I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, wrote
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

wrote:
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Lavenders are much happier being dry than wet. You are more likely to kill
a lavender in ap ot by overwatering than by underwatering.

As far as pruning goes, you may have left it too late. If lavenders become
straggly and woody, and you try to prune by cutting them down a long way,
they are usually very reluctant to regenerate from the bare wood. If you
have some branches with leaves, you would be better off taking cuttings from
them. One other way is to put the pot in a much deeper pot, and cover the
stem for a few inches in well-drained soil. That usually causes the
lavender to form new roots from the branches which have been buried. The
newly-rooted plants can then be cut up to form several new plants. I'm not
sure about doing that at this time of the year, though. I'm sure someone in
the newsgroup can comment accurately on that.

--
Jeff

wrote in message
...
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks


Hi Vicky,

Lavenders will not sprout from old wood, so if you're looking at bare wood
then I think you need to start again. Your lavenders will sprout again from
healthy green shoots that survive the winter, but not on bare wood below
that.

If you start again next year with fresh young plants, try and give them more
sun and a high potash fertiliser (not too much), both of which will
encourage flowering. After flowering, shear back the flowers to the point
where you can see good healthy green shoots lower down. If you do this
every year, you should stay in control for a while. Note, though, that
lavenders aren't long-lived plants and may need replacing after about 5
years.

Spider

On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, Spider wrote
wrote in message
...
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks


Hi Vicky,

Lavenders will not sprout from old wood, so if you're looking at bare wood
then I think you need to start again. Your lavenders will sprout again from
healthy green shoots that survive the winter, but not on bare wood below
that.

I have to say that that hasn't been my experience, and jolly surprised I
was too. It's true with old plants that have got very woody (like my
mother's ten-year-olds, which flourish but are now small trees), but not
with our plants that are four or five years old - come spring, ours send
out little grey tufts from the woody base, and when the sprigs are
looking established we can cut down to just above them. Perhaps it's a
particular kind? I can't remember what they were, I thought Hidcote but
may well be wrong.



--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

"Kate Brown" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, Spider wrote
wrote in message
...
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been
there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks


Hi Vicky,

Lavenders will not sprout from old wood, so if you're looking at bare wood
then I think you need to start again. Your lavenders will sprout again
from
healthy green shoots that survive the winter, but not on bare wood below
that.

I have to say that that hasn't been my experience, and jolly surprised I
was too. It's true with old plants that have got very woody (like my
mother's ten-year-olds, which flourish but are now small trees), but not
with our plants that are four or five years old - come spring, ours send
out little grey tufts from the woody base, and when the sprigs are looking
established we can cut down to just above them. Perhaps it's a particular
kind? I can't remember what they were, I thought Hidcote but may well be
wrong.
--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot
org dot uk if you want to reply personally


Yes, you're quite right, Kate; I've had that experience, too. However,
Vicky seemed not to admire the "straggley-looking .. quite woody" appearance
of her plants and, since they're by her front door, I can quite understand
that. Of course, she still has the option of moving her potted lavenders to
the back garden to experiment on. My advice was aimed at prettying up {new
verb! :~)} her frontage next summer. Since her front door is in the shade,
she could try pots of fuchsia, begonia or impatiens instead, although - with
the exception of a hardy fuchsia - these will need winter protection or
replacing each summer. Any lavender, unfortunately, is going to become
leggy in shade, so that doesn't seem like an option.

Incidentally, I've found that a number of lavenders produce spriggy growth
on oldish wood, so it may not be due to L. 'Hidcote' or other cultivar.
However, I lost my L. dentata in its first winter; whether that's down to me
or that particular species, I don't know. I'm currently growing a L.
stoechas form in my front garden (SE London), and I know they're not as
hardy as the English lavender, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Spider

On Oct 26, 7:18*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, *wrote



I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. *They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. *(they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. *How far should I cut them back? *I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. *That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. *We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. *However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.

Judith

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Judith in France wrote
On Oct 26, 7:18*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, *wrote



I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. *They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. *(they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. *How far should I cut them back? *I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. *That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. *We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. *However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.


That's right, you have to wait until early spring to see - if they are
producing sprigs from the woody base, you can cut down to just above
those. Keep an eye out. It surprised me to see this happen the first
time as I thought the woody bits would remain bare. The plants were
about three years old then. I've never spotted such sprigs on the
lavender we have in France, but that may be because we aren't there
quite early enough in the year (ancient cottage means ancient drafts and
no central heating!) - it's possible that it sprouts but the sprouts die
off.


