Questions on Strawberries and Lavender

Hello all!

Gardenewbie here. :) I found what looks like baby strawberry plants in a garden I have recently taken over. Could it be that there is a plant that looks very much like strawberries but isn't? I've got several and I've replanted them in a better area but I'm hoping I didn't simply replant some weeds... lol

Also, does lavender only take full sun? I have some partial sun areas and am hoping a few hours of sun each day is enough. And, any recommendations for the best and longest lasting fragrance lavender plant? I notice there are many varieties. I am guessing you cannot grow lavender indoors due to the fact that it needs full sun... is that correct?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Nadine, there are a few plants that look like the leaves of Strawberry's, but maybe you have found the little Alpine Strawberry's, these are little replica's of the normal ones, the flowers and fruit are real small and the fruit is very sweet, sometimes the birds will drop the seeds and before you know it, you have the plants also, other plants that look like strawberry are Guem, these have very similer leaves and lovely flowers in yellow, orange and reds, you will have to wait till they flower before you will know for sure what they are, but even if they are weeds, if you like them, just hang on to them. A weed is just a garden plant growing in the wrong place. good luck. hope this helps a bit. WeeNel.

There's also a plant called Duchesnea indica, common name Mock Strawberry.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2018/index.html
I think it's somewhat on the invasive side so you may want to keep it. Some Potentilla species also have leaves that look somewhat like strawberries.

As far as the lavender--it likes heat and sun, if you put it somewhere that you only get a couple hours of sun I don't think it'll bloom well, and if it's an area that also tends to stay somewhat damp then it definitely won't be happy, it likes great drainage and really dislikes wet feet. Most of the varieties I've grown have pretty long bloom periods so I don't know if the variety will make a ton of difference, but I wouldn't get it unless you have a sunny area where you can put it.

Nadine, Lavenders really do like almost full sun, they are mediteranian in origin, in France they grow field of them, it is a sight to behold, and they are used in perfume, cooking, soaps dried and put into little bags to keep moths away from clothes etc, the French Lavender are the more perfumed and come in a variety of colours from white, pink and deep purple, they are quite short lived plants and normally grow very week after a number of years from the flowering, I am unable to sugest which ones you can get in USA, as right now, there are so many new types on the list, but if you want the strongest perfume, go for any that are French or English, the later would be your second choice, after flowering and to stop the shrub going leggy and bare at the base, and stop flowering in the center, you need to prune them after the flowers fade, only the soft growth, dont cut into the woody stems as they dont grow very well from the wood, they like quite poor soil also, add some small grit if your soil is really rich, this helps with drainage too.
I dont know if you can grow it indoors, as we would normally cut the flowers stems and bring them inside, you can tie little bunches together with a ribbon and hang them, upside down in the bathroom, bedroom and anywhere else you wish, they say it is a calming HERB, which you can place some in a bag inside your pillow sham and it helps you to get to sleep, be aware though that the OIL if extracted can cause some people to get a bad skin reaction, so dont put directly onto your skin.
Hope this helps you in your search for your Lavender. good luck, weenel.

Thank you so much WeeNel and ecrane3! Regarding the strawberries, the leaves are rounder than the mock strawberries and look like miniature strawberry leaves right now. I have a strawberry plant that I purchased last week and they look the same but small as if they are babies. It will be interesting to see how they turn out.

This is a wet area so I'm guessing not so good with lavender. I have 3 plants growing right now on a hill below my home office window - and I can smell them (ever so faintly) up here. How long they'll last, I don't know. I love lavender and wish I could have fields of it - like they do in France as WeeNel described... ah well! Another lifetime, I suppose!

Thanks so much for the terrific advice. I'm sure I'll be back for more!

Nadine

Hi Nadin, you can grow Lavenders in a large pot with some gravel in the bottom, (about an in of gravel would do, then add the compost with some sand or gravel mixed into the compost, this helps with the drainage of the soil that the Lavenders need. I grow them in teracota pots and a saucer under it, these pots dont dry out too fast, yet plants dont sit in water, they do very well and last for a good few years, that way, you can move them around as and when you want, you still have to prune and care for them like if they were in the garden, also prune them end of flowering season, but then you can take cuttings from the pruneings, so give it a go, then when you want to sit out in your garden, you just need to move your pots to where you are sitting, hope you can give this a try, good luck. WeeNel.

Oh how I love lavender!!! Here are a few facts on it... If you plan to use it for cooking, use the English type. The Spanish lavender is what is used in baths and potpouries. I can't remember which type is which but one lavender is considered a relaxant and the other can actually be used as a stimilant. As I said, I love lavender but I must admit to a bad memory! LOL

Another tidbit-
"Stoechas Lavender is sometimes referred to as Spanish. It is know for the wings on it's blooms. Not quite as hardy as the above, being at risk if the temperature stays much below 10 degrees. It blooms continuous if you are diligent about deadheading. Always a showstopper but it is not good for drying."
Courtesy of http://www.nothyme.com/herbs/lavender.cfm

If you check out the site, there are bits more info that might help you out! I have both a French and a Spanish (sometimes considered the same breed) and even though I live in the desert I still added rocks to the bottom of the holes I put them in! They are on a slow dripper that turns on for 15 minutes a day. You mentioned being really wet where you are so you may not even have to water, just ensure lots of drainage for the guys!

Best of luck!!
~Christina

Goodness I've been away too long! Thank you both, WeeNel and newhobby! I really appreciate it. I've started some lavendar from seed and the little dears are actually growing (inside). Can't wait. :) Thanks again!