Lavender

Laveder is an amazing plant. You can use it for so many things from sachets to soaps to cooking. The plant is pretty, the flowers are prettier....and the smell. Well, that is simply heavenly!! I love lavender. Been growing it around the house for years, but never really did anything with it until this year.....when my loving hubby suggested I start a small lavender farm. Yea!!!

So instead of putting my lavender plants in the ground hubby suggested I plant them in galvanized steel tubs and set them at the base of each fence post. This way they can be moved if needed....it's easy for him to trim around......they are above the reach of the daschunds.....and it looks pretty. Currently my lavender farm consists of six tubs.....and seven types of lavender. I have two Hidcote Giants plants which have their own pots. They will get to be rather large plants when fully mature. The plant actually looks like a ball with the flowers coming out at all angles on long stems (first plant pictured).

Aromatic Blue Lavender (second picture) and Grosso Lavender (not pictured) share a tub. I have two plants of each variety. They are smaller plants when fully mature....but have a large fragrance!

Buena Vista Lavender shares a tub with Ellagance Purple Lavender (third picture). I only have one plant of each variety. They, too, are fairly small plants when fully mature....but very pretty!!

My Spanish Lavender (fourth picture) has its own tub. It has doubled in size since I purchased it earlier this year. It's flowers are very unique. Instead of tiny blooms on a stalk (like the other lavender plants have), its flowers are in small ball shaped clusters with what looks like a pair of angel wings on top. Very, very pretty!! My only concern about it is how it will winter. It is not zoned for this area. I read that plants winter better in containers....so in a container it went. In a few weeks I plan on trimming it back, then covering it with burlap in hopes that it will do well over the winter. I would trim it back now, but I'm hoping it will self-seed. It is such a lovely plant........

In addition to the varieties listed above, I also have Munstead Lavender....which grows in abundance around the house. I started it all from seed years ago and have let it slowly spread around the house. Haven't really done much with it....until now. It has bloomed and gone to seed so I will go out and trim all the plants back....dry the trimmings...and use them over winter. I read that I can put the dried stem and leaves in the wood stove. They will burn emitting a lovely fragrance. What a lovely bonus!! 

I harvested my first bunch of lavender this morning. One of my Hidcote Giants was in full bloom. The other Hidcote Giant is still budding. I thought that the cooler temperatures we've had lately would slow the growth of my lavender down.....but it hasn't. With any luck I will get to harvest a few more bunches before first frost. I plan on using the dried lavender in small felted sheep.

The final picture is of my Sunflowers. The last color of the season. Aren't they pretty?? They have already started going to seed. I hope they self-seed and I get to enjoy their beauty once more next year.