FRENCH LAVENDER

French lavender, sometimes mistakenly called Spanish lavender, has gray-green somewhat toothed leaves and soft, deep-purple blossoms. Because its growth habit, unilike the bristling upright English lavender, is open and spreading, it looks relaxed and natural when it is potted. A Mediterranean terracotta jar is an especially good container choice. The lavender's purple flowers are particularly striking spilling against the rose-ocher tones of the terra-cotta, but a wine barrel cut in half or any container of similar size will suit as well. Although lavender blossoms of all kinds are well known for their use dried in potpourris and sachets, they also have a variety of culinary uses. Lavender ice cream, made with a vanilla custard base, has the delicate underlying scent of lavender blossoms. Finely chopped blossoms combine with almonds to make Provencal flavored biscotti, and the fresh blossoms also can add an exotic perfume to iced fruit drinks and cream-topped, after-dinner drinks.

HOW TO DO IT Purchase a young French lavender plant in a 1- or 2-gallon pot. Choose a container at least 12 inches in diameter and 24 to 36 inches deep with a drainage hole in the bottom. Put a 10-inch layer of gravel or other rocks on the bottom to serve as a drainage layer. Fill the container to within 2 inches of the top with a mixture of potting mix and sand, and soak the mixture until it is thoroughly moist. Scoop out a hole large enough for the roots of the lavender plant. Submerge the lavender plant, still in its original pot, in a sink or bucket of water until air bubbles cease to appear so that the soil is thoroughly saturated. Gently remove the plant from its pot and examine its roots. If the roots curl around in the shape of the pot, cut them back to the beginning of the circular growth. Trim the top growth a like amount so that the plant system is in balance with the revised root system. For example, if you clip back one-third of the roots, clip back also one third of the top growth. Put the lavender plant in the prepared container and fill around the roots with the potting mix, patting down the surface. Water again to fill in any air pockets. Fertilize your lavender plant in spring and cut off old stems in the fall. Water as needed, but do not allow the soil mix to stay soggy. French lavender is undamaged by occasional freezing temperatures, but in areas with sustained hard freezes it should be protected over the winter. Water as needed, but don't let the soil stay soggy. Fertilize in spring and cut beck in fall.

French Lavender Lavendula dentata

What You Need
• 1 plant
• 1- to 2-gallon pot size container 24 to 36 inches deep, with a mouth at least 12 inches in diameter
• Gravel or small rocks
• Potting mix and sand
• Small pruning clippers
• Liquid or other fertilizer

  Growing Conditions

• Three-quarters to a full day of direct sun

  When to Buy

• When plants are still dormant or show new growth but have not yet bloomed

  When to Plant

• Early spring through summer before bloom occurs

  When to Harvest

• Start taking sprigs as soon as blooms appear