If you have tips for growing lavender and foxgloves, post.

Two of my favorite plants , lavender and foxgloves are so troublesome for me to grow. Every year I plant dozens, the next year NOTHING there. These are supposed to be easy to grow, but not for me. What is the secret?. Green thumbs, help please.

Lavender is easy to grow if you live in the right climate for it, but unfortunately your climate is not ideal for them. I'm sure you can still grow them, but they're going to be fussier than they would be if you lived in their ideal Mediterranean climate. I would recommend trying them in a raised bed or berm...having good drainage is the single most important thing you can do to improve your chances with them, and planting them in nice good draining amended soil that's raised up a bit above the level of the rest of the yard will go a long way to helping with that. Then make sure you're not giving them a ton of water--even in soil that drains well too much watering can make them unhappy. And they don't need a ton of fertilizer, I think they are happier with less (I never fertilize mine and they seem perfectly happy).

Blue,

One key to getting lavender to grow in a warm humid climate is to never water them, unless they are wilting. Water them to get them started. After they get going wait until they are wilting and then water them only at the outer edge of the foliage, never get them wet where the stem meets the ground.

If you are planting them from container grown stock plant them high, have the root ball sticking up above the soil level by 2 inches, that will keep the stem dry. The roots that feed the plant are in the bottom of the container.

Do not mulch or allow leaves to cover the stems.
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Foxglove is another plant that tends to rot where the stems meets the ground it they get too much water. They are a shade plant for your climate. Planting them under a deciduous tree would probably be the best site for growing them.
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I grow both lavender and foxgloves here, but, they are winter annuals. The only lavender that I have had survive our summers is Spanish Lavender - L. stoechas and it only survives if planted an area with lots of sun, good air circulation and no summer water.

Here is a lavender, in a pot, set in a mixed flower bed>

Thanks for the tips!

Hi bluebunn,

I don't live so far from you and I have been unable to kill my lavender despite being one of the worst gardeners known to mankind. Ignoring it does, indeed, seem to be the key. I ordered 2 ea Lavender Lady and Grosso Lavender, planted each of them in a terra cotta 2 quart pot (because they really don't like to sit in water), gave them FULL Alabama sun (which meant that I actually did have to water them twice a week) and they did great. I actually started them with afternoon shade thinking that Full sun might be too much, but they began to languish until I gave them FULL sun.

Here's the weird part. My husband had to move them out of the way for some reason back about September, and he put them on the north side along the foundation of one of our porches, and I forgot about them. No sun. Full exposure to the north wind. As you know, we've frozen our tails off this winter...and they are all STILL alive. Either that or they're frozen in motion and will die when they thaw.

So if I were you, I'd put a couple in terra cotta pots and see what happens.

As for foxglove, my husband has this thing for plants that grow like weeds - and foxglove is one of those for us. Keep in mind that it has a two year cycle - the first year you'll get plants, the second year you'll get flowers, and then the plant supposedly dies. We now have an informal foxglove starting area behind our shed near the edge of the woods. I think it started itself from seeds that floated down there one year. Doesn't get much sun, we don't do a thing to it. Haven't planted a seed in 10 years, never fertilize...they just re-seed themselves. They don't bloom without sun, though, so every year we just go behind the shed and transplant however many we want to the yard. It's nice because otherwise you're stuck with a green mound that doesn't flower for a year.

Hope that helps. If you want to know anything about Red Hot Pokers let me know.

Debi

Regarding lavender, I've read that the cultivar Munstead tends to be more hardy than some of the others. I've always had luck with that one, even after pretty much ignoring it. I've tried another cultivar, Provence, and it died after the second year. You might try Munstead, if you haven't already, and see if you are more successful.

DebiH, I thank you for the info. I will try the pots for the lavender and I will never give up on the foxgloves! I haven't ever planted red hot pokers, do they do well here in the South?

I am pretty sure I planted munstead last year, I must have watered it to death.

