Now that I’ve learned (sometimes hard) lessons about gardening in the Sierra foothills, I’ve come to a simple conclusion. If a plant tolerates my soil and a little drought, doesn’t scream for constant attention, and almost always isn’t on our deer’s menu, it’s a keeper! Lavender fits all of those descriptions.
Reasons to grow lavender:
Very drought tolerant – native to sunny Mediterranean regions.
Grows well on rocky areas, gritty, or poor soils. No need to fertilize.
Blooms have a luscious scent – easily be dried and used in many ways.
Attractive foliage.
Attracts butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. Deer don’t seem to like it one bit!
Plants are quite resilient (not all plants are hardy at all elevations).
Planting tips:
Plant in full sun.
Prep the soil so it is loose and provides good drainage.
Plant a little higher than the soil line.
Keep the soil pH alkaline (opposite of acidic)
Pruning:
Start pruning lavender while it is young. Dead-heading after flowering improves appearance. Take off dying limbs whenever they occur.
Most lavenders need to be sheered hard annually to keep their shape and to prevent them from getting too woody. I’ve seen people use line trimmers, a technique that works well as long as you don’t prune all the way down to bare wood.
If you live at 2,500′ and below, you can prune in late fall. I prune again lightly in the spring or when the bloom cycles are over.
If you live in harsh freezing weather, wait until early spring to prune. Don’t prune more than 1/3 of the mature plant and prune again when they are completely finished with their bloom cycles.
In the genus ‘Lavandula’, there are about 39 different species of lavender. Here is a partial list of the most common, many of which grow well here. Experiment with your own environment:
The earliest blooming species are Spanish, Yellow, Sweet, Woolly and Allardii. A favorite of many Master Gardeners is Spanish lavender – Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’.
Mid to late spring bloomers are English – Lavandula angustifolia. Common varieties are Munstead, Hidcote, Dwarf blue, Lady and a true dwarf called Thumbelina. My favorite is Lodden Blue for its compact size and vivid color.
The next bloom cycle is the Lavandins – Lavandula x intermedia – (the x means it is a cross with two plants). Some favorites of these English hybrids are Provence, Fred Boutin, Grappenhall, and Gros Blue. Grosso is a favorite because of its deep purple color and beautiful rounded shape.
Another summer bloomer is Lavandula dentata -French Lavender. ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’, a hybrid of French lavender, has an extensive blooming season in very mild climates, although some find it tender in higher elevations.
A long season bloomer (for my lower elevation) is Lavandula pinnata – called fern leaf, lace, or jagged lavender. It is very tender but worth growing as an annual.
Kathy Nunes is a Master Gardener who has been known to swipe handfuls of lavender blooms just to crush them to get the full scent.