Cooking Medley mixed planter

This planter has been a long-standing favorite among customers! It’s chock full of cooking herbs, and the flavors are well-suited to Italian and French cooking.

Contents:

Thyme: either ‘Tabor’ or English

Sage: ‘Grower’s Friend’

Oregano: Greek

Rosemary: either Prostrate, ‘Taurentius’, or ‘Tuscan Blue’

French Tarragon

Chives

Care:

This planter is relatively small, but contains a lot of plants; water daily so that nobody dries up!

All the plants in this planter require sun. It’s been very popular as a windowsill garden, and would work equally well on a wide railing or on a patio table. Keep it somewhere handy, so that you can harvest it easily for use in the kitchen. Using it is actually better for the plants– trimming off topmost leaves and stems will encourage growth further down the stem (ie more branches), increasing the amount you’ll be able to use!

Using the herbs in this planter:

Most recipes will tell you what herbs are needed. However, if you’re freestyling or just looking to spice up a bland dish, here are some hints on matching flavors.

Oregano is great on pizzas and combines well with tomatoes, olives, onions, and garlic. Pair with basil for a simple but effective seasoning blend. Oregano’s flavor changes as it dries, and it is typically used dried instead of fresh.

Rosemary is superb for flavoring meats and works well in soup or stew. Add to stuffing. Bake into bread. Infuse in oil or vinegar for a flavorful dressing or sauce base. Add flowers to salad. Drink as tea.

Thyme can be used to flavor fish, meats, stuffings, cooked vegetables, and soups/stews. Infuse in oil or vinegar. It’s an ingredient in classic spice blends like bouquet garni and herbes de Provence. Thyme has a somewhat similar flavor to oregano; use it instead of oregano on pizza for a subtly different taste.

Sage is another great herb for flavoring meats, especially pork. Also good for stuffing, soup/stew, for flavoring cheese, and absolutely delicious as tea.

Tarragon goes well with chicken and egg dishes, can be used in dressings in sauces (such as Béarnaise and tartar), and infused in oil or vinegar. Try in omelettes and potato salad. The flavor is quite strong even though the leaves are small– use sparingly, and add more to taste if needed.

Chives are incredibly versatile. They complement potatoes and eggs; add to baked potatoes, potato salad, omelettes. Good for flavoring butters and cheeses. Chop finely and use as a garnish. Mix with sour cream for a simple but tasty dip. Try substituting for garlic or onions if you want a milder flavor or a bit of color. Flowers can be used whole or in pieces atop salads and other dishes (and they’re a delicate purple, great for making a tasty dish pretty as well). Best used fresh; a better alternative to drying is to chop finely and freeze.

*Use fresh or dried, although if using dried you will need to use more. Why? In most cases some of the oils that are responsible for flavor will evaporate during the drying process, resulting in decreased flavor.

*When adding herbs to hot dishes, you’ll get better flavor by adding them towards the end of cooking than at the beginning. Adding them at the beginning gives those oils more time to dissipate.

Some great recipes: AllRecipes.com> Herbs

Sage

Perennial?

Yes:  Salvia officinalis (common sage) varieties-  ‘Elephant Ear’, ‘Grower’s Friend’, ‘Hybrid #4′, Golden bicolor (‘Icterina’), Purple (‘Purpurascens’), ‘Tricolor’

No (annual):  S. elegans (pineapple sage) varieties-  ‘Honey Melon’, ‘Scarlet Pineapple’, ‘Scarlet Tangerine’

Four Salvia officinalis varieties visible

Sun vs Shade?

Full sun, all kinds.

Recommended for cooking?

‘Grower’s Friend’ is an all-around terrific plant and my favorite sage. Classic, strong sage flavor is a little sweet, and not at all bitter. It gets big and should be able to keep up with all your kitchen needs and favorite recipes. Purple sage probably comes in second with flavor. The other two green varieties, ‘Elephant Ear’ and ‘Hybrid #4’, seem to have a more bitter, almost medicinal taste.

