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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Garden -> Lavender
Lavender: aromatic, old-fashioned, hardy
By Niki Hayden
 If you’ve searched mail order catalogues
for lavender plants, you may have been warned that many are not hardy in
Colorado’s zone 5 along the Front Range. That’s true for some tender
lavenders, but English lavender and the pine-scented "Provence" lavender
will thrive.
English lavender, the common Lavandula
angustifolia, is a misunderstood herb. It isn’t native to England at all,
but a misplaced transplant from the Mediterranean and a tough immigrant that flourishes in
Colorado.
The spiky-stemmed English lavender, with
square-shaped blossoms and distinctive fragrance, is a favorite of Kirsten Boyer,
who grows herbs, flowers and vegetables for the Boulder Farmers
Market in her Niwot garden.
“I grow lavender and yarrow in a gravelly
driveway with excellent drainage and not much water. I think lavenders that are
not making it may be experiencing too much winter moisture. Also, I use bark
mulch on anything in Colorado, although 3/8-inch gravel is also recommended.”
Drought-resistant and compact, the hardier
lavenders flourish in lean alkaline soil with little or no fertilizer. Dry climates are adored, and
the sturdy plants mix well with species or shrub roses and traditional herb
gardens.
The old-fashioned aromatic shrub, which once cleansed and healed ancient
Romans, belongs among the Mediterranean herbs from the oregano and mint family.
It’s believed to have been imported into England via the Romans.
The English claimed it for their own. By the time of the Renaissance,
cultivation was esteemed by none other than William Shakespeare who described
the herb as “hot” lavender.
As a culinary herb, you’ll find contemporary recipes for lavender
shortbread cookies and lavender ice cream, but true to Shakespeare’s “hot”
reference, the herb’s taste is intense and pungent.
Many of the Mediterranean herbs flourish in Colorado if you’re mindful of
our climate. Our winters are colder; winds are harsher. Only a few cultivars can
call Colorado home. Others must be grown as annuals. But those that can grow
here are longtime gardening favorites because our soil and arid climate mimic
their origins.
LAVENDER AND LAVANDIN THRIVE IN COLORADO SOILS
 The world’s greatest lavender producer
is France. Rows of
flowering lavandin decorate the Provence countryside and provide a cash crop.
The French cultivate lavandin to make a fragrant oil destined for perfume and
laundry soap.
Boyer grows both English and Provence lavenders successfully. English
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
includes both the popular hidcote blue and munstead varieties, the most winter
hardy of the family. And although lavender is associated with the color purple,
English lavender is available in pink, too.
Lavandin is a hybrid between L. angustifolia and L.
intermedia. With tough stalks and a sharper, almost camphor scent, lavandin
is a favorite for drying.
Northern New Mexico grower David Salman, from Santa Fe Greenhouses,
specializes in drought-resistant plants and raises eight lavenders. He believes
that five are hardy for our zone 5. All are either from Lavandula
angustifolia or Lavandula x intermedia:
‘grosso’ or ‘Provence’, ‘hidcote’, ‘nana’ (dwarf blue) and
‘Melissa’ (pink). But you'll also find Lavandula stoechas growing in
the Denver Botanic Gardens. With a feathery spike for a blossom, it's called "Spanish" lavender.
LAVENDERS REQUIRE EXCELLENT DRAINAGE AND FULL SUN
All lavenders prefer full sun and superior
drainage. They’ll benefit from winter mulching because our hot and cold spring
temperatures cause the ground to heave. The purpose of mulch is to keep the
ground cold so that hot spells don’t result in thawing plants too quickly.
Lavender is better off with a little compost mixed into garden soil and small
rocks are a boon. Heavy, wet clay is a disaster. And since lavender prefers what
is called “lean” soil, compost should be coarse, mostly to break up clay and
create drainage. Fertile, rich soil, the kind that vegetables crave, is not
recommended.
Most experts suggest purchasing the plant rather than attempting to grow from
seed because germination is often spotty. However, some growers are selling
"Lavender Lady" seed
that germinates easily.
Harvest lavender as soon as it blooms; tie the branches together (rubber
bands work well) and hang the bundles in a dry, cool room. Pruning the plants
encourages a denser, bushier appearance.
The Front Range is filled with micro climates. Lavender is one plant that may
flourish in one garden and languish in another. If the more tender lavenders
won’t survive your garden conditions, consider them as potted annuals that
will reward you with a perfumed patio.
Catch the
interview with aromatherapist Mindy Green and our recipes
for making
lavender-scented cosmetics.
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