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The Lavenders
I’m writing this little blip on the genus Lavandula (lavender) for many reasons, mostly because it seems many of you are confused by the array of choices out there and because by far it is one our top selling perennials. I hope that our information will make your Lavender choices easier next time you visit us at Islandscape. May we suggest printing out the varieties before you come, and also, while you’re at our nursery, you can check out our new Lavender display garden at the front of the nursery. Though lavenders have a long bloom season, (especially if you have multiple varieties planted) July through August are peak viewing times here in the San Juans. The best availability from us is usually from April through June, with the best selection in varieties and pot sizes, from 2” size up to 2 gallon sized plants. However, because of it’s popularity, we try to have a good amount in, as much as possible.
Lavender is a great plant choice for our area because it thrives here, as long as you provide a sunny, well drained site, and try to have the soil P.H. neutral or even abit higher. All varieties are fantastic in mass, and I especially like to seed annual poppies near my lavender plantings, especially the reds and dark pinks you get with both papaver rheos and somniferous types. Lavender is also quite deer resistant and drought tolerant, once established, though relatively short lived (about 7 years in ideal conditions.) You should cut back your plants at least annually to prevent a woody appearance, this can be done in late fall or very late Winter. Many lavenders will also reseed giving you lots of free plants, or to prevent this, cut back bloom spikes after they begin to fade.In our opinion, for this area, we recommend growing selected varieties from the following three groups:
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