Great for flavoring meats, cheeses, soups/stews, and stuffing; wonderful new flavor when added to tea.

Other recommendations?

Golden Bicolor, Tricolor, and Purple look great planted together in the garden and are perfectly suitable for cooking. I love pairing Purple sage with Golden oregano– the yellow/purple contrast is amazing.

left to right: Purple, Golden Bicolor, Tricolor

S. elegans varieties have bright red flowers and may attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The leaves are fruit-scented and can be used in tea.

'Scarlet Pineapple' Sage-- 'Honey Melon' and 'Scarlet Tangerine' have rounder leaves

Descriptions of size and scent/flavor by variety:

Top: 'Grower's Friend'; center: 'Hybrid #4'; bottom: 'Elephant Ear'

Salvia officinalis varieties have light blue or purple flowers and will grow to about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.

‘Elephant Ear’:  Elongated leaves that come to a rounded point. Green, decent flavor. So far it looks like it will be a sizeable plant with large leaves; I’ll be planting it in my garden this summer and will be able to tell you more after that!

Golden Bicolor/Icterina:  Leaves are gold with light green splotches down the center. Really pretty!

‘Grower’s Friend’:  Smaller leaves, much more round than the others. Green, and my recommendation for culinary use. Very sweet and sage-y, not bitter.

‘Hybrid #4’:  Leaves are elongated but with a rounder tip, very finely textured and a fuzzy silver-green. Slightly bitter, most medicinal-tasting. Still a nice plant for the garden!

'Hybrid #4' ~ the flavor isn't as nice as 'Grower's Friend', but it has lovely flowers.

Purple: Purple! Younger leaves are more vibrant, with older leaves fading to green (gives the plant a two-toned look). Strong flavor, great for cooking. Note: Since we grow our sage inside the greenhouse, it can look a little washed out. Planting outside in full sun will darken up the purple within days.

Purple sage, growing next to oregano. Notice the great contrast between the sage and surrounding green plants, and especially with the gold oregano behind it.

Tricolor:  Leaves are green with cream/white edges. Younger leaves have an additional pink/gold tinge.

Tricolor sage: green centers with white edges and a pink cast to new leaves

S. elegans varieties have shocking red flowers, and according to my favorite herb book will get 2 feet tall and about three feet across. I’ve seen it get quite large in planters but haven’t planted it in my garden (since it’s annual and I mostly trial the perennials).

‘Honey Melon’: Leaves have a sweet honeydew-cantaloupe melon fragrance.

‘Scarlet Tangerine’: Crisp citrus scent and rounded, bright green leaves. This plant tends to get leggy and should be cut back regularly to encourage branching. If you get long lengths of stem that are bare, cut back to just above the set of leaves directly above the bare stem; the bare parts should get some leaves and side branches, and you can repeat the process, gradually cutting it shorter, until the plant is looking more full lower down.

‘Scarlet Pineapple’: Scent is very similar to ‘Tangerine’, but slightly sweeter and more pineapple/lemon-y. Longer, skinnier, pointier leaves than ‘Tangerine’ or ‘Honey Melon’. Shocking red flowers. Has a more compact, branching habit than ‘Tangerine’, but if it starts getting leggy, follow the same directions for cutting it back.

Flowers are slender, shocking red tubes

New varieties for this year:

‘Elephant Ear’ and ‘Honey Melon’

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Scented Geraniums

Scented geraniums were incredibly popular in Victorian England, but are a bit more obscure now. They are great plants to ‘collect’, and we end up with a slightly different selection every year.

'Fragrans'-- tiny white flowers. 'Concolor Lace' in same pot, to bottom left.

Perennial?

Sadly, no. Grow outdoors in the ground as an annual, or grow in a planter that can be brought indoors to a sunny location during the winter. They’ll do well as house plants if they get lots of light.

Sun vs Shade? Watering? Other advice for growing?

