LAVENDER

The Scent of Summer: Growing Lavender on the Island

With its fragrant, deep blue spikes rising elegantly above silver-grey foliage, Lavender is an essential addition to the Vineyard landscape. These hardy perennials thrive in the full heat of the sun and require well-drained soil to truly flourish. Once established, Lavender is remarkably drought-tolerant and, best of all, naturally deer-resistant.

For a striking visual impact, we recommend mass plantings to create a sea of fragrance and color. We currently carry several varieties in both 1-gallon and 4-inch pots to suit any garden project.

Perennial Lavenders

The Secret to Overwintering Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) is the hardiest species available and is well-suited for our Island climate. While cold-tolerant, successful overwintering depends entirely on excellent drainage. While these plants can handle the cold, they cannot tolerate "wet feet" during the winter months. To prevent rot and ensure they return year after year, plant them in a sunny spot with porous, well-drained soil.

We offer several select varieties chosen for their resilience and performance in the Vineyard landscape.

Munstead: Ideal for low borders, containers, and edging along sunny, well-drained paths
Hidcote: One of the best for hedging. Compact, dense, tidy and round mounded.
Provence: Hedging or edging in herb gardens and for mass plantings. Flowers can be dried and crushed to use in sachets.
Phenomenal: A newer cultivar, exceptional tolerance to humidity, heat, and cold.
Blue cushion and Super Blue are a few newer cultivars that we are trying out and testing their hardiness.

Annual Lavenders

Looking for non-stop color for summer? Annual lavenders are prized for their extended blooming season, making them perfect for containers and summer borders. Keep in mind that they won't survive the island winter. If you’re looking for a permanent garden resident that returns every spring, be sure to select a perennial lavender variety.

Goodwin Creek : Highly regarded for its resistance to heat, humidity, and drought.
Grosso: Known for its large, deep violet flower spikes and high oil content
Elegance Purple: Compact variety with purple-blue flowers and strong, fragrance. Great for containers.
Lavandula dentata: Highly aromatic French lavender.
Lavandula stoechas: We grow this Spanish Lavender from seed in two colors, deep purple and deep rose. Spring blooming lavender.
Lavender pinnata: Known for its unique, fern-like leaves and slender flower buds that grow to 3 feet before they unfurl. Adds vertical interest.
Lavender multimodal ‘Torch Blue’: Great choice for containers and garden borders, prized for its long blooming season and unique texture. We grow this lavender from seed.

Deer do not eat lavender!

A Note on Pruning: To keep your lavender from becoming "leggy" or woody, it’s best to prune twice a year. Give them a light trim after the first flush of flowers fades in mid-summer to encourage a second bloom. Then, in late August or early September, prune about 2/3 of the plants height (just above the bottom two sets of leaves on each stem), being careful not to cut into the woody part of the plant which can cause damage. This will ensure a tight, mounded shape for next spring.