--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Spider wrote:
that. Of course, she still has the option of moving her potted lavenders to
the back garden to experiment on.

Ah, should have thought of that before I potted up the winter cyclamens
and pansies in the same pot!

My advice was aimed at prettying up {new
verb! :~)} her frontage next summer. Since her front door is in the shade,
she could try pots of fuchsia, begonia or impatiens instead, although - with
the exception of a hardy fuchsia - these will need winter protection or
replacing each summer. Any lavender, unfortunately, is going to become
leggy in shade, so that doesn't seem like an option.

That makes sense, I had assumed it was the lack of water (I know
lavender are meant to be drought-resistant, but I do sometimes take
things to an extreme with my neglect!) not the lack of light. I've had
mixed success with the busy lizzies this year, and my begonias were
poor, but I may give it another go next year. All my lovely non-hardy
fuchsias died last winter despite being in the greenhouse. :-

On Oct 27, 2:22*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Judith in France wrote



On Oct 26, 7:18*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, *wrote

I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. *They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. *(they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. *How far should I cut them back? *I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. *That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. *We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. *However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.

That's right, you have to wait until early spring to see - if they are
producing sprigs from the woody base, you can cut down to just above
those. *Keep an eye out. *It surprised me to see this happen the first
time as I thought the woody bits would remain bare. *The plants were
about three years old then. *I've never spotted such sprigs on the
lavender we have in France, but that may be because we aren't there
quite early enough in the year (ancient cottage means ancient drafts and
no central heating!) - it's possible that it sprouts but the sprouts die
off.

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Interesting Kate, I'll bear that in mind for the next lavender hedge.
I lost a beautiful lavender last year, a French one, I have no idea
why.

Judith

On Oct 27, 2:50*pm, wrote:
Spider wrote:
that. *Of course, she still has the option of moving her potted lavenders to
the back garden to experiment on. *

Ah, should have thought of that before I potted up the winter cyclamens
and pansies in the same pot!

My advice was aimed at prettying up {new
verb! :~)} her frontage next summer. *Since her front door is in the shade,
she could try pots of fuchsia, begonia or impatiens instead, although - with
the exception of a hardy fuchsia - these will need winter protection or
replacing each summer. *Any lavender, unfortunately, is going to become
leggy in shade, so that doesn't seem like an option.

That makes sense, I had assumed it was the lack of water (I know
lavender are meant to be drought-resistant, but I do sometimes take
things to an extreme with my neglect!) not the lack of light. *I've had
mixed success with the busy lizzies this year, and my begonias were
poor, but I may give it another go next year. *All my lovely non-hardy
fuchsias died last winter despite being in the greenhouse. *:-

Always give it another go, that's the only way we get it right.

Judith

"Judith in France" wrote in message
...
On Oct 27, 2:22 pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Judith in France wrote



On Oct 26, 7:18 pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, wrote

I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but
they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been
there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't
get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well
as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with
lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.

That's right, you have to wait until early spring to see - if they are
producing sprigs from the woody base, you can cut down to just above
those. Keep an eye out. It surprised me to see this happen the first
time as I thought the woody bits would remain bare. The plants were
about three years old then. I've never spotted such sprigs on the
lavender we have in France, but that may be because we aren't there
quite early enough in the year (ancient cottage means ancient drafts and
no central heating!) - it's possible that it sprouts but the sprouts die
off.

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot
org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Interesting Kate, I'll bear that in mind for the next lavender hedge.
I lost a beautiful lavender last year, a French one, I have no idea
why.

Judith

"Judith in France" wrote in message
...
On Oct 27, 2:22 pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Judith in France wrote



On Oct 26, 7:18 pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, wrote

I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but
they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been
there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't
get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well
as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with
lavender -
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out of
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting back
fairly hard. That means by about March we've been able to cut off all
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. We cut back as in England, but there
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. However, the
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.

That's right, you have to wait until early spring to see - if they are
producing sprigs from the woody base, you can cut down to just above
those. Keep an eye out. It surprised me to see this happen the first
time as I thought the woody bits would remain bare. The plants were
about three years old then. I've never spotted such sprigs on the
lavender we have in France, but that may be because we aren't there
quite early enough in the year (ancient cottage means ancient drafts and
no central heating!) - it's possible that it sprouts but the sprouts die
off.