Part to (preferably) full day of sun if outside. Geraniums make good houseplants if you have a sunny window to keep them in; put them where they can get as much natural light as possible during the day, and augment with artificial lighting if it isn’t enough. Alternately, set your planter outside during the day to soak up some sun and bring back inside on cold nights. Geraniums dislike frost, don’t let them get zapped.

Avoid over-watering; let the soil dry out somewhat between waterings, but of course not so dry that the plant wilts or turns dry & crispy! This will stunt growth or lead to poor health/death.

Geraniums can become leggy, so cut them back to maintain a nice shape. Remove dead leaves and flower stalks with scissors, or by hand– angle the dead stem straight downwards, until it snaps off (this works better with some varieties than others– use scissors if they don’t snap cleanly).

Uses?

There are hundreds of different varieties of scented geranium and an astoundingly broad range of flavors. Leaves can be used in teas, for cooking and baking, for aromatherapy and in potpourris. The flowers tend to be smaller and less prolific than your standard, un-scented geraniums, but having a plant around for the scent alone is well worth it– rub the leaves any time for a quick pick-me-up.

In a few sources I’ve read that you can line cake pans with scented geraniums leaves before adding the batter, imparting a very delicate taste to the finished cake. I’ve yet to try it but will let you know when I do!

'Attar of Roses'-- light pink

Descriptions of individual varieties:

Pink Rose-scented:  Scent is reminiscent of roses and citrus. Leaves are somewhat fuzzy, and a medium green.

‘Attar of Roses’:  Similar rose/citrus scent, but leaves are stiffer, crisper, and a brighter, lighter green.

‘Citriodorum’: Very strong, clean lemon scent. Leaves are extremely stiff and crisp, bright yellow-green. Unfortunately, only a few available!

‘Concolor Lace’:  Smaller leaves, which are very finely cut and lacy-looking. Bright, light green. I’ve grown this on my windowsill several years, and it seemed to have a very neat habit.

‘Fragrans’:  I’ve seen this described as nutmeg-scented. Very spicy and woodsy smelling. Leaves are smooth and velvety, very small and rounded, and a bright silvery green. Stands out from all the other geraniums in terms of appearance, and is a smaller, more manageable plant.

‘Lady Plymouth’:  Very soothing rosy, slightly minty fragrance. Leaves are deeply cut, muted grey-green with wide cream/white edges. Absolutely gorgeous plant!

‘Sweet Mimosa’:  Also referred to as ‘Sweet Miriam’. I find this one’s scent hard to categorize. I think it’s pleasantly spicy; I’ve read other descriptions that call it sweet, rosy, balsam. Leaves are really big, nice medium green, slightly fuzzy, and deeply cut. Very pretty plant.

‘Torento’:  Ginger-citrus scent. Rounded, dark green leaves. This is the first year we’ve had it, and I’m liking what I see so far!

Flowers:

As I mentioned before, scented geraniums tend to be less showy when they flower. Flowers are smaller than regular geraniums, with more slender and delicate petals. When they do bloom, it’s so exciting! Like a present.

'Concolor Lace'-- red, wih darker red veins

White:  ‘Fragrans’

Pink:  Pink rose-scented, ‘Attar of Roses’, ‘Sweet Mimosa’

Lavender:  ‘Torento’, ‘Lady Plymouth Grey’ (*I haven’t seen either of these flower before, so I’m going on research rather than personal experience)

Red:  ‘Concolor Lace’ (very bright! somewhere between cherry red and a hot pink, which stands out beautifully against the bright green lacy foliage.)

'Citriodorum'-- white with pink veins

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Have a suggestion for a new variety, or recommending one you bought from us in the past? Do leave a comment! I love scented geraniums, and growing them is something of a personal hobby that I’m very interested in sharing with more of our customers. Such an under-appreciated plant. Let me know if there’s a scent or specific variety you’re hunting for, and I’ll track it down for next year!

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Rosemary

Perennial?

No. Rosemary requires warmer winters than we ever have, and if planted out doors must be treated as an annual and replaced next year. I’ve tried planting it in various sheltered locations– no luck. Alternately, try growing in a planter that can be brought indoors to a sunny spot during the winter.

