When you walk into a garden store, you’ll see a lot of purple. The smell will make you feel tranquil, and the hue will remind you of hillsides bathed in sunlight. But if you examine more closely, you’ll see that not all English Lavenders are the same. The real enchantment is in the small changes in color, shape, and smell. …
To really get to know lavender, you have to go back in time and space to the Mediterranean’s sun-baked hills and rough coasts. A lot of the time, when we say a plant is “from the Mediterranean,” we mean something ambiguous. But this label hides a vast and varied story of lavender. It comes from three different countries—France, Spain, and …
Hello, fellow gardener! You know there’s something unique about lavender if you’ve ever been amazed by a field of it or just loved one plant on your patio. From its famous purple colors to its relaxing, memorable smell, this plant appeals to all of the senses. But to really get the most out of it and see its amazing flowers …
Isn’t the vision so clear? A lovely lavender plant on your windowsill, its silver-green leaves a lovely touch to your decor, and every time you go by, it gives out that distinct, peaceful smell. It’s like having a bit of the sunny Mediterranean in your living room. But for a lot of us, the truth rapidly turns sour. The beautiful …
We learn a simple, deeply ingrained equation in gardening: food and water make plants bigger and better. It’s a satisfying loop, a basic exchange of caring that we almost instinctively know how to do. We gently feed our tomatoes, watching with pride as they bloom into beautiful, juicy fruit. When we feed our roses, they bloom in a beautiful, lavish …
Have you ever seen your lavender, which used to be healthy, seem a little… Tired, huh? Maybe the flowers aren’t as plentiful as they used to be, or maybe that beautiful Mediterranean scent is fading. You aren’t imagining things; your lavender might really be trying to warn you that it needs a bigger home. When you repot lavender, you’re not …
It’s the conundrum that every gardener has faced: they killed a plant by accident, even if they meant well. You enjoy your lavender because of its peaceful smell, its silver leaves, and its veil of purple blossoms. You want to take care of it and give it everything it needs to grow. So you give it water, which is the …
From the nursery, you took home a lovely lavender plant bursting with potential and aromatic promise. Following all the guidelines, you have created the ideal sunny area with flawless, perfectly draining soil. Now comes the most important choice you will make—one that has nothing to do with soil or sun but everything to do with time: when do you really …
Imagine a perfect lavender hedge: a series of rich, homogeneous silver mounds, each unique but flowing naturally into the next to create a fragrant, living boundary humming with the sound of contented bees. Imagine now the reverse: a jumbled, packed row where plants are battling for room, their lower leaves wilting in the shade, with bare, woody spots and a …
One lovely lavender plant on your terrace is inspiring larger dreams. You see a scented hedge running alongside your path, a humming border teeming with bees, or terracotta pots of purple dots decorating your garden scene. The dream is lovely. What then is the next action to bring it to pass? This forces every grower to choose three somewhat distinct …
Have you ever gone by every guideline? You have ideal soil, a full day of sunlight, and well-kept pruning; only to have your lovely lavender decay in a humid summer or expire in a rainy, cold winter. If this narrative seems familiar, you have found the most crucial secret of the gardener: the success of a plant depends on climate …
You have done exactly what is required. Your lavender has the sunniest location in the garden—one that gets roasted in afternoon heat. Like the professionals advise, you water it carefully, never too much. Why then is it browning, feeble, or, worse, totally dead after one season? TL;DR: The Dirt on Perfect Lavender Soil Let me reassure you, if this seems …
Imagine yourself walking through a garden center, totally enthralled by those lovely purple lavender spikes, when you stop suddenly. Just exactly, how large can lavender grow? Will that lovely little plant you are looking at finally cover your whole garden bed, or will it remain absolutely small always? TL;DR: The Quick Guide to Lavender Size The wonderful truth is that …
Picture leaving on a sunny summer evening. Your very own lavender’s soothing, sweet scent permeates the air; its silvery foliage glows in the dark and its purple spires gently buzz with contentment from joyful bees. You could live this, not a dream from a garden magazine. A garden can be transformed by the appearance and aroma of a thriving lavender …
Have you ever stood in a garden center starring at two almost similar lavender plants while shears in hand and a small drop of sweat runs down your forehead? One tag lists Lavandula angustifolia; the other Lavandula officinalis. They smell the same and look the same, so you begin to ask, “Am I missing something here? Exists a concealed distinction …