Live, Love, Laugh-vender
We all love the calming aroma of lavender in a garden! But how do you grow it?
Step 1: Choosing the seed🌿
It all starts with choosing the right kind of lavender. If you live in rainy and cold freezing weather, choose a hardy lavender. Hardy means it can stand up to the cold freezing temperatures. You also want to consider if you are planting the lavender inside or outside. Most types of lavender like to grow in well drained soil(drier soil)
Take hyssop lavender for an example, it is considered to have a hardiness zone of 4-8. This means that it can withstand cold temps up to -35° F and you wouldn't need to use winter protection.
Step 2: Prep🌱
As mentioned before you want to check your soil. Mixing sand into the soil allows water to drain better and makes sure that there really isn't moisture left over. Lavender does not do well with wet conditions, but there are varieties that suit high heat and humid conditions. You also want to start by germinating and growing a sprout and then moving it outside(or keep it inside but it isn't ideal).
Step 3: Plant🪴
Plant them pretty far apart because they're a bush plant and some varieties can grow pretty big. Putting a little compost or organic matter into the hole(before planting) will give a boost! Some people say that the acidity of the soil matters since lavender prefers slightly alkaline soil but I wouldn't worry too much about it if you add sand in. A little baking soda helps shift the soil to alkaline if you are really worried!
Step 4: Ignore it!
This sounds horrible, but lavender barely needs water. Similar to cactus, moisture kills them and the roots of lavender is sensitive to root rot. Probably watering once a week or even every two weeks should be fine. You can tell if you are over-watering if the leaves turn yellow.
The school courtyard originally had some lavender but now it's not there. It might've been pulled out so I'm planning to replant some this spring! Lavender is great for attracting pollinators and also brightening up the garden. I plan to use Lavender Hyssop which can tolerate moist soils. This gives me a little leeway because the soil in the courtyard is pretty moist. It is also heat tolerant so it has great versatility for where we are. It attracts bees and pollinators which is going to be absolutely fantastic for the garden! I really hope to see more of the pollinating bees back.