If you have a greenhouse to overwinter tender plants in, they can turn into monsters!!! This is my ‘Salem’ rosemary, which is at least seven years old now and currently in a huge 24″ diameter planter. Yours probably won’t get this big, but then again I never thought mine would either!

Sun vs shade?

Full sun.

Upright vs Trailing?

All of our varieties grow upright except for ‘Prostrata’, which will trail and cascade over rocks walls or from window boxes.

Uses?

Rosemary is probably best known as a culinary herb. All of our varieties have good flavor and can be used for cooking. Use leaves fresh or dried in a variety of dishes;  ‘Barbecue’ and ‘Skewer’ varieties grow especially straight, and when the branches become thick and woody they can be used as flavorful skewers for barbecuing meats or vegetables.

Flowers?

In my experience, rosemary blooms best in cooler temperatures. My monster ‘Salem’ is in a cool section of the greenhouse and is currently blooming; when I arrived in New Zealand it was winter*, and all of the rosemary was in bloom.

Flowers are typically a light blue-ish purple, exceptions being the Pink and White varieties.

*In an ideal world… aka New Zealand

Several years ago I studied abroad in New Zealand. I lived in Wellington, where winter temps never drop below freezing and frost doesn’t zap tender plants like rosemary. It was like heaven for plants that I’m so used to seeing as annuals! Our New Guinea impatiens get fairly big in hanging baskets; the same plants there were 6-foot tall trees with trunks several inches thick, covered in flowers. In other parts of the country I saw fuchsias growing as trees, more impatiens forming hedges, and orange trees in most of the yards. The roses were to die for. And the rosemary! In Wellington, it was planted everywhere in private gardens and in public areas, on banks, trailing over rocks walls and forming the occasional hedge. I only wish it could do the same here!

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

and… Available!

Most unexpectedly, some of the things that were absent from the order that I thought we wouldn’t have, were actually just back-ordered. Who knew? It wasn’t mentioned in the packing slip. Unexpected, and cause for celebration!

Here’s what came in today:  Calamint, Variegated lemon balm, Lemon verbena, ‘Banana’ mint, and Dittany of Crete (a decorative oregano).

They also sent more Icterina/Golden Bicolor sage; add that onto the list of yearly mistakes that make up the saga of  “How we always order ‘Bicolor Tricolor’ sage and never get it”. Worst name ever, since there is a variety called ‘Tricolor’ and another called ‘Golden Bicolor’. Usually they just send more Tricolor; last year was the only time we got the right thing, which was a mixed blessing because now that I’ve had it I know I love it, and more disappointed this year about not getting it. Ah well. I’ll consider it even, since this is the first time in eight years that they’ve sent the Lemon verbena.

Mint

Banana mint flowering-- simple and pretty

Oh, mint. Back in the early days, Chocolate mint was the first herb I started selling, and look at our selection now!

Perennial?

Yes, all kinds. You may come to wish that it was an annual…

Sun vs Shade?

Mint will grow best in full sun. It can take a few hours of shade a day, but keep in mind that more shade will make it leggy and stretchy.

Growing mint– in the ground, or in pots?

The best advice I can offer regarding mint is to grow it in large planters, and to consider replacing it every few years if you have it in the ground and allow it to flower. Mint is probably the easiest thing under the sun to grow: plant it, ignore it, and then be astounded at how it has overtaken your backyard, and part of your neighbor’s as well. Mint will spread! If you do plant it in the ground, supervise it heavily. I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep it cut back and neatly trimmed. Mint spreads very easily: where its branches touch the ground, they will grow roots. Luckily, mint is very forgiving as well. If it starts getting out of hand cut as much off as you can find, and don’t be afraid to rip the runners out with your bare hands.

Just waiting to wreak havoc... I mean.. Provide you with years and acres of enjoyment... Wait no...

I also suggest replacing your mint if you have several different kinds that you allow to flower because mint cross breeds and self-seeds quite easily, and the resulting mutant mints can have atrocious flavor.

