The Parsley Patch

The variety of lavender we grow is Lavandin Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso,’ a French cultivar that has proven for us to be hardier than the more common English varieties. All English varieties such as ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidecot’ have failed. ‘Grosso’ is larger and considerably more fragrant and is the primary type used for commercial lavender production.

Full sun and good drainage are essential for lavender to thrive. The lighter and more alkaline the soil, the better. Once established it will require very little watering and fertilizing. You will need a good pair of sharp pruners as pruning and timing or it are vital to good flower production. In bloom, it will produce a 3+ foot mound.

Location
– site in eight hours or more of direct sunlight
– area should be dry where water does not regularly pool with good to sharp drainage
– a spot with the least amount of winter wind is ideal
– allow two feet around and above the current size of the bush for flower wand growth

Process
– dig a hole at least 12″ wide and deep; though 18″ would be better if soil is heavy clay
– mix the excavated soil with an equal portion of a purchased sandy topsoil (be sure the top soil is loose and sandy)
– refill the hole slightly so that the plant can be positioned the same depth it was previously growing
– set the plant in the hole and water in with half-strength Miracle-Gro
– backfill and tamp
– water (not with Miracle-Gro solution) to set the soil

Mulch
Lavender does not like to be mulched because it doesn’t want to be moist. However, you will want to use a light-colored gravel or crushed stone in lieu of mulch. The idea is to reflect light up into the plant to keep it from getting woody.

Fall Care
Keep air circulation flowing around the plant by ensuring hat dead leaves and debris are continually removed from the base of the plant.

Winter Care
It is vital to ensure that dead leaves and debris are continually removed from the base of the plant and that airflow remains unrestricted, otherwise the woody stems and crown may rot. However, snow cover is ideal as it will insulate and protect from drying wind and winter sun scorch. Through winter the lavender will maintain its foliage, but as spring approaches it will begin to wane and may even look dead.

Spring Care
On or about April 1 you will want to do your spring pruning. I did a severe late-summer pruning to rejuvenate this plant so it may not need a spring this time around. When doing the spring pruning in general you want to remove 2/3 of the green/gray soft growth. Don’t cut back into the wood as new growth is difficult to get started there. The idea is to keep the woody core of the plant to a minimum by forcing new growth to begin as far back into the plant as possible. As you pruning, keep to a mound shape. Lavender will continue to look bedraggled until the weather warms. A light watering of Miracle-Gro Flower booster after pruning will help.

Summer Care
Flower wands will begin to show in late May and will be in bloom by late June, lasting until the beginning of August. No care is needed except to water sparingly the first year.

Drying: the best time to harvest for drying is when a 1/3 of the bloom is open, usually around the first or second week in July. This will give you premium-quality lavender for dried flower arranging when you need the stem intact. Cut the stems where they emerge from the foliage. Bunch the stems together, keeping stem bunch about 1″ or less in diameter. Fasten with a rubber band and hang upside down in a cool dry place for several weeks. You may get a small rebloom later in the season, but doesn’t always happen.

Summer pruning: when the flowers have faded (dried on the plant) around the first week in August, cut off all stems where they emerge from the foliage. These stems can also be bunched and dried and used to make sachets or cast in a fire for a fragrant delight. As with spring pruning, cut back 2/3 of the new growth that occurred during the summer.

This is the first year that our oak leaf hydrangeas have bloomed and they were magnificent. Lining the stairs up to the driveway, whey are under planted with hostas.

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As the Winter Solstice occurs, the Celtic festival of Yule begins. As the sun passes a halfway mark in the celestial heavens, it is essentially being reborn into a new cycle of life, growing brighter and stronger every day until the Summer Solstice. Bonfires would be lit and a giant Yule log wassailed and set a light in hopes the sun would be reignited to rise higher and brighter in the sky, banishing the cold Winter.

This “rebirth” of the sun, the rebirth of the god of the goddess and the birth of the Child of Light (or Promise) are common themes shared by many different peoples. Many customs and observances that we now see as Yule, Winter Solstice and Christmas have roots predating Christianity, making this one of the most ancient and important festivals. This was a turning point in the midst of the bleak midwinter when ancient Celts would bring evergreens into their homes as living symbols of the promise of Spring. To the ancients, bringing in plants that live when all else appears dead and kindling of a large fire were necessary rituals in the endless cycle of the year to spark life back into the land.

With the advent of Christianity, the outward focus shifted from the rebirth of sun and land to the birth of the Son of God who was to bring new life and eternal light. As the underlying theme from the more ancient pagan celebrations remained intact, it was only fitting that the church added the celebration of the birth of Jesus to the already existing customs occurring in late December. While the birth of a god at winter was common in many traditions, much of modern secular Christmastime revelry comes from the pagan Roman celebration of Saturnalia. This festival celebration of the god Saturn was rife with markets of fine wares, gift giving, elaborate feasting, partying and the spreading of goodwill and merrymaking.

ASSOCIATIONS
· Animals: reindeer, stag, wren, phoenix
· Colors: gold, white, green, red
· Element: earth
· Food: mulled wine and apple cider, cookies, gingerbread, pears, nuts, turkey, beef, pork
· Plants: bayberry, pine, rosemary, cedar, mistletoe, holly, poinsettia
· Power: renewal, rebirth, transformation

DECORATIONS
· Evergreen boughs, garlands and wreaths
· Poinsettias, paperwhites and amaryllis
· Evergreen trees decorated with sun images or natural ornaments
· Images or wintertime, snowmen, etc.
· Candles

ACTIVITIES
· Decorate the house with evergreens and dried items from the garden
· Make a wreath using dried sunflower heads and berries and place outside for birds
· Ring a bell at the exact time of the Solstice to welcome the returning sun
· Cast sunflower seeds into the yard to feed the birds
· On the Winter Solstice create a circle of candles, one for each family member and have each in turn light their candle thinking of a Yule wish; if you are solitary, light a candle for each with a blessing for their good health and fortune

YULE INCENSE
1 part sandalwood – protection, healing, spirituality
2 parts frankincense – protection, spirituality
2 part myrrh – protection, healing, spirituality, purification
2 parts pine needles – purifying and cleansing, protection, healing, money
2 parts cedar – purifying, protection, healing, money
2 parts juniper – protection, psychic powers, health, love
1 part cinnamon – success, healing, psychic powers.
1 part ginger – money, success, power, love,
3 drops orange oil – a solar scent, purification, love

This year there were some firsts in the garden, namely the intense blue of the hydrangeas and the first bloom of the four-year-old oakleaf hydrangeas. Some things are starting to get overgrown and will need to be thinned next year.

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