The secrets
of Bleu Lavande

What climate should lavender be planted in?

True Lavender (angustifolia) can adapt to almost anywhere, but you will need a variety that is right for your region. Bleu Lavande, for instance, is located in Zones 4 and 5.

Do I need to protect my lavender for the winter?

If you always have a good layer of snow, that will suffice – snow is an excellent insulator. However, you may not… as our winters are often unpredictable, we can find ourselves with a January that has almost no snow and temperatures down to -30° C.

We recommend that you cover your lavender plants with straw or pine or spruce branches. Make sure that the plant is entirely covered with about 3 or 4 inches of mulch (10 cm). Do not use Styrofoam or dead leaves. This will ensure adequate protection for the entire winter.

What variety is best?

The best variety is the one you like the most!

Everything depends on your personal taste, as there are lots of factors to consider when choosing lavender: smell, flowering, shape, size, leaves, adaptation to the earth, etc.

In our experience, we find the following varieties are best suited for our climate: Munstead, English, Hidcote, Twickle Purple, Rosea, Provence and Grosso.

What soil is needed?

Almost any kind of soil can suit lavender, except rich soils that produce a beautiful ball of green lavender without flowers. The ideal earth is light and well drained, even rocky. If your soil is heavy and humid, build a little hill and add gravel and sand to allow water to drain easily. Don’t forget that lavender likes to keep its feet dry!

Does lavender need watering?

In the first summer, when you plant young lavender plants, it’s important to water them well to make sure they develop good roots. Be sure to let the earth dry between each watering. In subsequent years, let Mother Nature do her work. In a long dry spell, it may be  necessary to water the plants well around the base of the roots.

*A cultivar is a variety of plant created and maintained through selection.

Can lavender be mixed with other flowers?

Lavender only likes lavender – if you have other perennials close by, they’ll inevitably suffocate your lavender.

If you really want lavender in your garden, we recommend that you not plant anything else in a radius of 24 inches (60 cm), as your lavender will need all that space within three years. If you plant several lavender plants in a group, keep a distance of 24 inches (60 cm) between each plant.

Does lavender flower all summer?

Lavender flowers for six to eight weeks, depending on the type. Minstead and Hidcote flower early in July and stop at the beginning of August, while English, Grosso and Provence varieties flower most often in the third week of July and continue to the end of August or beginning of September.

Do you trim lavender? When, and how much?

Once the flowering season is over and the flowers have dried, you should trim the plant with scissors, cut all the stems and shape the plant into a ball. Generally speaking, we remove about a third of the lavender plant: the entire flower stem down to the foliage. It is very important to disinfect your scissors before cutting to prevent the spread of disease. The cut should take place at the end of August.  If not, you should wait for spring.

In the spring, lightly trim your plant just before vegetation starts growing to remove all the dried parts.

Can lavender be grown in a pot?

You can grow lavender in a pot for about two years. After this period, it is better to transfer it to the soil outside, as its roots will be constrained by the pot borders.

Roots in the soil will extend as far as its visible foliage.