Lavender Varieties For Zone 7

Here in N.C. we live in the Research Triangle Park area, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.  Lavenders are somewhat tricky as our climate is too hot for some varieties so one has to be careful which variety is chosen for your landscape and/or to micro manage those other varieties if you insist on having them.   Here’s a thumbnail sketch to guide you on plant selection.

Most people are familiar with what is called Lavender “Provence” which is the one you see the glorious fields of in the French landscape.  It does not do well here nor does what is commonly referred to as “English lavender”.  Also if the leaves on the lavender plant are fringed then my advice is to stay away from.  These can be planted in shady, cool, not as humid areas if you want to try to grow but location is very important.

Best for here are the varieties, “munstead”, “spanish”, “hidcote”, “lavendin”  as they enjoy our moist heat and stand the best chance of producing several sets of the long spiked lavender flowers.  Their habit is still very tight, mound like, and you can encourage more flowers by cutting back the new spikes to the body of the plant, thus encouraging new growth.

One of reasons also for cutting close to the mound is now you have long spikes with the flower on top and just bend the bottom half over the top where flower is.  You’ve created a “lavender wand” which you can swish into sink of warm water for delightful “lavender spritzer”.  Isn’t this fun???

Will be posting soon what you can expect for HerbFest, 2009.  Emphasis to be upon teaching kids where food comes from, and it’s not as most believe, the local Food Lion, Harris Teeter!!!  (:)

Last year as we entertained about 20 classes we saw the big disconnect between where food actually is grown and the child’s understanding of such.  This year we will emphasize more educating for all as that is course we are taking for the future of the HerbFest.

We even have an “Education Czaress”, Kathryn Spiegel who is setting up more and more speakers as I type away on this post.