Although there are weeds thriving in this extended autumn—and I could certainly be digging them out—I’ve busied myself getting the garage ready to receive the car just before the snow flies. This has been a good opportunity to consider what went right last summer, always a better thought than focusing on what went wrong. I had a lot of pleasure from blue flowers, especially from a generous pot of ‘Lady’ lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Lady’), which is more blue-lavender than the usual purple colour range. I’ve seen ‘Lady’ listed as hardy to Zone 5, but have my doubts about that. It doesn’t return when planted in my Zone 6a garden, although that might be attributed to unsuitable growing conditions (too much watering). But the dwarf (8-inch / 20 cm) plant is a good candidate for containers, and that’s where I put it. ‘Lady’ liked being elevated from the ground, with soil kept a bit dry. This was a pleasure all season, and I brushed my hands through the blue stems every time I passed. Growing ‘Lady’ was an ideal way to enjoy lavender, without the constraints of finding just the right drainage and light combination in my generally too-wet beds.
Other posts by Judith this week:
Posts by Judith last week:
For those in Ontario wanting to know more about lavender, the Ontario Lavender Association is holding an educational event “The Science of Lavender” March 30, 2012 in Woodstock.
see the website http://www.ontariolavenderassociation.org for more information.
Hi Jodi,
Yes, the drainage issue is crucial with lavender, and my beds just don’t suit it. The container is much easier to control, with a custom soil mix incorporating about 30% coarse builders’ sand, mixed into peat and potting soil. I can put the lavender container in a hot sunny spot, and it doesn’t have to contend with any competition from other plants. I’ve been thinking of making a lavender border along my front walk with plants in pretty terracotta pots, as a trial of various lavender cultivars. Of course this will really scent the neighbourhood! Thanks for all your energy and ideas streaming through bloomingwriter.blogspot.com; you’ll keep me busy this winter.
— Judith
Lavender is a bit of a challenge at times for Maritimers, because so many of us have so much cold, wet clay. However, I can attest to ‘Lady’s durability here in my Zone 5 a-b garden (I say a-b because there really IS that much variance here due to prevailing winds). I have several plants of this cultivar in my garden, and they are 3 or 4 years old now. What I’ve done is plant them in the beds with the best drainage, alongside my echinaceas and some perovskia, and also in the alpine garden where they get a little extra heat as well as good drainage. I don’t THINK that bumps the heat units up much, but the drainage is usually the challenge. I haven’t done well with lavender in containers, but I think next year I’ll propagate a few and try them out. Great article, as always.