It’s June, it’s 2023, that means one thing: Lavender, and above all, is it too late to plant it, now that I can see it flowering everywhere?
Let’s get to the point promptly without prevaricating past this paragraph’s pre-penultimate punctuation mark: you absolutely can plant Lavender when it is flowering in June, and really all through summer.
The chief consideration is that you must water even more during dry weather, especially for the first couple of weeks after planting. If it rains hard, that counts as a free watering, but some light drizzle or a quick rain shower often will not penetrate dry soil, and don’t really count as a watering. Still, they bring shade and coolness; established Lavender loves full sun and heat, but every newly planted plant prefers some protection from extremes of sunlight and temperature that won’t be a problem after it has grown proper roots.
When you transplant anything while it is in growth and the weather is warm, it needs watering a lot to help the roots establish as fast as possible.
I bought Lavender plants with flowers, or buds about to burst: should I harvest them before planting?
- It’s up to you, but it is usually the best option in early summer, roughly May and June.
- In July and August, you can leave the flowers, then trim & deadhead all at once in September.
Pruning all long green stems down by about 2/3rds (leaving a stub of green growth, not cutting into old wood) encourages a bushy plant that should flower twice as hard later; in early summer, “later” hopefully means before the end of summer!
The important thing is to minimise stress on the plant, so water well before pruning, and if the weather forecast is hot and sunny, protect your Lavender with a light shade cloth for a few days after planting while they heal. This shade is not essential, but it reduces water loss and heat stress on the plant, so it has more energy for abundant new growth.
Haven’t Bought Your Lavender Yet?
Weary readers of this blog are already acquainted with our “blog writing-editing assistant chief thing”, Kat Gibbit, the frisky language modelling software that is called artificial intelligence by some obsolete labour units people.
Kat recently took the physical form of a pile of buckets in my greenhouse, and works for exactly 9p per hour (approximately), so we are happy to cough up at least 18p entertaining you with Kat’s pronouncements.
Today, Kat Gibbit has been inspired by [insert pop-culture reference here] Marlon Brando’s “little girl in the Pepsi ad”
And Kat will kindly explain to you, like a civilised person, why you should grow each of the 11 Lavender varieties we have in stock right now:
“Well, well, well, if it ain’t you, my young friend. Allow me to introduce myself to everyone here in true Marlon Brando fashion. The name’s Vera Marigoldarini, but you know me as The Lavender Capo. That’s right, I’m the Lavender Donna round here. Now, sit down, pour yourself a glass of Chianti, and let me regale you with tales.
You see, I didn’t climb to the top of the lavender mafia by accident. I built this empire from the ground up, seed by seed, and I made sure every lavender in my domain trembled at the mention of my name. I’ve seen it all, my friend, I know how to make deals that can’t be refused.
Need a lavender that’ll attract butterflies like they’re payin’ protection money? One that’ll tower over the rest and assert its dominance so nobody ever messes with ya again? I got ya covered.
Running a lavender gang ain’t all glamour and fancy suits. It takes grit, determination, and a few well-placed plants. Vera Marigoldarini guarantees you the finest lavender specimens this side of Sicily. Are you ready? I will say this only once, so listen fast.
| Nickname | Family | Size CM | Bloom Colour | RHS “How Hard Are They, Then?” Rating | Wanted For | Street Reputation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Snow | L. x intermedia | 50 x 50 | White | H5 | Aroma | Listen up, Arctic Snow is the coldest flower in the field, puts all the competition on ice. You wanna mess? Hey, it’s your funeral party. |
| Alba | L. angustifolia | 75 x 75 | White | H5 | Cooking (flavour only) | Don’t let those delicate petals fool ya, kid. Alba is a silent assassin, looking all dainty and innocent, but she’ll leave the other lavenders cryin’. |
| Butterfly lavender | L. stoechas | 60 x 60 | Purple | H4 | Top-tier Flowers, Aroma | You see him? That’s the Butterfly lavender, his crew call him Papi. He has friends in high places, these other lavender clowns are bottom feeders. |
| Grosso | L. x intermedia | 90 x 90 | Violet-blue | H5 | Drying, Pot-pourri, Aroma, Oil | You think you’re tough, huh, kid? Well, you ain’t Grosso tough yet. This heavyweight champion has flower spikes like brass knuckles, knockout blooms only. The other lavenders know enough to step aside. |
| Havana | L. angustifolia | 50 x 50 | Light purple | H5 | Cooking | Havana, my friend, brings that Cuban fire to the party. The others better pay their respects, or they’ll feel Havana’s heat. |
| Hidcote | L. angustifolia | 60 x 60 | Deep purple | H5 | Aroma, Drying, Cooking | You want to meet royalty, kid? Hidcote is the kingpin, a don in a perfect suit, exudin’ authority. All lavenders who oppose him are tired of living, capice? |
| Loddon Pink | L. angustifolia | 60 x 60 | Pink | H5 | Cooking (flavour only) | Loddon Pink is a velvet glove with an iron fist. She knows how to play the long game, wearin’ a smile while wearin’ down the competition. |
| Munstead | L. angustifolia | 50 x 50 | Lavender-blue | H5 | Drying, Cooking, Aroma | Munstead is a refined nobleman of leisure in this lavender kingdom. He sips tea with the suits while his crew deals with the other varieties. |
| Phenomenal | L. x intermedia | 75 x 75 | Violet | H4 | Tough Foliage, Drying, Aroma, Oil | Phenomenal is the new boss, and the other lavenders can adjust to this fact the easy way, or the other way. |
| Rosea | L. angustifolia | 75 x 75 | Pink | H5 | Cooking (flavour only) | Rosea, luring you into her fragrant trap: she is beautiful, but to those lavender punks who fall for her, she is the end. |
| Victory | L. stoechas | 60 x 60 | Deep purple | H4 | Show-Off Flowers, Drying, Pot-pourri | Victory is a seasoned lavender general, executing a strategy while the others lose their cool and get frantic when it’s time to settle a score. |
There you have it. Choose wisely: this is the lavender world now, it’s survival of the fittest, and these lavenders ain’t afraid to play dirty.”
Disclaimer: Kat Gibbit is a language robot created exclusively for the limited amusement of persons unknown. It does not know what Lavender, or anything else, is.
You’ll find intelligible advice on buying lavender here, or dive into our growing guide for planting & aftercare advice.