Lavandula

Botanical/Latin
   Lavandula

Pronunciation
   Lav-en-jul-lah

Common Name
   Lavender

Hardiness zone range
   5 - 9

General Comments
Delightful, old fashioned garden favorites with silvery, gray-green, aromatic foliage and slender spikes of deliciously scented flowers in summer.

Uses
First rate plants for summer perennial beds and borders, sunny banks, rockeries, or raised beds where they provide a classic charm and a wealth of color and fragrance in both formal and informal style designs. They have been favorites with garden designers for centuries. They are frequently used in formal layouts as low hedges, in grand designs as "fillers" in parterres, or set among old fashioned roses to create a fusion of fragrance and a blend of harmonious colors. Informal layouts with generous swathes of the narrow spikes are truly spectacular and have a special charm. Even on a small scale, a grouping of three plants add grace and structure to a planting. They are great for edging and planting alongside paths, patios, under windows, in containers and, of course, in herb gardens.

Once established, they are remarkably tolerant of heat and drought, and the aromatic foliage is not palatable to deer.

A favorite cut flower, they can be used fresh or dried to be included in potpourri or in sachets to be placed among linens and garments.

Light Preference
Full sun

Culture
Requiring well drained soils, they grow best in lighter, gravelly or sandy soils that do not become wet and saturated in winter. They respond with added vigor if grown in soils that are "sweet' (on the alkaline side of neutral) at planting time. It is a good idea to check the pH level and adjust with a dressing of lime if needed. The woody rootstock does not transplant well, so once in position, they are best left in place and not transplanted.

After flowering, remove the old stems and reduce the young growth by about half. This stimulates new growth and encourages neat, compact, and longer lived plants that often flower again in the late summer or fall. This should be done regularly each year. If older, woodier plants are neglected and then pruned, be careful not to cut back hard into the older stems as they do not regenerate well from the older wood.

Background
Lavenders are native to the western Mediterranean region, where they grow in limestone rocky soils on south facing slopes and hillsides. They have been gathered for their essential oils since antiquity and used as a purification agent in times of sickness, or as a perfume, air freshener, and for scenting soaps, bath water, and laundry. It is from this that the name is derived; it comes from the Latin word lavo (to wash). During the Renaissance period, the Italian Medici family stimulated demand and the town of Grasse became an important commercial production center for the cultivation of lavender and its distillation for the perfumery and cosmetic trade.

The so called English lavenders are hybrids between two Mediterranean species; they perform better in cultivation and became popular from the 16th century onwards. They were cultivated first in apothecaries or herb gardens and then gradually in ornamental gardens where they have become lasting favorites. Named cultivars were selected and these form the back bone of the floral and garden trade.>br>
Lavenders have no serious pests, but they are prone to a "wasting" disease that for no apparent reason causes them to decline and die. This has afflicted the commercial plantations in the south of France, so growers there developed a cultivar they called `Provence'. It is a robust grower with greatly improved disease resistance and a higher content of essential oils. It performs well in our garden zones.

Splendor Suggestions
They are excellent cut flowers that can be dried for extended use. The most commonly employed method is to harvest them when about 80% of the flower spike has opened, then spreading them out on trays (so that the stems are not touching) and drying them gently in shady, airy conditions or in a well ventilated room. Once dry, they can then be placed in little sachets and put inside herbal pillows and cushions.

Companion Plants
Absolutely magnificent with old fashioned style roses; try them with the new series Rosa `Flower Carpet' or `The Fairy'. In the perennial border, they are good with Dianthus, Echinops, and Achilleas. In mixed borders, they work well in front of Buddleias and Abelias or Hibiscus cultivars (Rose of Sharon, Althea).