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Vital Facts: Lavender likes a sunny spot, with good drainage. There is no one who doesn't tire of it's fragrance, the ease of maintaining it, or the varieties in which you can spice up your garden with. There are over 123 cultivated varieties, a quarter of them cold hardy enough to grow up on the hill. Maintenance includes clipping fragrant old blooms in the winter before spring growth to keep the plant from getting too woody. This is a great one for people on the go during summers, as it likes to be deep watered once or twice a month, and only really hates wet feet from overwatering. Mulching in the fall can help keep roots insulated from the cold in higher elevations (over 3000 feet).
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Helpful Hints:
To further prevent deer from munching on this fragrant plant in the mint family, make sure to grow it hard, meaning to let it dry out between waterings. This makes any plant in the mint family (Lavender, Sage, Rosemary) increase the amount of fragrant oil as a defense against the sun and predators, such as deer.
A Few Fun Facts:
It is thought that the name of the plant comes from the Latin lavare, to wash, since the Romans used to bathe in lavender-scented water. Legend has it that the Romans brought it to Britain where lavender is now cultivated in masse. It has many uses: the flowers are edible for teas, honey, and other flavorings; the stems and flowers make wonderful potpourri and laundry freshener.
Suggestions:
Some of the lavenders we can suggest for the Groveland area include: Sweet Lavender (foliage is scented as well as flowers, but can get woody faster), English Lavender (the grey-green standard that blooms all season), Hidcote (bright blue flowers that bloom repeatedly and in masse), Lady Lavender, a low groundcover, and Spanish Lavender (smaller bush with small dense leaflets with ornate blooms in spring and fall.)
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