By Abby Elliott
Sugar Creek Gardens
Few plants reward us more than Lavender. With a dynamic scent and luscious, purple-blue wands, it’s fantastic in the garden and in fresh and dried arrangements. Over the years superior Lavenders have been introduced that bloom continually from spring well into fall. Their outstanding or unique foliage and form, super-sized flowers, and tough constitutions make them outstanding garden plants. Three of finest:
- The best in the world? Big Time Blue Lavender has the stellar reputation for being one of the most outstanding Lavenders available. Its superior qualities include having 4” super-sized flowers, strikingly larger than others, and one of the longest bloom times of all English Lavenders. Coming into bloom earlier than others, its waves and waves of plump, intensely fragrant blossoms first appear in late spring to summer and continue into late fall. With Big Time Blue Lavender you can expect armloads of spicy scented, deep purple-blue blossoms, ideal for fresh and dried bouquets. Its gray-green foliage forms a nice shape when mature making it ideal for edging.
- Huge flowers and exceptional vigor places Phenomenal Lavender in a class of its own. Growing 2-3’ tall and wide makes Phenomenal Lavender one of the largest to date. An evergreen with an elegant mounded form, its luscious foliage looks great all winter. Use it as a small shrub, weed smothering ground cover, or showy focal point. Its thousands of extremely fragrant flowers make fantastic fresh and dried arrangements and oils. Both ornamental and edible, Lavender Phenomenal is a deer and rabbit proof variety that can be enjoyed in the garden and in the home year-round.
- An adorable cutie, Thumbelina Lavender only grows 9-11” tall. Its plump purple-blue flowers with heady fragrance appear in summer. With a neat and tidy habit and strong stems it makes a fantastic low growing hedge or edger. It works beautifully in containers planted alone or mixed with other plants. Try a few pots by your door to welcome your guests with its deliciously scented blossoms. Its flowers are ideal for potpourri and Lavender wands. Deer and bunny resistant, and repels mosquitoes. Grows 12-18” wide. Plant Lavender in full sun to part shade locations in well-drained soil. Good drainage is a must. Cut spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Plants benefit from a light pruning in early spring.
See images, descriptions and growing instructions for these plants and more at www.sugarcreekgardens.com.