Lavender

[moongazer]

I'd like to plant lavender this spring.
I hear there is more than one kind of lavender
plant. Does anyone here grow it and can tell me
about the different types?

[Kathy]

Moongazer, there's over 30 kinds of lavender and some places will sell you Russian Sage and call it Lavender-so you have to be careful when buying from unknown sources.

Here's some great sites that explain the growth, varieties & uses for Lavender.

www.gardensablaze.com/HerbLavender.htm

www.mountainlavender.com/faq.html

www.theherbaltouch.com/articles/lavender.html

[bergere]

I like the English and French Lavenders.
Grew them at the old farm. Got the soil perfect and they gave me babies every other year.
Our soil there was almost pure sand and I put a big feed scoop of Crushed Oyster shells around the base of it. Let 1/4 of the flowers go to seed. Next spring I would have baby lavenders growing.

I have two lavenders here in pots...need to get them in the ground soon.

Dried the flowers and hung them in the closets to keep the moths out. Haven't been able to do that since I moved and I am getting a bit of a moth problem again. Sigh ~ ~

This year I bought my Lavender plants from these folks.. got good Quality baby plants.
www.olympiclavender.com/storeitem.cfm?ID=82&Cat=3

[bbird]

I tried lavender last year for the first time. I believe I have a english version of it....but don't quote me! lol

It is already perking up and we are freezing at night right now. I'm hoping it spreads and does well. I had heard its really kind of hard to grow, so maybe I am lucky! I have it planted by my little pond in the yard. One side of it is raised dirt in a mound where I put a lot of herbs. Just plain dirt that I got out of the forest that plants seem to love.

[Deleted]

Well I had a very fine Spanish lavender growing so last year I pruned it back a bit and apparently I killed it. On the other hand I had a baby Spanish lavender which I also pruned even though I thought it was dead, and it came back this spring. I have no idea what I'm doing. I just know that I love lavender. I did set out a new Spanish lavender by the bird bath on the west-ish side of my house and it is thriving mightily.

I've never had good luck with English or French lavender. The Spanish seems to fare better for me. It was recommended by a nursery person in the area where I live (Zone 8, poor sandy soil).

Ya know, lavender just keeps on giving, even the dead plant still smells good. Anybody have any suggestions for using the leaves, branches from my dead plant?