French Lavender, Lavandula dentata

Everyone thinks of French lavender as very fragrant. However, French lavender, Lavandula dentata, is not known for its fragrance. But the varieties of lavender grown in France for essential oil production are very fragrant. Those varieties are a cross between two different lavenders, Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. I will post about these varieties another time. It all boils down to the names we use to identify plants. There are many similar common names but only one botanical name. For example, there are many trees called maple, but there is a big difference between sugar maple and Japanese maple. If you ask for a maple tree at the nursery you might not get the variety you want unless you use the botanical name. Using botanical names for plants can help to assure you will get the particular plant variety you want.

In most nurseries you will find plants labelled as French lavender to be Lavandula dentata. The photo to the left is French Lavender or Lavandula dentata. A good way to tell is to look at the leaf of the plant up close. You will see there are dents in the leaf, hence the botanical name dentata. French Lavender or Lavandula dentata is grown because of its extended bloom time. Recently in the nursery there has been a newer variety of French lavender called Gray French lavender. The photo to the right is Gray French Lavender or Lavandula dentata 'Gray'.

One of the nurseries I really like to get lavender plants and other herbs from is Mountain Valley Growers. They grow organic herbs and are a mail order nursery only. Before you discount them because of that, please give them a try. They were the first nursery I ever ordered plants through the mail from and I am glad I did. The plants come delivered right to your door and in fine shape for planting. Mountain Valley Growers has an excellent website with good descriptions of the organic herbs they grow and their growing requirements.

Any of the lavenders look so much better in person. If you live nearby and want to see the various lavenders in bloom, please come for a visit. You can come to visit by appointment or you'll find my days open listed on my website under News and Events, Springville Lavender Gardens. I will be posting here about my lavender blooms times. Right now the French lavenders are blooms along with the wisteria, now in full bloom and some of the roses. The rest of the lavender usually blooms the middle of May through June. I'll keep you posted, so check back often and be sure to ask questions here or make comments.

Arbors, Pergolas & Patio Coverings

Most people living in a hot climate, want trees for shade. But you can also gain some relief from the hot summer sun from arbors, pergolas and patio coverings and they are a quick way to gain instant shade. When we moved to our location over 4 years ago, we decided to put in a few arbors and pergolas and patio coverings as soon as possible. We sited the structures to take advantage of adjacent shade and chose plants which would cover the structures quickly. As with any plants that grow quickly, they may take more time to prune than slower growing plants.

The first pergola we put in was the wisteria pergola. The concrete is 12 x 20 feet, but the posts are set in about 1.5 feet and there is a built in planter for the two wisteria I planted on either end of the pergola. When I bought the wisteria, they were already trained as standards and had about a three foot square of greenery and a few blossoms on them. Within one year half of the pergola was covered and within two years the wisteria covered the whole pergola. With lots of pruning this past winter, the wisteria has thousands of blossoms and is just beautiful. The pergola is large enough to have three small tables or one huge one and we have hosted several dinners and events under the shade of the wisteria. Having a plant covered pergola is wonderful since the breezes in summer flow through making the shade more pleasant than a solid roofed patio covering.

When we built our gallery/gift shop, we wanted to take advantage of the winter sun, but we also wanted to shade the windows in the summer to reduce heat gain. On the front and back of the shop, we have solid roof overhangs and on the east side we have a slatted roof overhang. In summer at different times of the day, we can sit in the shade provided by on of the three overhangs. In the winter we can sit under the overhang facing south and since the sun is low in the sky that time of year, we can enjoy the warmth. The concrete surrounding the shop allows solar gain in winter by warming up during the day and reflecting heat back into the building at night.

While constructing our rose arbor, we made sure it was tall and wide enough to walk under and there was room to place a couple of benches to sit on. The arbor is 10 x 5 and about 8 feet tall. We also had to make the arbor strong enough to support the weight of the fast growing roses I planted underneath, Cecile Brunner. I also planted Jasminum polyanthum, pink jasmine, on the south facing side. The pink jasmine is a little frost tender in this area, so I wanted to make sure it got early morning and winter sun. In three years the arbor is completely covered by the Cecile Brunner roses and you wouldn't know it now, but I actually pruned it very severely this past winter. I will post another photo of this arbor when the roses and jasmine are in full bloom.

The pergola was built at the top of our herb garden for three reasons. The first to minimize or screen our 4000 gallon water holding tank, second to benefit from the afternoon shade the tank gives, and last to take advantage of the spectacular views of Black Mountain to the East. When I tell people about the water tank they have actually asked me where it is. Since the eye is drawn to the pergola rather than the water tank, some how the water tank seems invisible.

This year I am already enjoying the shade provided by our wisteria pergola, sitting in the shade and hearing the hum of the bees above. As soon as the jasmine and Cecile Brunner begins to bloom I'll be sitting in the shade there too. Later in the year the herb garden pergola is perfect in the late afternoon. Our garden structures are serving their purpose well and providing beauty to look at as well as a source of food and shelter for the insects and birds as well.

Blood Orange & Spring Clean Up

One of the rewards of late winter is that citrus are ripening. This year I was rewarded with two blood oranges; Gary and I each had one. They were delicious. Since I had never actually tasted a blood orange, I thought I would do some research to see how my blood orange measures up to the characteristics of the species. I discovered that the ingredient in the orange that makes it red, anthocyanin, also happens to be an antioxidant. I also learned this same ingredient in blood oranges helps to protect against many types of health problems including diabetes. As with all natural remedies, do your own research and do not disregard the advice of your doctor.

With the warm weather we are having, I realize I am behind in my spring clean up chores. I have been busy cutting back all the perennials, raking leaves, cleaning up the vegetable bins, cutting back the herbs, and last, but not least, weeding. Cutting back perennials in the Spring is much better than doing it in the winter. One reason is because the dry branches help to hold leaves around the base of the plants and the leaves protect the plant from cold weather. Another reason is that the tall dried branches are a reminder where the plant is located in the Spring when the perennial starts sending up new shoots.

The buddleia prefers to be pruned in the Spring. I have tried pruning buddleia in the Fall and I have lost several buddleia that way. Buddleia is one of those plants which is stimulated to grow when it is pruned; therefore it makes sense to prune it in early Spring. Citrus are another plant that should only be pruned during the growing season since pruning stimulates growth for citrus. Last summer I had to prune my wisteria four times. I have always wanted a wisteria covered patio, so when we moved here I planted two wisteria on either side of patio near the gift shop. I didn't realize that a wisteria would take so much upkeep to keep it tidy. Hopefully I will be rewarded this Spring with lots of blossoms. I know I am definitely rewarded in the middle of summer, when the arbor is the best place to obtain relief from the scorching summer sun.