Dreams of Lavender

Over the winter I dreamt about growing Lavender in my Northern and Southern Ontario gardens – so I thought I might as well get started!

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Towards the end of my winter seed starting experiments, I began growing Lavender. I was feeling a little bit fancy, and I just plain got going. Why Lavender, you may say? Well, it’s pretty and it just smells so darned good. Oh I know, people get excited about cooking with it and making essential oils – but if you know me, you’ll just know I just love plants.

Lavender Onesies

In my many years of gardening (not that I’m that old……) I’ve always had a Lavender plant growing somewhere in my garden. Usually just a single Lavender plant sitting on it’s own – looking good – but a onesie. I normally like to plant things in groups of three or more (hopefully MUCH more), but with Lavender, I had just bought the occasional nursery grown plant. Lavender always seemed a little bit intimidating but the truth is, it is not fussy at all as long as you get the right plant.

Lavender Hedge

My brother in law had been trying to grow a Lavender hedge – and I thought that might be a really nice idea. BUT – I am hoping to grow a whole lot of Lavender – further north, on our summer cottage island – which is a garden zone 4 (maybe even 3?). I wonder if I can do that – without too much effort?

Lavender Facts

Lavender is a member of the mint family -known for it’s purple flowers and wonderful scent. Many people use it in cooking, herbal remedies and in scented products like soaps and candles. I however just want to look at it and smell it. (I may also have the idea that it keeps snakes away – which seems like a good thing to me.)

In my gardens – I want to grow perennial flowers only – but Lavender is considered a “tender” perennial – with some varieties hardy only to zone 8 and 9 – and a few hardy to zone 5. There are over 450 varieties to choose from – so I thought I’d give a few a try.

My goal is to find some Lavender that I can grow in a colder area – to push that zone 5 limit to a windswept rocky zone 4, by experimenting with some different varieties – and hoping for milder winters maybe? So I started researching the varieties and trying to acquire Canadian grown hardy variety seeds. I found many websites categorize Lavender differently – and even mis-identify the varieties. So I did my best to sort out my research and simplify. If you disagree with any of my categories – PLEASE DO CORRECT ME!

Main Types of Lavender

• English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) – is not really native to England – but is more cold hardy, and has a lovely scent commonly used for it’s oils – hardy to zone 5
• Lavandin (L. x intermedia) – sometimes called Lavender X – strong scent, longer flower stalks, thicker woody stems – hardy to zone 5. Lavandin is a hybrid – and is said to be sterile – so it must be propagated by divisions or cuttings! I did not know there was such a thing as sterile flowers – did you?
• Spanish Lavender (L. stoechas) – mildly scented – more outstanding – prettiest flower of the varieties – better in the heat – but only hardy to zone 6 or 7 – Just to confuse us, sometimes people refer to L. stoechas as French Lavender! WHY?
• French Lavender – or Fringed Lavender (L. dentata) – smaller flowers with fringed foliage, hardy to zone 8 or 9.

So clearly, I want to find some English Lavender varieties that I can push the gardening limits with to zone 4 or even 3.

Those Garden Centre Plants

Whenever I go to my “grocery store” garden centres, there are usually a few Lavender pots this time of year. However, I’ve noticed that these pots don’t tend to be labelled with the variety and zone. After all these years (again not that many), I’m beginning to learn not to grab those ones – and to look a little further for plants that will be hardy in my gardens. Recently I saw a tray of Spanish Lavender asking (begging) me to take it home. BUT NO! I resisted, those plants were not hardy enough for me, as pretty as they were – so I decided to seek out varieties of seed to grow for my northern garden.

Lavender Seeds

Since I was experimenting with starting many varieties of perennials over the winter, I thought I would search for hardier varieties of seeds online. Here’s what I bought:

• Mr. Fothergill’s – French Lavender – 35 Seeds

I had once again visited the grocery store without my reading glasses on – and fell for the “perennial” label. When I read further, I read that French Lavender is a tender perennial packed in England. So I decided to keep looking for English Lavender seeds.

