Description

A relatively new lavender option are these Lavandin Hybrids. For many years, I recommended English lavenders – Lavandula angustifolia – (Munstead or Hidcote) as the best lavenders for growing in this area, although they often proved tricky to get through our winters and damps springs. However some new hybrids – Lavandula x intermedia have been proving to be excellent for growing in this area and have heavy essential oil content to boot. These Lavandins are much easier to grow and are exceptionally tolerant of both high heat and harsh winters.

Lavandins bloom a bit later than the traditional English lavender – foliage is grey-green and the scent is strong and robust. Great plant for pollinators and bees. Deer resistant as well.

Phenomenal is a great performing lavender and fabulous for making essential oil. Taller than Sensational. We also have a new white lavender / Lavandin called Exceptional for sale this year!

(Lavender can be tricky to grow in this area – but once you understand what it needs, it really is not hard to grow. Lavender plants tend to get root rot. They don’t like soil that stays damp and shady. They like soil that drains very well and they need full blaring sun. Hillsides facing south are ideal. Lavender doesn’t mind crappy soil that is full of gravel or shale. They like sand added to the soil or vermiculite. Lavender is also great grown in pots – just make sure the pots drain well (I add some gravel into the bottom to keep the moisture flowing out easily) and place the pots in full sun.

French and Spanish varieties of lavender are also wonderful – with different scent profiles than English and different styles of leaves and colors and styles of flowers. I get a bit obsessed and grow a bunch of different lavenders – keeping the tender ones in pots that I bring into the greenhouse during the winter.

A write up from Walter’s that I thought was worth popping in here:

“One of the hottest lavenders to hit the market in years and certainly one of Lloyd Traven’s favorite perennials ever! This Peace Tree Farms introduction conquers many of the problems often found in lavenders: it tolerates the extremes of both cold and heat without dying back, is resistant to common root and foliar diseases, and grows superbly in production and landscapes.

This is a very large, hedging lavender that can be used to create a border around the garden and also can be grown as a cut and dried flower for potpourri and culinary uses. It forms a very uniform, dense mound of silvery green foliage topped with tall wands of rich lavender purple flowers which are much darker than ‘Provence’.

In the north, this variety blooms from mid through late summer, but it blooms earlier in the south. Two year old plants in our trials measured an impressive 4-4½’ across!

Lavender has been grown for centuries for its intensely fragrant flowers and beautiful appearance. It is a staple item of every sunny garden, and its dried flowers are widely used in potpourris and arrangements.”