Lavender has been a favorite in the herb garden as well as the flower border for a long time. Gardeners buy lavender plants for the blooms, which are used for teas, potpourri, cuisine and to scent soaps. Lavender has a beautiful scent that is said to be calming. In the garden, the scent is apparent when you just brush the plant as you pass. Pollinators love lavender, and you will see lots of bees and butterflies visiting your garden when the lavender is in bloom.
There are several types of lavender plants for sale at Jackson & Perkins. The plants range in size from a compact plant readily adaptable to being container-grown to large, four-foot lavenders. The colors range from a light blue violet to a rich deep purple. The foliage is a soft grey to silver color. Lavender is a perennial in some zones, but worth growing even if it will be an annual in your zone. Some lavender is hardy in zones as cold as zone 5. Buy lavender plants for your garden according to the size you want and the color of the blooms. Put a few sprigs of lavender next to your bed at night for a restful sleep, or consider adding lavender to a small mesh bag and toss it in your dryer. It will add its scent to your clothes and sheets so you can enjoy your home-grown lavender all day even outside of your garden.
