Lavender and Bees
If you are a lavender lover and grower, you have discovered that if bees are nearby, they love lavender in bloom. Lavender and bees are, simply put, very good friends! There are varying thoughts on bees and the flavor of their honey, but since bees will travel up to 6.5 miles from their hive, unless you own half the county, few hives will have honey from only one source. But, simply put, bees love lavender in bloom, as they love anything in bloom where they can get nectar or pollen. While lavender growers have varying purposes for growing the type of lavender they grow or even the...
Read MoreTypes of Lavender that grow best in your region
Lavender loves full sun (at least 8 hours per day or more). Lavender’s native habitat is the area around the Mediterranean Sea which has dry, chalky/rocky ground, so it thrives on hot, dry, rocky, or sandy soil. Good drainage is a must – too much rain and it drowns. Some people have great success growing the hybrid Lavendula x-intermedia, var. Grosso, which tolerates the hot dry climate and produces a good and useful essential oil. This hardy hybrid is the workhorse in many fields throughout the world. Another lavender species that does well in cooler climates are the varieties of...
Read MorePruning lavender
There are many ways to prune lavender. ‘If you like roses you’ll love Lavender’ Lila Avery-Fuson says. ‘Lavender, like the rose does not like wet feet and loves to be cut hard, just remember the harder you cut it the more it shows!’ Her advice is to not be afraid to take it down each year within 2/3 of the root ball just after the last frost in spring. This will encourage new growth and a strong stem length along with a judicious application of fish emulsion. Sarah Richards says “Give lavender a 1 ½ green crew cut.” She says you measure the green from where the woody stems...
Read MoreLavendula x-Intermedia
Lavender species have been hybridized over the centuries. One type of hybrid, the x-intermedia (a cross between Lav. Angustifolia and Lav. Latifolia) contains many varieties, including “Grosso” which produces most of the world’s lavender essential oil. This oil is used primarily for scenting soaps and lotions. Another Lav. x-intermedia is “Provence” which is known for its wonderful dried bud scent. Provence is also used for cooking. Lav. x-intermedia hybrids are generally long-stemmed and the color of the flowers vary from deep purple to white. In general the oil...
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