Grow Lavender for it’s beauty, fragrance and yes, even baking!  (See recipes below.)

For a number of years, I have grown many varieties of the fragrant flower.  Each variety offers something a bit different. 

When choosing a variety, it is helpful to know that Lavender is divided into 3 major groups, with many varieties within these groups.  Also, we usually think of Lavender in only dark or light purple.  The yellow, pink and white options can add a spark to your garden!


The Non- English Variety

Spanish, Yellow, Sweet, French, Allardii, Goodwin Creek Gray, and Woolly Lavender. With the exception of Woolly, these Lavenders start blooming early to mid spring.

The English Lavenders

The English Lavenders (Lavandula angustifolias), include English, Munstead,  Hidcote, Hidcote Pink, Jean Davis, Sarah, and Vera and flower in mid to late spring.

The Lavendins

The English Lavender Hybrids, sometimes referred to as Lavandins; come in third in the bloom cycle, starting just as the the English Lavenders are finishing, and continuing to mid summer.

Provence and Grosso are the best known of these, but there are many others, including Abriali, Fred Boutin, Dutch Mill, Grappenhall, Seal, Hidcote Giantand White Grosso.

These varieties will perform wonderfully for you!  Great for lining a drive or pathway or at the back of a Garden Bed, as they do grow taller than some of the other varieties.   Provence is a favorite of mine…it has outlasted many of my other varieties over the years.  Fragrance is outstanding!

Getting Lavender Started

It is suggested that you set an area aside that has good sunlight preferably southern exposure for best growth. Most lavenders are started from cuttings taken from Mother plants. This is both fast and accurate, producing an exact replica of the original plant.

The Tools for Propagating Lavender

A healthy established lavender plant
Clean pair of scissors
Rooting hormone powder especially formulated for softwood cutting
Several clean pots 4" and 6" in height
Several clear plastic lunch bags
Sand
Peat Moss
Dollar store wooden skewers (6"-8" in length)

Directions for Propagating Lavender

In spring, fill the 4" pots with a half and half mixture of moist soil and peat moss. This is the rooting medium.

Take several 3" cuttings from new growing tips of the mother lavender plant without crushing the stems, and carefully remove the leaves from the bottom third of the cuttings.

Dip the stems in the rooting hormone

Poke 3 holes in the pots.

Insert the stems into the holes up to 1".

Firm and mist spray

Place 3-4 skewers around the inside edge of the pots.

Punch holes into the lunch bags and slide them loosely over the pots. The skewers will keep the plastic from touching the cuttings.

Place the pots anywhere out of direct sunlight, and where they are assured of consistent 70 F to 75 F temperatures.

The cuttings can take two to three weeks to root. Test it after three weeks by gently tugging the cutting at mid-stem level. If it gives, it's not rooted yet and the rest should be left alone. New growth isn't always an indicator that the cuttings have taken root.

When the cuttings have rooted, gently remove the plants and place in individual 6" pots.  Water with a light mist spray. Not all the cuttings will take. There is always a failure rate with stem propagation, so it's important to take a lot of cuttings.

By the time the lavender cutting have rooted and been transplanted into larger pots, it is mid-summer. Avoid wilt from the hot sun by placing the pots in dappled shade or cooler parts of your garden. This will harden them as they grow on.

Transplant the new lavender into the garden or a nursery bed in late summer as the air gets cooler. In colder climates, adding mulch to young plants for the winter will keep them protected that first year.

Resources

An Encyclopaedia of Gardening, T. W. Saunders, Collingridge, 1899
The Harrowsmith Illustrated Book of Herbs, Patrick Lima, Camden House, 1986

The Encyclopaedia of Organic Gardening, New Revised Edition, Organic Gardening Magazine, Rodale Press, 1978

Lavender also needs soil with very good drainage. Consider the growth size of the plant and do not crowd your lavender.  Good air circulation really helps with some of the more moist areas.

Some gardeners like to plant three lavender plants of the like variety in a triangle within their lavender garden. It adds distinction to your garden.  As well, as you are able to tell which ones you really enjoy or even which varieties perform better than others in your particular area.

Fertilization is really not necessary for healthy lavender.  If you do choose to mulch to reduce weed growth, it is best to keep the mulch a few inches from the base of the plant.

Although drought tolerant, new plantings do need to be watered to establish healthy roots.  In our area, watering during our dry season is about all that is needed.  It is important to let the lavender dry out between waterings.

Harvesting

Once the color is bright and vivid, that is time to start cutting your Lavender. 

Cut the flower stems during the cool of the morning after the dew has dried.

If the flowers are to be used later, dry in small groups by tying with a twist tie.
Then you can hang them in a dark dry place or individually by spreading them
on a screen and drying out of the sun.

Pruning

Lavender takes about 3-5 years to reach it’s full size.  Pruning should be done every year after blooming and once you have harvested.

It is necessary to extend the life of the plant. Lavender flower wand stems are usually a bright green while Lavender leaves are gray. Cut back not only the flower stem, but also about a third of the gray-leaved stems as well. If the plant has been neglected, it can be cut back further, but avoid pruning back so far that only woody stems with no leaves are showing. A plant pruned into the wood may push out latent (sleeping) buds or it may die.

Ideas for using your Lavender
               
               
Lavender Sorbet

3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
9-10 stem heads of fresh lavender flowers (or 2 tablespoons of dried lavender)
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

If using fresh lavender: With thumb and forefinger, pull the flowers from the stems (discarding stems). If using dried lavender you won't need this step.

Combine lavender flowers and sugar in a food processor and pulverize completely, about 1 minute. Bring the water to a boil, remove pan from heat and add the sugar/lavender mixture, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover with a lid and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Strain out flowers through a sieve, pressing flowers to get out any remaining liquid. Add the lemon juice and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then freeze in sorbet or ice cream mixer. 

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cookie stamps will work well on these too. Place on cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

- Marla Hovey, Master Gardiner