BELMONT, N.Y. — As with most things, knowledge is power! To be a successful gardener you need to understand your plants needs, then apply a liberal amount of elbow grease and persistence.
As regards lavender, which is a Mediterranean plant, we have been told our winters were too cold to grow this beautiful fragrant plant. That is partly true. However, there are some varieties, such as Munstead and Hidcote which will thrive here if – IF – their feet are kept dry and if the pH is close to 7.
So, here’s the plan. Pick a spot where the rain water does not stand (in all seasons). For one plant, dump a bucket or two of sand and dig into the top 6-8 inches of soil – plant high (don’t be afraid if the soil mounds after adding two buckets of sand – that is a good thing). Mulch with 2 inches of pea gravel. Test your soil’s pH and add lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower it as the test indicates.
My lavender has a home in a 20 x 4 foot raised mound with a southern exposure (sun all day). It shares this space with other herbs and flowers (sage, thyme, pasque flower, and thrift) which thrive in a well-drained soil of neutral pH.
If you make your plants happy by attending to their growing needs, then you will be happy too.
–M.L. Wells, Master Gardener Volunteer
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County
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