Lavender is one of our favorite perennials, and for very good reason! Lavender is considered an herb because of its fragrance. All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic. Sprigs of lavender brought inside the house can provide a soothing aromatic scent. It is easy to care for when planted in full sun with well-draining soil. Lavender will grow to be a couple of feet tall and wide so it is quite a showy plant when used in a perennial border, herb garden, or vegetable garden. There are many very hardy varieties of lavender that will bloom for most of the summer with either dark blue to lavender color flowers. These flowers are so wonderful in that they attract our beloved honey bees and butterflies. They also make great cut flowers and when dried will still retain their color.
Lavender can tolerate drought conditions and is best grown with a pH somewhere above 6.4. It has grey-green foliage and for the most part, is an upright grower.
For many of you, one of the best characteristics of lavender is that it is deer resistant. Deer do not like the scent, making lavender an asset as a border planting, as the strong scent will help protect other plants from deer damage.
One maintenance tip is to avoid pruning back after late summer. You should cut lavender back heavily in the early spring (to about 6 inches) every 2 to 3 years in order to keep the plant from getting straggly.
For all of the reasons above, it’s obvious why lavender is one of our favorite perennials.
Varieties
Here are some of the lavender varieties that we generally have available at Meadows Farms. Please note that not all stores carry every variety, so please call your local Meadows Farms for availability info.