Hidcote Blue Lavender Seeds

An evergreen perennial, Lavender 'Hidcote Blue' has a subtle blue-green coloring and sweet fragrance. Reaching 12 to 18 inches high and wide, it boasts 2½-inch, linear, downy leaves on strong stems. The leaves first open white, then turn a pale gray-blue-green color. Stalks of the deepest purple flowers grow up to 14 inches tall.

Grow in a well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil in an open, sunny spot. Trim back in spring to encourage bushier growth; also deadhead after flowering. Pkt is 100 seeds.

Lavender is such a joy in garden and home that every gardener should grow at least a containerful, and the lucky among us will be able to blanket driveways, sunny borders, and meadows with this fabulous herb. Popular since ancient times (it was used in the mummification process by the ancient Egyptians, and scented the Greek and Roman baths), it is used as a seasoning, fragrance, and home remedy, among many other things.

Lavender is not the easiest herb to grow. It needs exceptionally good drainage and prefers light, dry soils in low-humidity climates. But with the range of available varieties on the market today, you can find a Lavender that suits your climate, your soil, and your gardening style!

Choosing a Variety

With nearly 40 species and countless exciting varieties within those species, Lavandula is treasure-trove of possibilities for the gardener. Here are just two of the most popular species for American gardens:

Lavandula angustifolia, the beloved English Lavender, is renowned both for its flowers and foliage fragrance. It is used in cuisine and potpourri, besides as a spectacular fresh or dried cutflower. Among the classic cultivars are Munstead and Hidcote Blue.

Lavandula stoechas, Spanish (formerly French) Lavender, blooms earlier than its English cousin and sports a different bloom form as well as fragrance type. The flowerstalks are topped with several large, wing-like bracts known as "rabbit ears," very showy in garden or vase. The scent is more pine-like than sweet. To try a superb L. stoechas for containers or small spaces, give Sancho Panza a whirl.

When to Start

Lavender can be sown indoors in late winter or outdoors in early spring or late fall. Wherever it is sown, it will germinate in about 15 to 20 days.

How to Start

Indoors, place one seed in each bio sponge of your Bio Dome or, if you are using a seed flat, on top of the starting medium (the seeds need light to germinate). Best results are when temperatures alternate between about 55 and 72 degrees F.

Outdoors, scatter the seeds onto the soil and then cover with a row protector or very light sprinkling of soil.

Lavender can also be started from cuttings. Dip the cut end of the stem into a rooting hormone and pot it up in a sterile soil-less medium. Keep the cutting away from full sun until it has rooted.

Planting Out

Lavender seedlings are ready to transplant when they have at least two sets of true leaves. Space the plants 12 inches apart in full sun in a neutral to alkaline, light, rich, sandy, well-drained soil. Drainage is critical for Lavender's success.

Special Considerations

To dry Lavender, just stand your cut stems in a dry vase, or harvest the flower spikes when the buds just begin to open and hang them upside down by their stems in a shady, cool, dry location.

Growing Tips

• Growing Lavender in a lean soil will encourage a higher concentration of oils. An alkaline and especially chalky soil will enhance Lavender's fragrance.
  
• Prune your Lavender plants in early spring to keep them from looking ragged. This will also improve their branching ability.
  
• Keep in mind that although Lavender has a large, spreading root system, it prefers growing in a tight spot. If you are growing your plants in containers, select those that are just a few inches larger in diameter than the rootball. Too large a pot will only encourage excessive dampness.

Pests and Problems to Watch For

The enemies of Lavender in the garden are moisture and heavy soils. Humid, damp summer weather can cause the plants to rot.

View All Know Before You Grow Topics

Lavender Germination Information

• Best sown indoors at alternating temperatures of 55 and 72°
• NO cover is needed as light aids in germination
• Seeds can also be sown outdoors with barely any cover
• Sow outdoors in early spring or late fall
• Indoors and out, expect germination in 15-20 days
• When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed

This handsome herb should be a denizen of every herb garden and flower border. The 12-30 inch plants form upright mounds of gray-colored, highly aromatic foliage. In mid to late summer plants are covered in delicate spikes of purple, lavender, or pink, fragrant flowers that float above the plant on slender stems. Harvest the flower spikes when the buds just begin to open and hang them upside down by their stems in a shady, cool, dry location. Harvest the leaves for use in cooking wild game and to extract an oil used in soaps, lotions, and perfumes

Superior Germination Through Superior Science

First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.

Superior Standards - University Inspected

Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians

When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.

The Park Seed Gold Standard

Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).

Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.