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot
org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Interesting Kate, I'll bear that in mind for the next lavender hedge.
I lost a beautiful lavender last year, a French one, I have no idea
why.

Judith


Hi Judith,

The French lavender, L. Stoechas, is less hardy than the English type. Your
garden was under snow last winter, if you remember, so I think that is your
explanation.

Spider

On 2009-10-27 16:39:28 +0000, Judith in France
said:

On Oct 27, 2:22*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Judith in France wrote



On Oct 26, 7:18*pm, Kate Brown wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009, *wrote

I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but th
ey
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. *They've been
there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. *(they don'
t get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water
,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. *How far should I cut them back?
*I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well
as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Am v far from being an expert, but have had good results with lavender
-
not in pots but in the infrequently watered front garden. I've been
cutting back a bit but not viciously, then waiting until spring to see
where the sprouts are sprouting from. It's standard to say don't cut
into the woody stem, but if there are good little sprouts coming out o
f
the woody bases then once they look established we've been cutting bac
k
fairly hard. *That means by about March we've been able to cut off a
ll
last year's straggly bits, leaving a fresh growth that has grown and
flowered through until September.

This didn't work with some lavender (same variety) we had in France,
which had just gone a bit too far. *We cut back as in England, but t
here
were no sprouts from the woody stems, and the plants remained very
straggly and not very elegant, even when in full bloom. *However, th
e
bees still adored them!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Once, years ago I hacked at a low Lavender hedge that was out of
control, I took it down substantially, it never recovered, it
remained, straggly.

That's right, you have to wait until early spring to see - if they are
producing sprigs from the woody base, you can cut down to just above
those. *Keep an eye out. *It surprised me to see this happen the firs
t
time as I thought the woody bits would remain bare. *The plants were
about three years old then. *I've never spotted such sprigs on the
lavender we have in France, but that may be because we aren't there
quite early enough in the year (ancient cottage means ancient drafts and
no central heating!) - it's possible that it sprouts but the sprouts die
off.

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne do
t org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Interesting Kate, I'll bear that in mind for the next lavender hedge.
I lost a beautiful lavender last year, a French one, I have no idea
why.

Judith

Possibly too tender for your altitude in winter? It's not as tough as
some. I think that if I were you, I'd grow it in well-drained pots
then bring it into a frost-free but light place for the winter. And
there's always the possibility that if it did survive the cold, its
roots would rot off as the snow melts. Some friends of mine in another
part of France had an Albizia julibrissin for many years but lost it
that way after exceptional snow falls that took a long time to melt.
Its roots were too wet for far too long.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

wrote in message
...
Spider wrote:
that. Of course, she still has the option of moving her potted lavenders
to
the back garden to experiment on.

Ah, should have thought of that before I potted up the winter cyclamens
and pansies in the same pot!


! :~) Sorry I didn't think of it earlier. Perhaps you could replant before
they get settled in.


My advice was aimed at prettying up {new
verb! :~)} her frontage next summer. Since her front door is in the
shade,
she could try pots of fuchsia, begonia or impatiens instead, although -
with
the exception of a hardy fuchsia - these will need winter protection or
replacing each summer. Any lavender, unfortunately, is going to become
leggy in shade, so that doesn't seem like an option.

That makes sense, I had assumed it was the lack of water (I know
lavender are meant to be drought-resistant, but I do sometimes take
things to an extreme with my neglect!) not the lack of light. I've had
mixed success with the busy lizzies this year, and my begonias were
poor, but I may give it another go next year. All my lovely non-hardy
fuchsias died last winter despite being in the greenhouse. :-


If you try a fuchsia next year, consider planting F. 'Mrs Popple'. It is a
hardy one with good crimson and purple flowers, and it is readily available
in summer. It will look a bit sad in winter, so you may need to plant up
two winter pots and swap them over at the turn of the season. The fuchsia,
however, will start to sprout again in late spring and, provided you feed
and water it (!), it will get better each year. You could always underplant
it with Begonia semperflorens, the fibrous-rooted begonia, which would not
steal too much root space from the fuchsia. Or, in a bigger pot, you could
try one of the pendulous tuberous begonias, which would trail attractively
and disguise the pot.

Spider