How To Grow And Use Fragrant Lavender Plants

First thing to remember is that Lavender requires full sun to grow well.
Choose a sunny spot, which means it has 6 hours or more of sun exposure.

Good drainage, is the next most important condition.
If your garden does not have good drainage, plant your lavender in a raised bed, or get the planting area built up so that the roots will not sit in waterlogged soil.

Prune your new plantings
Always good to strengthen the roots of new perennials, but especially helpful in establishing new lavender plants.

Keep moist, just not water logged. Even drought tolerant plants need moisture when newly planted, until the roots get established and grow deeper into the soil.

Lavender plants like a more alkaline soil, which means the soil pH is closer to a reading of 7. Don't know what this means? Some people call these soils "sweet" soil. An inexpensive kit can test your garden soil to see where it is on the pH scale. This soil information is good to know when planting many types of plants.



Is the pH lower than ideal? It is easy to correct with a little horticultural lime, available in many garden stores. If you have some wood ashes, those will do the job, too.

You can increase your plants by taking softwood cuttings and rooting them either in the garden or in pots. Lavender branches can also be simple layered by scraping the underside of a branch and holding it to the ground with a rock or a pinning wire until it roots into a new plant.
Find out all about methods of plant propagation.

Sometimes lavender plants will self-seed, although I have not found that to be reliable. If you have ideal conditions, it might be the case for your garden.

'Munstead' is best for tolerating summer heat.

'Hidcote' is best in a cooler climate, may not do well in the South.

'Sarah' is more diminutive in size than other L. angustifolia lavenders, yet with a good show of bloom. That should make it your choice for container growing.

The 'Lavandins' are better choices for warmer climate conditions.

Wreaths and Arrangements


Lavende
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One of the ways I loved using lavender was in a simple dried wreath. Whether heart shaped or circle, or even square for the avant garde, nothing is easier or more satisfying to create with your lavender. Simply cut branches of lavender and arrange on a form and allow to dry, or dry in bunches first, and then attach to a wreath form. Dried flower bouquets also benefit from the addition of lavender which retains its light purple flower color and adds fragrance to the arrangement.

Soaps and Scents


Soap and Lavender
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Just about everyone is familiar with the use of lavender to scent soaps. In fact, the name of lavender derives from the ancient Roman custom of using lavender when washing. Lavender's "late Latin name was lavandarius, from lavanda (things to be washed), from the verb lavare (to wash)" -Wikipedia knowledge.

Lavender Wands
Lavender Wands or "bottles" were beloved by Victorian ladies who carefully wove the stems together with ribbons and then used them to scent linens and repel insects from clothing.