ENGLISH Lavender SeedS, PERENNIAL herb

Organically Grown  Lavender Seeds - English - The Vera Lavender is a very popular home garden lavender variety that produces a lovely, strong lavender scent that can be used to freshen up the home.

Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowerThe Vera Lavender is a very popular home garden lavender variety that produces a lovely, strong lavender scent that can be used to freshen up the home.ing plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean. Its common names include lavender, true lavender or English lavender; also garden lavender, common lavender, and narrow-leaved lavender.
lavender is a shrubby perennial grown for its flowers and fragrance, but it also serves as a landscape item for its beauty and ability to stand heat and drought.
In a formal garden, lavender may be clipped to form a low hedge or an aromatic border along a path. In a rock garden, a single plant or just a few plants may be used to great effect as an accent. And, of course, lavender is a natural choice for any herb garden. The cool, gray-green foliage contrasts nicely with its own flowers, as well as dark green herbs and other plants.

Lavender English (Lavandula Angustifolia - Vera) - Sweetly fragrant blooms and evergreen blue-green foliage! The richest in essential oils, this is one of the most aromatic Lavender plants of them all. Reaching 24 to 36 inches high, it boasts 2 1/2 inch, linear, downy leaves on strong stems. The leaves first open white, then turn a pale gray-blue-green color. Stalks of tiny purple flowers grow up to 14 inches tall. Start this beautiful herb for your garden by sowing Lavender seeds!
English Lavender herb plants are prized worldwide for the gentle and soothing therapeutic properties. Lavandula Angustifolia Vera is one of the richest in essential oils, meaning more fragrance power both fresh and dried. Fresh Lavender flowers can be crystalized and used in candies and cakes; dried flowers are used in potpourris and sachets; oils are used in creams and perfumes. And these are only some of the more common uses - imagination can create endless more!
Lavender also grows quite well in containers. In the Deep South, it actually does better in pots, as it benefits from improved drainage and air circulation. While the plants thrive in arid Western climates, they are usually considered annuals in the South.
How To Grow English Lavender From Herb Seeds: 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. Sow Lavender seeds indoors 8 - 10 weeks before last frost. Use sterile starter mix and sow the herb seeds on the surface, pressing them into the soil. Cover the English Lavender seeds very lightly as they need light for germination. Transplant English Lavender seedlings outdoors in mid-spring once frost danger has passed.

MORE GROWING INFORMATION
Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: Perennial in Zones 5-8. Grow as an annual north of Zone 5.

Timing
Lavender germinates most evenly sown on the surface of a seed tray with bottom heat maintaining 4-10°C (40-50°F). The seedlings are then overwintered in a cool greenhouse or cold frame with good ventilation. Seedlings can then be potted on as needed.

Another method is to start the seeds indoors in February planting a few seeds in a few pots with sterilized seed starting mix. Dampen the mix, press the seeds into the surface, insert the pots into plastic bags, and put them in your freezer for 2-7 days. Let them come to room temperature on their own, and then use bottom heat as indicated above.

Starting
Barely cover the seed, as they germinates in 14-21 days in warm soil. Do not use a plastic lid or covering because this will make the surface of the soil too moist. If watering is necessary, water from below. If germination is low after 3-4 weeks, lower the temperature to 5-10°C (40-50°F) for 2 weeks, then raise it again. Pot up the tiny seedlings and grow them on in a protected greenhouse or windowsill to set into the garden in the spring.

Growing
Lavender prefers full sun and well drained, fertile soil. Trim plants back hard in spring, just as new growth starts – but never prune back into the woody part of the stems. This will give a rush of even growth for the first leaves and bloom. Cut back again in early autumn, but again – never into old wood.

Harvest
Gather the flowers just as they open. Dry on open trays, or by hanging in small bunches. Pick the leaves anytime to use fresh, or if you’re dehydrating lavender leaves, gather before flowering starts.