Lavender
Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and can be used in a variety of ways. Aside from the mainstream uses of lavender: soaps, oils, and candles, I often press lavender for crafts and gifts. I’ve even used it to garnish a birthday cake; hence, I needed to start a lavender supply.
I like to mix pressed lavender with dried clippings because it holds its color, while dried lavender keeps its scent.
English Lavender
In the spring my mom and I planted three varieties of English Lavender: Lavance Lavender, Hidcote Blue and Elegance Purple Lavender. We planted them on the patio, in full sun, as lavender thrives in well drained soil.
Pruning Lavender
English Lavender typically blooms from late spring to early summer, but if you keep up with trimming you can get blooms throughout the summer. In fact, if you trim the heads off of young plants as they bloom, it helps encourage the branches to form properly and into nicely shaped mounds. Once the lavender is established, and done blooming for the season, trim the strands by 1/3.
Pruning helps maintain the health of the plant and to avoid becoming dry and woody. Regardless of maturity, lavender should always be trimmed in the fall before a frost.
These are new buds that bloomed in August, after trimming in early summer
Hidcote Blue Lavender
The only variety that did not bloom for me yet is the Hidcote Blue Lavender. Hidcote Blue is smaller in size and has deep purple flowers. Hopefully I can get it to bloom before the fall!
English Lavender is a great perennial to have in Michigan because it’s hardy enough to withstand our cold winters.
