Re: re. speaking of lavenders

I sent that last reply to John off too quickly, and now seeing Ben's reply, I realize it is L. multifida that I have that is virtually everblooming.  The fern leafed Lavenders are mostly too tender to make it through the average winter here in Berkeley.  L. multifida is the species with a deep purple blue flower in a three prong arrangement, and the grayish green ferny foliage that tends to be a bit more rangy than many other lavenders?


--- On Sun, 7/27/08, Ben Wiswall <benwiswall@pacbell.net> wrote:

> From: Ben Wiswall <benwiswall@pacbell.net>
> Subject: re. speaking of lavenders
> To: "medit plants forum" <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 7:28 AM
> Lavenders are a varied group, and its interesting to hear
> everyone's successes and failures with them in
> different regions.  Here in inland southern California,
> I've had good luck with Lavandula heterophylla in both
> semi-dry (with Toyon) and moderate (with roses) irrigation,
> although I've found it's best to reduce water when
> it gets really hot at the end of the summer.  I also have
> good luck with L. stoechas, which has even volunteered here
> and there, and L. multifida, which blooms continuously. 
> I'm trying L. dentata this year, which has been slow to
> establish, but as this is the lavender I see most often in
> commercial plantings, I figure it's probably
> indestructible.
> I water the lavenders more then they need, but they
> don't seem to mind.  I've seen them growing in
> completely non-irrigated gardens, but they look quite
> subdued at this time of year.  As for pruning, I lightly
> trim them into a mound with hedge clippers, L. stoechas
> once a year in early summer, L. heterophylla once a year in
> early fall, and L. multifida whenever it looks more gray
> than purple.  This seems to keep them from falling open in
> the middle, at least most of the time.
> -Ben Wiswall
> Simi Valley, CA
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