If this sounds absolutely frightening to you, consider a container garden. Plant your mints in large pots or planters and arrange around your deck or patio, or put the pots in the garden and allow surrounding plants to hide the pot. We’re offering all seven of our mints in a pair of neat little planters, if you’re so inclined.

Like I mentioned earlier, don’t be afraid to cut back your mint. You can cut them almost to the ground and they’ll still put out new leaves and stems. Trim them regularly to give them a nice shape– they grow fast and can become leggy.

If you are trying to remove a mint from your garden, dig it up instead of trying to cut it off at ground level.

Uses?

Use different flavored mints for tea, other beverages (like juleps and mojitos), cooking and baking, and in potpourri.

Finally, the big question that I get every year: I just want ‘mint’. When I go to the grocery store, they have pre-packaged ‘plain’ mint. Why don’t you have that??

There is no such thing as ‘plain mint’. What you find fresh in the grocery store is either spearmint or peppermint, and is not properly labeled. (Some ‘mint’ flavorings in the baking aisle are a mix of both spearmint and peppermint extracts- check the ingredient panel.) There is a big difference between the two! Think about chewing gum, or candy. Peppermint pinwheels, candy canes, peppermint chewing gum– those all more-or-less accurately reflect the cool, sweet taste of fresh peppermint. Think about how differently spearmint gum or candies (usually the green-striped pinwheels) taste.

A lot of baking recipes call for peppermint because it is sweeter, while cooking recipes usually call for the more pungent spearmint; good recipes specify which mint you should purchase. If you’re still unsure of what you want, just rub the leaves between your fingers and smell them, and choose the one you like more or think is more suited to your intended use. If you don’t like the way it smells or tastes, don’t use it!

Our mints

From left to right: Banana, Chocolate/Peppermint (virtually identical leaves), Orange, Spearmint, Applemint, Pineapple

Banana:  Bright green leaves, slightly hairy and coarse. Scent is banana with a hint of (in my opinion) citrus or pineapple. Very clean, fruity scent without any mintiness, unlike the other fruit flavored mints. Low-growing, will spread sideways rather than up. (Herb book says 4-20 inches tall, I’m betting on the lower end of that from what I’m seeing so far.) Light purple flowers.

Applemint:  Leaves are large, more rounded, and very fuzzy. Granny Smith apple-green in color, with an apple-spearmint scent. The biggest of our mints, with leaves that can easily grow as wide as your hand! 16-36 inches tall.

Chocolate:  Smooth, green leaves; closely resembles peppermint in appearance and flavor, but has a chocolate overtone. Think York peppermint patties. 12-36 inches tall.

‘Moroccan’ Spearmint:  The best spearmint I’ve ever tasted– no harsh overtones, just perfect crisp spearmint flavor with a hint of sweetness. Highly recommended! Brighter, lighter green leaves than the normal spearmint, but still quite crinkly and textural. Upright growth, will form a nice mound if trimmed regularly. 12-36 inches tall.

Spearmint:  A good standard spearmint. Bright dark green leaves, smooth rather than fuzzy but very textured and crinkled-looking. 12-36 inches tall.

Orange:  A little on the harsh/bitter side but still usable for cooking. Dark green, smooth, and slightly rounded leaves. Flavor is open to debate– I think it’s like a combination of orange and spearmint. Leaves are somewhat similar to peppermint/chocolate mint in color and glossiness, but are rounded rather than pointed. 12-36 inches tall.

Peppermint:  Refreshingly cool and sweet. Classic peppermint flavor. Smooth green leaves, 12-36 inches tall.

Pineapple:  Soft variegated green and white leaves make this mint an attractive addition to the garden. Scent is fruity, like pineapple combined with spearmint. Floppy, will trail a bit from planters or containers. 16-24 inches tall.

Thought I was kidding about the applemint, didn't you...

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Lavender, Part 2: Growing & Using

Perennial in central PA?

