Tom Wajda
Adams County
Master Gardener
There are more
than 300 varieties of hardy lavender
available today, so it is no surprise
that gardeners have a difficult time
choosing the right ones for their
particular situation and taste. Over the
past ten years, we have grown more than
100 varieties at our farm in Fairfield;
some do especially well in Adams
county's climate and soils.
Except as
otherwise noted, my "Top Ten" list is
made up of the L. angustifolia (narrow
leaf) species sometimes called English
lavender. We have found that the
angustifolias are much hardier than the
larger-leafed L xintermdedias (also
called lavandins); this species, which
includes Provence, Grosso, Dutch, and
Grapenhall, among others, seems
ill-suited for our winters.
Hidcote - A
favorite for more than 80 years, Hidcote
has superb dark blue blossoms and is the
hardiest lavender in our garden. It has
a great fragrance and dries well for
craft or culinary uses. It grows to
18-20 inches high and wide. Flowers are
on 7-8 inch stems. It makes a lovely
hedge.
Delphinensis -
An angustifolia subspecies, Delphinensis
has deep blue flowers on 9-10 inch
stems. One of the earliest bloomers, it
is excellent for drying. Rarely
available.
Croxton's Wild -
Planted in groups of four or five,
Croxton's Wild lends a shimmering
light-blue accent to the garden. The
blossoms have good fragrance and are
excellent cut flowers. However, they are
not recommended for drying.
Martha Roderick
- This little-known variety is a good
choice for container gardening as it
grows only about 15 inches high. With
strong purple blossoms and greyish
leaves, it makes a statement on the
patio or porch.
Munstead -
Another old favorite, Munstead has
medium purple blossoms with a slight
pink tint. It dries well and has an
excellent aroma. Unfortunately, plants
sold as Munstead often are grown from
seed. (Lavenders do not always "come
true" from seed, so the resulting plants
often differ from the original. To
ensure you are getting the lavender you
want, insist on plants grown from
cuttings.)
Spike (L.
spicata) - Spike lavender is the only
member of the spicata genus; it has
proved to be much hardier than the
various intermedias we have grown. Spike
grows to about 30 inches and has blue
flowers on 16-18 inch stems that are
ideal for making lavender wands. It
blooms in July, about a month later than
the other varieties listed here: it
often stays in bloom until frost.
Hidcote Giant -
All of the beauty of regular Hidcote but
on 12-14 inch flower stems. The blossoms
are not quite as prolific as some of the
other angustifolias and the plant is
less compact than its namesake. Good for
drying. Hard to find.
Nana
Atropurpurea - Nana (dwarf) grows only
12-15 inches high, but makes up for its
size with stunning purple blossoms. It
is a good plant for containers and also
for a low-growing perennial border.
Jean Davis -
Growers continue to search for the
perfect pink lavender. In the meantime,
Jean Davis fills the bill very nicely.
Its light pink blossoms are produced on
a fairly rounded 20 inch plant. It is a
good fresh cut flower, but does not dry
well. Sometimes confused with and sold
as Rosea.
Madeline Marie,
Rebecca Kay, Two Amys - Developed in
Adams county, these three varieties all
bloom in June and then have superb
second blooms beginning in mid-August.
Madeline Marie is a medium-sized plant
with blue blossoms and grey leaves.
Rebecca Kay is a more robust variety
growing to 22 inches. It has purple
blossoms and grey leaves. Two Amys is
the smallest of the three measuring in
at 15-16 inches. Its blossoms are blue
and its leaves green.
Whatever your
variety preference, there are three
basic rules for growing lovely
lavenders. First, although lavender will
do all right with six hours of sun a
day, it needs full sun to achieve its
true potential. Plant it in as open an
area as possible. Second, lavender wants
good drainage. If you have poor
drainage, try planting it on a somewhat
raised (7-10 inches) mound. Finally,
lavender needs a pH in the 7.0-7.3
range. Most of our soils are in the
6.0-6.5 range; the pH level can be
raised by the application of lime. Test
kits to help you determine how much lime
is needed are available at most
nurseries; they are of varying quality.
Soil sample kits available at the Penn
State Extension Office will give you a
thorough analysis for a very reasonable
price.
Read other articles on
flowers
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articles by Tom Wajda