All About Growing Lavender

Lavender is one of my favorite plants for so many reasons. Not only does it smell great, but it is a natural deterrent of mosquitos in your yard. Once you have your blooms, you can harvest them and use them in everything from sachets and bath salts to homemade teas and scented waters. If you have thought about adding lavender to your garden but never have, check out the rest of today’s blog. We will tell you everything you need to know about growing lavender.

Lavender Wreath

About Lavender

Lavender is a shrubby perennial that can be grown in a pot or directly in the ground as a beautiful landscape plant. This shrubby plant looks beautiful when left to grow naturally but it can also be trimmed to help form a hedge or to create a more manicured border plant for a walkway or edge of a patio.

Planting in the Ground

Many people turn to lavender as a desirable landscape plant because it offers rich greenery and a bright pop of color at the same time. This large plant takes up a good amount of space in your flower bed and can grow well in a variety of different climates. To plant lavender yourself, make sure that you choose a location that receives full sunlight and which has soil with plenty of drainageIf you do not think your soil offers enough drainage, opt for container planting your lavender instead of planting it directly in your flowerbed. Once you have assured that your soil and location are lavender friendly, treat the soil with a fertilizer with plenty of phosphorus and start planting your lavender, making sure that they are spaced between 12 inches and 18 inches apart from one another, depending upon the size of the plant you purchased.

Container Planting

Hot, humid climates such as those that we have here in florida make container planting the best option for lavender. Unfortunately, southern soil and climate conditions tend to introduce too much moisture to the plant if planted in a flowerbed. Start with a quality potting soil that is mixed with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer. Choose your pot based on the size of the plant that you are starting with. The container will help keep the soil from becoming overly saturated and promote the overall health of the plant.

Harvesting

Growing lavender provides beautiful purple blooms that last all summer long, especially when you are good about trimming off the dead ones, allowing for new blooms to take their place. The best way to harvest them is to snip them from the plant, gather them in a bunch, tie together the stems and hang them upside down in a dark place to dry. When you are harvesting, it is important to never take more than a third of the flowers at a time. If you take more than that the plant will no longer have aesthetic value in your landscape.

Artificial Lavender

If you have real lavender growing you your landscape, why not repeat the theme by decorating with some artificial lavender decor. Our stunning lavender wreath is a welcoming addition to any front door while our artificial lavender bundle is a great centerpiece for a casual dining table.