Yes– L. angustifolia, L. x intermedia (lavandin)

No– L. dentata, L. pinnata, L. stoechas

Sun vs Shade?

Grow all lavender types in full sun.

Size? How far apart should I space lavender when planting in the ground?

L. angustifolia will get about 24 inches across.  Space at least 20 inches apart (measuring from the center of the plant). L. x intermedia (lavandin) can easily reach a diameter of 30-36 inches; space two feet or more apart. The other species are annual, and will not get very large over the course of a summer. You can crowd these a little more– plant around 6-8 inches apart. If you keep your plants trimmed, you can better control their size to work with the space you have available (more on the benefits of that, below). If you don’t want your plants touching, allow more room, but if you want a hedge-like effect plant as directed or slightly closer.

If you’re planting smaller lavender (such as our standard 4″ pot), it can be hard to envision how big they will get. If the garden looks bare, fill in with annuals that you’d have to replace next year anyway (marigolds, geraniums, other bedding plants– this is a great way to introduce color), with annual lavender, or with low-growing/creeping thyme. I think thyme is incredibly underestimated as an ornamental– it grows quickly, flowers prolifically, and when your lavender gets bigger the thyme can often continue growing underneath.

My project from last summer: I planted  4″ lavender 18-20 inches apart, then went back and planted two more in the gap. (And then some thyme, too.) It might take them a few years to fill in, and once they get crowded I plan to dig up the extras and move them elsewhere. Other customers have reported varying amounts of success with transplanting established lavender plants, so that might be worth a shot. If you’re worried about the transplants surviving, try something a little more forgiving, like  mint or oregano.

Other planting advice?

Plant any time in the summer. Our last frost can be as late as Memorial Day, so plan on planting in June at the earliest. I have planted lavender in September and had it survive, but I don’t recommend fall planting. Your plant needs time to get established and put out good strong roots for the winter. In my case it was a very warm fall.

Lavender dislikes having wet feet– for best results choose an area with good drainage. My backyard transitions randomly between shale and clay, which isn’t good for most herbs; I prepared my chosen planting area by chopping up the clay, removing a lot of it to a depth of a foot or so, and then mixing the remainder with generous portions of sand, peat moss, mushroom compost, and topsoil. Everything is thriving!

I said ‘good drainage’– this does NOT mean, ‘don’t water’. If lavender is continually allowed to dry out to the point that it wilts or -even worse- goes crispy, you will kill it. If it makes it through the summer, it will probably not come back in the spring. If it does, it will not be pretty. Do not kill your lavender! Good drainage means that the water has a chance to get sucked up by the roots, but doesn’t stay there to drown them. Clay is not good; it stays wet too long, and then dries out as hard as a rock. Water your lavender every day, or every other day– there is no hard and fast rule, you will have to create a schedule based on your lavender’s needs. Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings, but don’t let the plant wilt. You may find that the plants need water daily starting out and then require less as they become established.

Plants are like people, if you leave them out in the sun all day long with no water they will get dehydrated. Dehydration can kill. Drowning can also kill. If you dry up your plant really badly, panic, and water the heck out of it, it might perk up a bit, but will most likely die in several weeks. This cycle of drying and soaking weakens it and leaves it open to disease and rot.

Cutting back lavender, or Aaaahh! It’s too pretty to cut!!

It’s true. You will not want to cut back your lavender. But it’s really better if you do. Cutting it back will keep it nicely shaped; if lavenders get too big and leggy they will fall open in the center, showing off bald lower branches instead of healthy growth and flowers. If your lavender has reached this point, cut it back gradually so that there are always buds on the trunk (indicating new baby branches) as well as healthy leaves and stems. Eventually you can encourage the lower bare part of the trunk to put out fresh growth.

You can start out with cutting the plant back after it has done flowering, if you haven’t been cutting off the flower stems for bouquets or other projects. If you look at the stem, you’ll see that the flowers form a whorl at the top of the spike. The stem below is leafless for several inches, is punctuated with a single pair of leaves, is bare for another inch or two, and then shows more leaves and branches. That’s where you want to cut the spike off– where that dense branching is, not up by that lone pair of leaves.