Dear Bluebunn,

Red Hot Pokers were my very first attempt to start something from seed, about ten years ago. Given that I knew NOTHING about growing seeds, it was a miracle that about three plants survived. We now have about 100. One year my husband was so happy just to have anything growing that he put the darn things all over 'my' flower beds. To this day we are removing Red Hot Pokers from 'my' flower beds. We'd probably have 1000 if I didn't pull some them up when my husband isn't looking. They are now (mostly) in appropriate spots near the edge of the woods. They seem to grow anywhere in our yard, though they actually only flower in sun. Their bloom time is so short that in my opinion it is not worth having them in "show" areas, even if you cut them back right after they bloom to force a second bloom later on.

Last year we also found a 'perennial' lavender at Lowes that grew to small bush size. Don't know if they will actually come back, all we currently have are bare small bushes.

Debi, a true Lavender -Lavendula- is evergreen, but, there are other plants that have been given the name Lavender as a common name.

I think there is some lavender in this knot garden somewhere>

Dear DaleThe Gardener,

Is that your HOUSE? Not to mention the luscious landscape. Many, many compliments.

Debi

Debi, this is my beautiful house>

Dalethe Gardener, your plants are inspiring and super inviting!

Thanks for the tips. I'm trying foxglove (again!) from seed this year and I hope I can get it to grow for me. Any advice for foxglove from seeds?

I planted lavender from pots last year, into a raised bed in wide open full sun. I did not water that bed AT ALL in 2008 and the lavender was spectacular. So I have to agree, don't water the lavender ever, and it will do fine. (Take this from a rehabilitated chronic overwaterer!)

Mini,

In the Deep South (that would be you) you need to start Foxglove in the Fall (Nov) and protect them from temps below 28*. You might get a few flowers in spring. Look for the foxglove known as http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54594/. Most will not flower for you, too hot too fast. Washington state to central California is their perfect climate.

There is another plant, not a true Foxglove called African Foxglove, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/897/ that would do very well in your zone. I grow it and it is easy, drought tolerant and if you plant enough of them, close together they put on a good show all summer.>

Hi Dale
Thanks for the information. I will not worry too much with the foxglove then. The seeds I have are not any particular variety, just mixed. Thanks again, L.

This growing lavender in pots is starting to take hold in my mind. When I think of all the hanging plants I have killed from not watering them enough , and all those empty pots I now own......hmmmm this could work out just fine!

BlueBumm, It is possible to kill lavender in pots too. They are a touchy plant when planted in the south, that is why you don't see big hedges of them in people's yard.

Don't know the name of this one, but, I grow it every winter. Over this last summer I had one small branch survive the summer. It is pitiful looking, but, I don't have the heart to finish it off.

Last winter's Lavender>

DebiH,

Here is a Red Hot Poker, Kniphofia multiflora in its native habitat.

This photo will not enlarge>

Dale, That's true of course. it isn't difficult to kill any plant......except for those creeping buttercups I can't get rid of no matter what I do. But I am determined to have my lavender. A nice substitute, simply for the look of it, is blue sage. But nothing beats the scent of lavender.

Dale, the extent of your knowledge is incredible, although I do resent you for living in a better zone than I.

Bluebunn, beware: some lavender stinks. Dale probably knows which one smells good.

French Lavender is the one they use in perfume. Spainsh is good too.

Debi, You can always move here - there are 10's of thousands vacant/abandon homes in Florida, no jobs, but, lots of vacancies.

Here is a photo I took today, at one of my jobs.

I agree with the others. DH has had a laugh at me this year. I keep going out and looking at my lavender and saying "its still alive!" I bought this one at our farmers market. When I did I explained that neither my mil or I have been able to keep any alive through winter and my mils usually die during the year. I was told what is aparently the best advice ever. Ignor it. Dont water,feed,prune. The first year at least. Then near winter I added lots of grass clipings to keep it warm.The top is brown but the boton is still bright green. Winter is almost over so I will make new starts off of it this year. DH and I are mostly home in the evening/night time so I want a fragrant garden.

Redring,

Do you know what kind of lavender you have? Also, is yours planted in pots or in the ground? I'm just south of Kokomo, and had no luck with lavender I tried 2 years ago.

mine are planted in the ground. My mils made it this year also. We went out this saterday and had a look at her gardens. she had two types that were still green. Mine are these here http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57716/ my mil also had this one http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80496/