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GARDENER'S
READING ROOM
Perennials
Lavenders
 For
a water-wise planting, whether for edging, hedging, herb gardens
or container growing, choose Lavender species with their many
cultivars. Lavenders do best in lean soil with lots of sun
and good drainage. Hardiness (USDA Zones 5 - 9) generally
depends on avoiding wet winter soils. Species and cultivars
vary in growth habit, flower shape and color.
Below
is a list of common species and their varieties.
Lavandula
angustifolia
- (English Lavender) lants average 2 ft. tall with shorter
flower stems and flower heads. Cultivars include: 'Munstead',
compact up to 14" tall, with light blue flowers; 'Hidcote'
- 18" tall with dark blue flowers; 'Royal Velvet', developed
for cut flower growers. It has the deepest violet blossoms.
'Blue Cushion' is a nice dwarf variety with compact foliage
and a hedgehog like appearance. 'Twickel Purple' has fragrant
purple flower spikes that fan out around the plant.
Lavandula
x Intermedia
is an angustifolia and latifolia hybrid which has longer stems,
spike shaped flower heads, larger foliage and a stronger fragrance.
'Fred Boutin' has great gray winter foliage and violet flowers.
'Grosso' is fragrant, long blooming and has violet flower
spikes. 'Provence' is a repeat bloomer with mauve flowers.
Lavandula
lanata
- (Woolly Lavender) This species has soft silver white foliage
with bright purple flowers. Use this species in sheltered
sites. Crosses with L. angustifolia have resulted in various
cultivars. The foliage of 'Ana Luisa' is so downy the plant
almost looks white; she is topped with blue-lavender flowers
with silver calyces. 'Goodwin Creek' has deeply toothed woolly
leaves and lavender blue blooms all summer long. The superb,
felted gray foliage of 'Richard Gray' complements its lavender
blossoms. 'Silver Leaf' has soft silver white foliage with
small dark violet flower heads.
Lavandula
stoechas,
or Spanish Lavender, grows up to 3 ft. tall. Large squarish
flower heads look like tiny pineapples topped with rabbit
ears. Fragrance is somewhat between a true lavender and a
pungent rosemary fragrance. 'Blue Star' has very gray foliage
and lilac flowers topped with lavender blue bracts. In the
longest-lasting blossoms category, 'James Compton' wins hands
down; its violet blossoms are topped by smoky purple bracts.
The plump blossoms of 'Otto Quast' are purple with smoky purple
bracts. 'Papillon' has dark blue flowers with violet bracts.
The color of the night sky before dawn best describes 'Wings
of Night', its deep purple flowers topped with purple bracts.
As
we move into summer, our lavender selection increases by leaps
and bounds. Come see our complete selection of these and other
varieties.
By Heather Small & Sarah Garrison
Skylights Spring/Summer 2001, Vol 15, No. 2
Other
articles on perennials
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