At the end of summer or beginning of fall, before the first frost, you should cut the plant back for the winter. I read somewhere that you should cut back lavender by two-thirds of that year’s growth. It works wonders, but you can cut off less if you’re unsure. Cut it off like I mentioned above– never cut a branch back to the point that it doesn’t have leaves, because how will it photosynthesize? Always leave stems with leaves, even if it’s shaped funny– you can always trim it up later when there are enough good branches filling in the gaps.

If you don’t get this done in the fall, definitely do it early in the spring once the plant cracks open some new leaves- the longer you wait, the more it will delay your flowering time.

What can you use lavender for?

One of lavender’s greatest strengths comes from its beauty as a landscape plant. They’re beautiful on their own, and stunning en masse. I have a row in alternating colors, with a line of roses planted behind–there are no words to describe how lovely it looks! Mine have been established for several years, and bloom twice each summer.

Flowers and leaves can be used in tea; I’ve seen the flowers used in recipes for cookies, ice cream, jelly/jam, and flavored vinegars. Lavender honey is quite tasty. Dried leaves and flowers can be used in potpourri or in sachets for freshening clothing/repelling insects.

While I do not feel qualified to suggest medical uses I will say that I’ve used lavender essential oil and, in a pinch, fresh bruised leaves to soothe bug bites and bee stings.

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Part 1: Species Overview & Top Varieties

Part 3: Flowers

To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Lavender, Part 3: Flowers

L. angustifolia 'Hidcote' and 'Melissa'

Flower shape?

L. angustifolia and the lavandins have a similar shape: a number of tiny flowers grouped together at the end of a spike. The overall size can vary- some are very dense and tightly packed, others are looser.

L. stoechas flowers are tightly packed and the spike is topped with bracts, which are usually large and feathery-looking.

For more on bracts, here’s Wikipedia.

L. dentata resembles L. stoechas, but with stubbier, less graceful bracts and longer flower heads.

L. pinnata doesn’t have bracts. Flower heads can be single, or sometimes in groups of three. Blooms from the bottom of the head upward, with a fluffy look that matches the airiness of the foliage.

L. pinnata

Flower color?

L. angustifolia ‘Coconut Ice’:  White, fading to pink as the flowers age. Spikes may have both pink and white flowers at the same time– nice two-tone effect.

L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’:  Medium/dark purple.

L. angustifolia ‘Maillette’:  Medium/dark purple.

L. angustifolia ‘Munstead’:  Pale lavendery purple.

L. angustifolia ‘Rosea’:  Pale/medium pink.

L. angustifolia ‘Twickel Purple’:  Medium purple.

L. dentata: Pale lavender/periwinkle blue.

L. x intermedia ‘Edelweiss’:  White.

L. x intermedia ‘Fred Boutin’:  Medium purple, with a bluer tinge.

L. x intermedia ‘Grosso’:  Light purple, a little darker than Munstead.

L. x intermedia ‘Provence’: Medium lavendery purple.

L. pinnata:  Light purple.

L. stoechas ‘Marshwood’:  Dark purple. Bracts are white with purple veins.

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Part 1: Species Overview & Top Varieties

Part 2: Growing & Using

To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Lavender, part 1: Species Overview & Top Varieties

We’re going to start off with lavender simply because of all the herbs I grow, it’s my favorite. That’s hard to say, since I like almost everything I grow! I’ll be breaking the topic up over several entries, since there’s a lot of information and pictures.

I stock several very different kinds of lavender. I’m going to be referring to them by their scientific (Latin) names to give general info, and by variety (in quotations) for more specific info.

General overview of Lavender species

L. angustifolia. And a gnome.

Lavandula angustifolia is the classic lavender. Perennial, will perform beautifully for many years if cared for (see the upcoming Part 2 for growing tips).

