I'm getting rid of all the grass and replacing it with "good stuff". I already have Province and Munstead lavender in my rock garden. I've heard from some of you about Grosso and Hidcote. What has your personal experiences been re lavender with the best scent?
Same question - but Rosemarys this time. I don't even know what type I have in my yard...got it from Walmart and it's thriving. Love the smell...not as much as lavender but it's a great 2nd place in my book.
Look forward to "hearing" from you!
Lavenders & Rosemarys - your fav for fragrance
Ah come on guys....NO one has any opinion on this? :(
Too hot here to grow any good Lav here and my Rosemarys don't like me died shortly after planting it had blue flowers, smelled good too. I love lavenders I woul like to find an attractive one to take the heat of southern LA!
Caren
Hi there,
I've grown all those, they all seem pretty fragrant to me (the lavender, that is).
Different lavender question-- I have a type of lavender that is special for part-shade, and it does really well, I've had it for 10 years or so. But I forgot the name of it and where I bought it!
Maybe you know of a shade-adapted lavender?
Thanks.
I have fernleaf lavendar which can handle AZ sun and rosemary which grows like weed here. I am fond of both!!
I'm with heavinscent. I can't grow either one here in Ga :(
Chantell,
I grow Provence, Munstead, Hidecote (sp?), Lady, Sarah, Spanish Lavender and some others. Provence is just great for fragrance...I think it's the one actually used for perfumes and such. The best fragrance I get is from a white lavender, of all things, and since it came with the house, I don't know the name. The Spanish lavenders that I have smell pretty great, too. All the varieties I listed to have some fragrance, and the Lady and Sarah varieties are more compact than the others.
HTH,
Larisa
Larisa - thank you!! One that I got in and planted is showing little white flowers...will have to do the "rub test" on it and compare it to my Provence.
Oh, d'oh, I've never 'rub-tested' it. I park just a few feet from it when I come home at night, and I can smell it when I get out of the car. It's soft, not as sharp a smell as, say, munstead, but I guess it wafts a little when the evening breeze picks up. I think everyone should consider having a lavender somewhere near their front door :D ..or maybe a jasmine.
Edited because I spelled it lavendar. again :/
This message was edited Jun 9, 2006 11:02 PM
I have both and must say.....ahhhhhhh.......
I noticed one of my Spanish lavenders today had a minty tone to the smell, sorta medicinal but very nice! I think it's Otto Quasti (sp?)
To Heavinscent and Berrygirl-- maybe it's not the heat but the humidity? A lot of lavender comes from hot places-- Provences, southern Spain, but those places are more like So. California than LA (the state, not the city) or GA in climate. One tip I've just learned is to keep watering and fertilizing to a minimum for lavender. Never knew that.
Have you tried ordering Provence lavender from nurseries in your zones? And maybe where you both are, plant in part-shade instead of full-sun will help. Worth a try?
They definately don't like to be over watered...I rarely water mine!! They seem to deal with our nasty humidity...but I'm sure your's is worse. I did add pelleted lime to mine this spring and they have grown like you wouldn't believe....amazing. The provence isn't as hardy as others i.e. munstead but I do have a good size patch of it growing in my rock garden....all of mine are in full sun at least 8 hours a day.
I've tried many Lavenders, most didn't make it longer than a year or 2 here with our winters. I've had Twickle for a few years now but it has never bloomed and the foliage has a more camphorus smell. Munsted I've had for 10 years and is a favorite second only to Grosso 'Fat Spike'. If you like to save or craft with your lavender, Grosso has long, strong stems that hold their fragrance for a very long time ~ 2 - 3 years for me.
I know I ordered Grosso...just not sure which is which out there since the lovely pup knocked the name tags out and they all got mixed up....UGH!!
If it helps at all, my Grosso is decidedly more gray than Munstead.
Thanks Moby...I'll have to check and see...I think the Hidcote is rather gray in color too...hmmm...definately have to check
I tried lavendar one time and it died. I guess it's too hot here. I've read about some that can take the heat better so I might try again sometime. I have Rosemary. Don't know the name. It has grown almost like a hedge and seldom blooms. A big disappointment. It does smell good though. I plan to move it this fall and get it out of one of my front gardens. It's almost invasive here for me.
Lin
Lin,
I had problems finding ones that were hardy enough for our bit of cold we get plus they didN'T seem to like too much moisture...funny, you're trying to find the opposite. I'll have to find that website for the folks I bought my lavender off of for you...at home...so I'll post later.
Chantell I would love to take a look at that website. I am always looking for pretty fragrant plants that can stand our heat here in Tx. Even in the shade it's hot! lol
Lin
Lin,
Found it!!! http://www.bramblebank.com/lavenderpage.html
Very nice folks...good selection...fast reasonable shipping...small plants. Just FYI's :)
Chantell
Thanks so much Chantell. I'll have fun looking and reading about all the lavendar. Maybe I will find one that will grow here in my zone 8b.
Lin