What's going on with my lavander?

[foxglove]

Does anyone know about lavender? This winter 1/2 mine died. I had a beautiful lavender
garden and this year 1/2 of it didn't come back.

 

[Snowwark]

Welcome home, Foxglove!

I don't know what could be wrong with it, Virginia, but I'm hoping one of our other lavender growing Buds might have some ideas.

In the meantime, here's a link with lots of info on Lavender planting and care, that you might find interesting.

Lavender

Any ideas Buds?

 

[gina2000]

My lavender is tempermental, also. Usually a good shearing in the spring brings alot of it back....it always goes so dormant in the winter it looks DEAD! If you don't shear it, the bottom always looks scraggily.

I hope yours comes back, Foxglove! I love the scent, the flowers, the daintiness.....!

 

[Snowwark]

Hmmm...another thought, Foxglove. The month of May was one of the wettest on record, and lavender doesn't like that. I wonder if that might be the problem?

 

[sorcerormickey]

I had a lot of trouble with my lavender this spring too. I usually cut it back by about half, but it was showing no signs of renewal. I finally cut it down to just about 2 inches, and it is bouncing back nicely. With all the crazy weather we had this winter/spring, it is a miracle that anything is growing normally. Good luck!

 

[Mamu]

It was a tough winter here, lots of ice and snow. Mine did not come back. I think the ice cover smothered it. I lost a lot of plants this past winter.

 

[foxglove]

Thanks for the info. on Lavender. I don't feel so bad about losing some of it, since I'm not the
only one. The main plant is over 30 years old and was transplanted from the cottage, in
Oliphant, Ont. It survived. Also I have a lot of new sprouts growing in the grass next to the
lavender patch! I cut some of the dead stuff away and maybe next year I'll be lucky and
and more will come back. I have a recipe for Lavender cookies, with lots of butter and
just the dried flower of the Lavnder. They're like taking a big breath of lavender!

 

[gina2000]

OOOOOOOHHHH!!!

Canyou post the lavendar cookie recipe??? Sounds luscious!

 

[Tulirose]

I just happened to read this from a garden book the other night. I didn't check Snowwark's link so I don't know if it was mentioned there but it kinda goes along with what was already said about our rainy spring:

One exception to this rule (The reading was about mulching.) is mulching around lavender plants. These Mediterranean herbs demand good drainage and don't appreciate the extra moisture from organic mulches. A 1-inch layer of white sand or gravel right around the base of each lavender plant will help keep these aromatic herbs healthy and dry.

Hope this helps in some small way.