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L. x intermedia 'Grosso'

L. x intermedia is referred to as ‘lavandin’. It closely resembles L. angustifolia in leaf and flower shape, since it is a hybrid between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. The key difference is that lavandins are WAY bigger.

Left: L. angustifolia flowering. Right: L. x intermedia blooming. Both plants are the same age, and were planted at the same time.

Lavandins are most widely grown for lavender oil production, even though they have a higher camphor content than L. angustifolia. Camphor is anesthetic (cooling, like the menthol found in mint) and antimicrobial; it’s an ingredient in some cough medicines and in Vicks VapoRub. High camphor content can make lavender taste less pleasant, so if you’re cooking use either L. angustifolia or a lavandin for best results. Perennial.

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Finely toothed leaves make L. dentata quite distinctive

L. dentata is most frequently called toothed or fringed lavender in the USA. Striking green leaves and a really nice upright, columnar habit instead of mounded. Grow as an annual– it will keel over at the first frost, but can still be great in your garden. It grows pretty fast and is worth it even if it has to be replaced every year. I also have a special soft spot for it because some variety of it (similar to ours, but not quite the same) is the most prevalent garden lavender in New Zealand, where I studied abroad several years ago. It was in nearly every garden, and I used to smell it every day on my way to class.

L. dentata, as a hedge in New Zealand. A hedge!!! It won't get as tall for us in PA, but it's still fantastic.

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L. pinnata has finely cut, fern-like leaves

L. pinnata is absolutely stunning with its fern-like leaves. It’s annual in our area and will die after the first fall frost, but its color and texture make it fantastic in the garden as an accent plant. It won’t have enough time to get huge, so you can use it to fill gaps and small areas that perennial lavender or other herbs will outgrow.

L. pinnata flower spike

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L. stoechas, growing at the Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand.

L. stoechas is known by a number of conflicting names, including Spanish lavender. [Since place names are often misapplied to all different species of lavender, I do not label our plants by these names.] They can be grown as annuals in central PA. High camphor content makes them less pleasant for cooking/baking, but they have fantastic, unusual flowers and make terrific ornamental plants. Same as for L. pinnata— great filler plant. Leaves are similar to L. angustifolia, but more slender and less silvery.

Top Varieties

I think all of our lavenders are real winners. That being said, here are the varieties I typically recommend to first-time growers looking for perennial types.

‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’: These are our two best-selling varieties. They are consistently strong and hardy, with terrific scent & flavor. ‘Munstead’ is a lighter shade of lavender-purple, while ‘Hidcote’ is dark purple. They are both very striking, and look great planted together:

‘Rosea’: This variety is tough as nails, just like ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’, but has pink flowers.

‘Provence’ and ‘Edelweiss’ are my preferred lavandins. I have always had great luck with ‘Provence’– ‘Grosso’ is also great, and is actually the leading variety grown for oil production, but it has a tendency to fall open in the center. ‘Provence’ has a trimmer shape and nice flowers. ‘Edelweiss’ is similar in habit and is a terrific plant in the garden, with the added appeal of white flowers.

L. angustifolia ‘Melissa’: We haven’t carried this variety for a few years, but I have to mention it because it’s my all-time favorite. The flowers are white when they open but fade to the palest of pinks as they age. It is just so delicate and elegant and looks fantastic planted with purple lavender and has a very neat compact shape; I’m hoping to carry it again in the future.

*edit, 3-04-10: We now have ‘Coconut Ice’, which has a different growing habit than ‘Melissa’ (less compact, according to my reading), but very similar flowers!

New Varieties

L. angustifolia ‘Coconut Ice’

Discontinued Varieties

I decided to discontinue several L. stoechas varieties:  ‘Kew Red’ and ‘Devonshire Compact Purple’. They always seem to suffer in the greenhouse. If you bought one of these in the past and thought it did well in your garden, do let me know– I’m always willing to give second chances.  ‘Marshwood’ is now the only variety that we carry of this species.

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Lavender, Part 2: Growing & Using

Part 3: Flowers

To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.