Jim said:

Eggs Zachtly wrote:

Jim said:

anyone here got any experience with growing Lavender?

In a bed?

I want to try them first in a bed.

If it's a large area, you can get by with fewer plants and soil-layer them
at planting. They layer quite well.


In a container?

if they smell as good as I've been lead to believe then
I want to try transplanting them from the bed into containers.

Rather than transplant, just take cuttings from either softwood or
semi-hardwood. Most people would try something in a container first, /then/
in a bed, imo. Lavender does well in either, though. Mine went from
hayracks on my deck, to the mailbox.

As far as aromatics go, I prefer Jasmine (specifically J. nitidum) in a
container on my deck. The fragrance is much more "intoxicating". In your
zone, it would even do much better than mine (5b). May be something else
you want to try. =)


What cultivar?

I'm still researching that. looking into what will do well
in central NC. I'm doing some web searches [ask.com] and
was hoping you'd be the one to impart with what knowledge
you possess on this topic.

Lavandula angustifolia would be a good choice for starters. You may also
find it aka L. vera or L. officinalis. The flowers are quite fragrant, and
most likely the one you're "thinking of". It's fairly low maintainance.
After mine bloom, I deadhead them, and usually get a second bloom. In the
early spring, I'll prune them back to about 8-10" just to keep them in a
nice shape. This isn't necessary, though. I do mine because they're in a
"mailbox garden". It's a bit more of a "formal" location. It's water needs
are fairly low, and it's not a heavy feeder.



Give it lots-o-sun. =)

yes.

what soil type and preferred drainage do
they like?

pH anywhere from 6.1 to 8.5 (mildy acidic to alkaline) should do fine. I'm
pretty sure you should have that covered, HEH. Make sure the soil drains
well. It doesn't like really wet conditions.

--

Eggs

A watched clock never boils.