Gardener Digs Up About 12 Lavender Plants And Refuses To Replant Them As A Hedge Because Lavender Is Temperamental And Another Gardener Struggled With Hers

Lavender looks easy on a garden center tag, but Lori has learned it can be moody. So when she dug up about 12 lavender plants that had been growing as a hedge, she made a decision: they are not going back in as a hedge.

A bed of purple lavender flowers in full bloom.

The gardener behind @MainStGardener lives in zone 7 outside Washington, D.C., in Maryland. Her garden is long and narrow, about 50 ft long, and about three weeks ago she and her husband removed the grass from it.

Why Lavender “Can Be Temperamental” In Her Garden

Lori says lavender can be fussy about almost everything. Too much water is a problem, too little is a problem, and too much heat can be a problem too.

She has some lavender in a tiered bed that has been reliable, and it comes back every year. She almost cut it to the ground once, but she says the variety she grows there, called Phenomenal, has done great. Even so, she lost two plants.

She also pointed to another gardener whose lavender hedge has struggled. “If you watch Garden Answer, you know she has really struggled with the hedge of lavender that she planted,” Lori said.

“I’m Going To Mix It In Case I Lose A Plant”

That is the heart of her plan. A solid row of lavender looks wonderful until one plant dies and leaves a gap, so she is weaving it through a mix of ornamental grasses instead.

Her pattern is simple: a lavender, a grass, a lavender, a grass. She knows she is planting it thick, but she wants everything to touch and blend into one soft, textured border.

She is using two grasses. One is muhly grass, which can reach 3 to 4 ft and will add pink plumes and a touch of fall color. The other is Mexican feather grass, which wants full sun and measures 18 to 24 in.

A Risky Grass She Decided To Try Anyway

Mexican feather grass is hardy to zone 7, and Lori knows that makes it iffy where she lives. Her area has had some very cold, hard winters.

Still, she has a friend who lives to the north, in a slightly cooler spot, and that friend’s feather grass came back just fine. Lori picked up hers on sale for about 30% off and decided to give it a shot.

It is a gamble she can afford. If one plant struggles, the mixed planting keeps the bed looking full, and extra catmint she planted in the corners can be moved if needed.

Her New Root Slayer Shovel And Auger Went To Work

The tools were part of the story, too. A viewer recommended a root slayer shovel, and Lori says it has been fantastic for popping plants out of the ground. She also used her new power auger to dig the planting holes.

She dug up the lavender first, checked the root balls, and trimmed off dead wood as she went. Some of the plants had been tucked into other beds and had lost their shape, but she expects them to bounce back once they have full sun and room.

After planting, she fed the lavender with an organic plant food just to help the roots get established before the cold arrives. She noted that lavender does not need fertilizer in spring, so this was a one-time boost, and she has about a month before things die back.

Then Two Roses Almost “Did Her In”

With energy to spare, Lori decided to move two roses that were not thriving. One is a pink David Austin she could not name, and the other is an Elizabeth rose she identified from its tag. The second was in partial shade and kept reaching for the sky.

The Elizabeth rose turned out to be the thorniest rose in her garden, with a big root ball and a lot of stubborn roots. She went for her rose gloves and admitted that it “just about did me in.”

She planted both a little higher than usual because she plans to add compost and then mulch around them. That keeps the soil from settling and the crowns from sinking and rotting during a wet winter.

What Gardeners Can Borrow From Her Playbook

Lori also shared a pruning tip for anyone with roses. It is fine, she says, to take about a quarter of the long stems off before winter, especially if you get snow or ice, because tall canes can break and stress the plant. The big prune comes in late winter or early spring.

A few general lessons stand out. Spread your risk with a mixed planting instead of one single row. Check the hardiness zone on any plant tag, and treat plants at the edge of your zone as an experiment.

Moving a plant is easiest when it is cut back and the soil is workable, and a layer of compost and mulch afterward protects roots through the cold months.

Lori has more to do. The hollies, a slim arborvitae and a few hydrangeas still need new homes, and she plans to add salvias and veronicas next spring. She ended by asking everyone to share their favorite lavender varieties and tips, because she is still collecting lavender secrets.

Willow and Hearth