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Growing Lavender

Every time I go to Fink Farms, I pause at the lavender bush by the garden gate. First, I take a deep breath to inhale the scent. Then I take a good look at all the activity in and around the bush.

The scent pushes the world back six feet, sets me back on my feet, centered and ready to go again. 

The sights – gold and black bees hovering over purple blossoms, the winking of white butterfly wings in the sage branches, and even humming birds pausing overhead -- remind me this isn’t just a plant, it’s a universe.

A good match

California’s climate matches lavender’s native Mediterranean roots. The bright sun and dry summers make lavender a natural for California gardens. There are more than 45 species of lavender with more than 450 varieties, so it’s easy to find one that suits your garden’s specific characteristics.

Colors range from white to pink to all variations of purple. The scent and the flowers draw in bees and butterflies. But it repels many pests such as fleas, mosquitos and flies as well as deer because of is high oil content. It is often grown with rose bushes because of its complementary colors and fragrances.

Lavender grows well with herbs such as echinacea (cone flowers), sage (Salvia), oregano, rosemary and artemesia. All these plants share a love of sun and well-drained soil that is only moderately fertile. You don’t need a lot of soil amendments or even water once they are well established.

Myriad of uses

As if it weren’t enough to be fragrant and beautiful, lavender can be used for so many things:
  • Bouquets, either dried or fresh. Pick the youngest stems for the best fragrance.
  • Dried buds for sachets or potpourri.
  • Cooking. The buds can be used whole or ground to flavor sugar, oils, butter, honey or as an extract. They can also be used with meats and savories or in teas and desserts. Taste the buds and see what appeals to you. Opinions on the best lavender for cooking are varied and subjective.
  • Crafts. Lavender wands and wreaths are lovely and easy to make.
  • Essential oils. Varieties of lavender differ in how much oil they produce and the characteristics of their scent. Think of the flower fields of Provence and French perfume.
  • Medicinal uses. Lavender has a reputation for all types of health benefits: reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, being antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, fighting fungal infections and wounds. One of the earliest recorded uses of lavender dates back to ancient Egypt where it was used in the mummification process.

Caring for lavender

Lavender plants love full sun and well-drained soil. While you may need to water the plants to get them started, once they are established, they don’t need much water.

Resist the temptation to add a lot of compost or manure. Lavender thrives in rocky sandy soil such as is found along the hills of the Mediterranean and the semi-arid areas of the North African coast.

 

Lavender plants flower in the summer. You should remove the dead blossoms both to make the plant look better and to encourage a second flowering. Young stems are best and most fragrant. Plants that are two years old or older should be pruned in the spring: cut the woody stems back by about a third.  This encourages new growth and better foliage and flowers.


If you leave the flowers on the plant, it will self-sow. Don’t try to divide the plant. You can propagate it by cutting a six-inch stem, removing the lower leaves, dipping the cut in rooting hormone powder and putting it in a pot filled with moistened soil or sand. Keep in partial shade and water until it is well rooted.

 

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