Date: Fri 09-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Gardener-Bleach-lavender

Full Text:

(Gardener column on lavenders, 5/9/97)

Suburban Gardener-

Lavenders For Summer Fragrance

"Most people cherish in a few bushes of these dear, grandmotherly plants. Some

people still have the good sense to grow them as hedges on either side of a

path, or in clumps beside the front-door where you can pinch them as you go in

or out.

-Vita Sackville-West

By Anthony C. Bleach

Lavender is one of the most popular aromatic herbs. It holds its flowers up

high in spiky whorls on long stems. Colors range from deep purple through

lavender to rose or white, depending on the variety and soil.

Although it comes from warm climates, from the Canary Islands to India, some

species can grow here in good habit, texture and mass. Perhaps as Richard

Bacon wrote in a classic New York Times article ten years ago, "Like a good

bottle of wine, it only gets better with age."

Despite a reputation it must be grown heavily mulched if it is to survive any

winter north of Philadelphia, English Lavender (Lavandul angustifolia) is

unusually dependable and easy to grow much further north. It is 3 feet high

and slightly wider with violet-blue flowers. It can be used as part of a

traditional herb garden, as an effective hedge, or as part of the perennial

border.

After snowless or harsh winters, the two popular cultivars Hidcote and

Munstead may show signs of winterkill and root heave. But don't give up.

Lavender will look dead and brittle for a long time because it is one of the

last herbaceous perennials to become green again.

When that happens, prune out the head branches and shape it up.

Munstead and Hidcote are dwarf cultivars. Hidcote is about 20 inches tall,

round and compact with green rather than gray foliage. It has deep purple

flowers.

There is a dwarf cultivar, which is 12 inches. Munstead, named after Gertrude

Jekyll's garden in Surrey, has flowers described as deep heliotrope. Both make

excellent edging plants.

Another cultivar of English lavender is Rosea, which has delicate pink flowers

on 15-inch stems. At 24-inches high, L. x intermedia "Grosso" is the most

fragrant and perhaps the most prolific in flower. The tallest in the White

Flower Farm catalog is (L. x i.) "Provence," at three feet, with mauve blooms

that make a heady bouquet for the house. Flowering begins in July and

continues until September if the old spikes are removed.

To save lavender scent for winter sachets, harvest the stems just before the

blossoms open and hang them upside down in bunches out of direct sunlight.

This will force another, through lesser, bloom later in the summers.

The easiest way to propagate an established plant is to layer it. Bend a low

branch down to the ground, anchor it with a stone or a U-shaped piece of wire,

and cover it with soil. It will root at the point of contact.

Shoots layered in the spring will usually be rooted by the end of the growing

season and can be removed either in the fall or in the next spring before

growth starts. Then separate the young lavender from its parent with a sharp

knife and replant.

If you are looking for ideas for what or how to plant your garden, consider

reserving a space at one of several free gardening seminars at The Hidden

Garden in Bethlehem. The schedule is: "Edible Landscaping: Incorporating

Edible Plants into Traditional Landscaping," at 7:30 pm, on Wednesday, May 14;

and "Selecting and Growing Perennials and Annuals for the Shade," also at 7:30

pm, on Wednesday, May 21. Call the Hidden Garden to reserve a space at

266-5595, leaving a message and your phone number. The shop is at 5 Sunny

Ridge Road, on the corner of Main Street/Route 61.

The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden in Bethlehem has also released its

schedule of events planned between June and October. Included is "Gardening

for Fragrance" by Hitch Lyman, beginning at 11 am Saturday, June 14. Admissio

nis $20 admission, free to members. Advance registration is required for this

lecture on perennials and their maintenance. A tour of the garden is included.

"Keeping Up Appearances: The Colonial Revival in New England," co-sponsored

with the Litchfield Historical Society, will be Friday, June 20, 9 am to 6 pm.

Cost is $45. Contact LHS, 860/567-4501, to register.

Contact the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden at 266-7596 for details, or a

brochure on these and other events scheduled for later in the season.

(Anthony C. Bleach coordinates and teaches the horticulture degree program at

Naugatuck Valley College in Waterbury.)