On 2014-06-29 12:34:41 +0000, Indigo said:


On 29/06/2014 10:07, Sacha wrote:
While in Sussex we frequently saw a very deep coloured lavender which
wasn't known to us. We asked the head gardener at Batemans which it is
and he said that, to the best of his recollection, it's L. Hidcote.
There's no question of it being any L.Hidcote we know, so we wondered if
the soil conditions there make a big difference to colour? snip

In one bed where the 'soil' is nothing if not poor, sandy, shingly and
free draining I've got L. Hidcote and it's quite a deep purpley blue
shade - darker than Munstead.

Lavenders here do much better, keep a neater shape, have a stronger
scent and survive our Norfolk winters when grown pretty hard. It
wouldn't surprise me to learn that soil and climate affects the depth
of flower colour too. Interesting topic.

I think that pretty much clinches it, then. My hollyhock comment in
another thread also applies to those we saw in Norfolk a few years
back. They were practically weeds! As a matter of curiosity, do you
manage to grow lily of the valley? I've never succeeded with it and
those I know who do tell me that it loves poor soil and a friend of
ours has great masses of it in gravel.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon