of the species. As such, this variety makes an excellent addition to landscapes needing drought-tolerant plants.
With their pineapple-like “ears,” Spanish lavender flowers” can often be confused for Pineapple Sage (Pagesia aristata). But these are sterile bracts that bloom in early summer alongside the central spike of flowers. Bees love these beauties, pairing well with rockroses and Golden Garden Sage.
Lavandula stoechas thrives best in full sun and doesn’t appreciate being overwatered, making this variety ideal for planting in sandy or gravel-textured, well-draining soil. Clay soils or areas prone to standing water should be avoided to avoid root rot while using gravel mulch will keep soil moisture at an appropriate level without overwatering it.
French Lavender
French lavender is an ideal choice for warmer climates. Easy to cultivate in various soil conditions, its long bloom time makes it perfect for use in gardens and home decor applications. Plus, it’s deer-resistant with a low risk of invasiveness in your garden!
Gardeners often conflate Lavandula stoechas with English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). To distinguish them, look at their flowers’ shape and color – English lavender has cone-shaped buds, while French lavender’s spikes feature wispy petals at their tips. In addition, both plants feature different leaves and foliage colors.
Choose an area with full sunlight and well-draining soil to achieve maximum results from planting lavender. When digging a hole to accommodate its roots, be sure to dig wide enough to cover all sources entirely before watering again after about 12-24 hours before repeating this step.
Growing lavender from seed is rewarding, yet it takes considerable patience and dedication. If you want to speed up this process, consider starting seeds indoors in early fall by placing them in small pots with potting soil covered by a thin layer of origin creating mix before overwintering them in either a greenhouse or refrigerator until spring comes around and they germinate – then plant outside in early summer!
Provence Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia Provence lavenders are widely considered the ideal variety for humid summer climates due to their large spikes of fragrant blooms and fast growth rates, making them perfect for creating large lavender hedges. Furthermore, this robust herb will not quickly wilt after rainstorms or heat waves.
As with other lavender varieties, ‘Provence’ lavenders prefer well-draining soil to prevent root rot and fungal diseases that could otherwise arise from improper conditions in their native Mediterranean environment. Including just 1/3 sand or grit with their planting soil or potting mix can ensure proper health conditions are present when growing the plant.
Lavender ‘Provence’ thrives when planted in full sun as this increases blooms and fragrance strength. With minimal upkeep required – prune occasionally throughout the year – this deer-resistant variety doesn’t need to be placed near other sensitive plants that could be damaged by animals such as deer.
Lavender ‘Provence’ can be used in flower arrangements and dried for fragrant potpourri. With its beautiful color and scent that attracts butterflies without being eaten by deer, this perennial herb can live for 15 years with proper care. Each fall, it should be pruned in preparation for Winter when planted into suitable soil and watered correctly. Lavenders, in general, tend to be sensitive to cold temperatures, but Lavender Provence can survive as long as it is appropriately planted in suitable soil and watered correctly.
Grosso Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia Grosso’ is one of the most beloved varieties of lavender due to its strong fragrance and long flower stems, making it perfect for creating fragrant garden beds or low hedges in sunny locations, filling large outdoor containers on patios or decks, ground covers or natural pathways in gardens; rabbits tend not to harm this variety so making this plant safe around vegetable gardens too!
This oleaginous variety of lavender is hardy enough to withstand frosts and winter snowfall and is hardy up to USDA zone 5. Preferring full sun with well-draining soil and breeze conditions to reduce fungal disease risks, it flowers later than narrow-leaf English lavender varieties. Still, it can last well into fall if dead flower heads are removed regularly.
Like other lavender varieties, ‘Grosso’ can be vulnerable to root rot if planted in soil that retains too much water and nutrients for too long. To ensure proper drainage in the garden, amending it with course builders sand or gravel is often used as this helps replicate the porous structure in the Mediterranean climate. After flowering occurs, it’s also wise to prune your lavender in spring in order to promote another bloom and promote new growth for next year.
Hidcote Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is an outstanding English lavender for gardening, boasting hardiness across USDA plant zones 5 through 9, resisting frost and snow, and blooming throughout summer. Ideal for rock gardens, landscape borders, or informal hedges, it attracts pollinators making a perfect addition to sunny herb or wildflower gardens. It even tolerates poor soil quality conditions – deer resistant, too!
For best results when planting lavender ‘Hidcote,’ provide frequent irrigation over the first month to foster deep root development and create a firm foundation in the soil, increasing resistance against drought during hotter summer months.
Lavenders thrive in dry, arid climates where sandy soil does not retain much water, so try and replicate this environment for your plants to flourish to their fullest. Lavenders tolerate both heat and cold temperatures well but are susceptible to windy conditions and freezing temperatures that bring extremes in temperature fluctuations. When your lavenders have established themselves fully, they should require minimal additional watering unless there has been very little rainfall; overwatering promotes disease and root rot; they need full sunlight with proper drainage ideally and require minimal additional fertilizing – possibly none! Lavenders make very hardy plants, which should thrive if planted properly; you won’t need other fertilizers!
Indoor Lavender
When shopping for indoor lavender plants, garden centers, and online retailers typically have several starter sizes ranging from 2″ pots up to one-gallon options that thrive indoors and organic, which often come as organic choices.
Lavender plants do best in an earthen pot that provides good aeration to maintain soil moisture levels, rather than plastic, metal, or “self-watering” containers that allow excess water to pool at the bottom, leading to root rot. Terra cotta, clay, or ceramic pots with drainage holes at their bases and catchment saucers will prevent excess water runoff and maintain airflow through their structure.
As lavender plants require high lighting levels to thrive indoors, they must receive ample illumination to flourish and flower beautifully. Display your plant near a sunny window and rotate periodically to promote even growth. If your home does not provide a sufficient explanation, supplement with a high-output T5 fluorescent lamp or full spectrum LED grow lights if necessary.
Mediterranean plants such as lavender prefer dry conditions and should never be kept wet, as wetness exposes it to fungal and bacterial disease risks. When watering lavender plants, only soak the top inch of soil until damp before allowing it to drain off completely before watering again – An easy rule of thumb is to water when the top inch of soil becomes dry; when repotting lavender plants, add one tablespoon of limestone powder per potted mix to raise pH slightly and ensure faster drainage.