Then I bought:

• OSCSeeds.com Vincenza Blue Lavender Seeds 6527. Open Pollinated. Perennial. Approx. 20-25 seeds/pkt (800 seeds/gram)

So I was excited about finding English Lavender – but then I read that this variety is typically hardy to Zone 7 and maybe Zone 5 with protection – so I thought I needed to keep researching to find a hardier Lavender.

So I set out on a mission to find seeds grown in Canada which are described as a little bit hardier. Generally I buy from my favourite supplier – West Coast Seeds. They had a few varieties – with tempting descriptions, but I found a small Canadian grower that specializes in Lavender? I found a shop on Etsy – LavenderLanesCanada and purchased two varieties.

• LavenderLanesCanada – Etsy – Hidcote Lavender – English Lavender angustifolia – 500 seeds
• LavenderLanesCanada – Etsy – Munstead Lavender – English Lavender angustifolia – 500 seeds

These seeds arrived in one week – and I’m not really sure what the germination rate was – but with 500 seeds in each package – I had loads and loads of sprouts. I was reluctant to buy seeds from Etsy, but I realized that I would be getting fresh, garden tested seeds grown in Canada. This was a great purchase.

What Variety is Best?

What I learned about selecting Lavender seeds for my garden, is to never forget my reading glasses, to read about each strain or variety – and most importantly – not to assume that the more familiar named seed companies will provide the best variety and quality. I had the most germination and best value from my Lavender Lanes etsy purchase. I am hoping that the Munstead Lavender, and Hidcote Lavender seedlings will last in my acidic decayed pine needle soil. These cultivars are known for their resilience in cooler climates and ability to thrive despite colder winters. Fingers Crossed!

Propagating Lavender from Seed or Cuttings?

Commercially – Lavender is more often started from cuttings. Cuttings grow true to their parent plants – and they root easily from either hard or soft wood cuttings. The peak season for taking cuttings is from June through September when the plant is active.

Growing Lavender from seed is a little more difficult – but can be done and is an economical method of producing plants. Besides – in the midst of winter – we don’t have any plants to start cuttings from do we? That’s when we start searching for seeds.

Starting Lavender from Seed

• I did not cold stratify or scarify my seeds – I just planted them in seed starting mix in propagating trays
• When the seeds germinated, they produced thin spindly little sprouts – not at all like the images I had seen online
• I overwatered – or should have taken the clear cover off of the propagation tray sooner on a few of my trays – and so lost a few batches to damping off
• Grow lights helped the little seedlings grow faster

I took a few pots of the little seedlings to our Northern cottage garden and planted them by the lake in sandy soil in late May.

Preparing the Soil

Lavender prefers soil that is light, well-draining, and slightly alkaline with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Before planting, amend heavy or clay soils with organic matter such as compost or sand to improve drainage and fertility. Ensure proper drainage to prevent waterlogging, as Lavender is susceptible to root rot in overly wet conditions.

My soil is not at all alkaline – as it is mostly composed of decayed wood chips, pine needles and blueberry plants. It is however – liberally mixed with sand, and my little seedlings are planted on a slight slope down to the lake!

When to Plant Lavender

The best time to plant Lavender in Zone 4 gardens is in the spring after the last frost has passed. Choose a sunny location with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Space Lavender plants 12 to 18 inches apart to allow for adequate air circulation and prevent overcrowding.

Watering and Maintenance

Once established, Lavender prefers to dry out between waterings, so avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. Mulch around the base of the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep mulch away from the crown to prevent rot.

So Far So Good

I don’t have a Lavender hedge or fields of Lavender. But my Lavender seedlings have survived planting so far! I have placed obstacles around them so that they are not trampled – as they are still so small.

I was happy to see a small Lavender plant – planted last fall among the pine needles, has survived the winter and is now blooming. I am still dreaming of Lavender and we will see how they grow.

Do you grow Lavender, and if so what kind – and what is your growing advice?

Happy gardening!

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