Time to prune the lavender

It's human nature to not want to harm anything that is beautiful and natural, especially a delicate flower.  Sometimes, however, a little pain does have a lot of gain.  You may not want to do it, but it's about the right time of year to prune your lavender. 

I almost killed my lavender plants a couple of years ago because I had assumed that they should get pruned just like my roses.  I took my loppers and cut just about every bit of green off of the plant.  Then I read that I almost certainly killed them because of this violent mistake.  My wife reassured me that "living things want to live", and I kept my lavender stubs hoping that she was right.

As is usually the case, my wife was right.  I soon started to see little green nubs growing out from the truncated branches. Those nubs soon grew into fully-grown leaves, and before I knew it, my lavender plants were on the mend and growing just fine.  Once I was sure they could handle it, I moved them from the pots they were in to a bed in front of my house where they would get plenty of sun and grow into a nice hedge.

Out of guilt from my past abuses, I was reluctant to bring the shears even close to my lavender, and now I have an overgrown mangy beast.  I hate to say that about such a beautiful and fragrant flower, but it's true, and it's time to do the unthinkable... I need to prune it again.

BUT... now I know better.

To get the most out of my lavender, I need to trim it with garden shears a couple of times a year, up to about half of the plant.  This sounds harsh, but it has a few benefits:

1.  It keeps the lavender from looking ugly and brown.  This flower doesn't need a lot of maintenance to look its best, but it does need a haircut now and then.  The flowers turn brown if left on their own, and this defeats the purpose of having the lavender in the first place.



This is my lavender not quite looking its best. 



2.  Pruning also promotes new growth.  The new buds that appear after pruning are so vibrant, and they aren't competing with the mealy old flowers that are way past their prime.

3.  The trimmings can also be used for several purposes, so don't toss them in your green waste.  They can be simmered to add a relaxing aromatic ambiance to your home, they can be marinated in vodka or vinegar (for those of you who don't drink alcohol) to make a relaxing tincture, and lavender flowers can also add a floral sweetness to salads and cookies.

My wife loves coming home to a house smelling like lavender.  I highly recommend simmering your cuttings to create a spa-like atmosphere at home.  This might be a nice touch for Mother's Day, which is coming up fast.  Also, if you're in hot water with your significant other, this might help ease the tension a little, although I can't make any guarantees.

When it comes to pruning your lavender (or most plants), you will learn to get a feel for when it needs to be trimmed back.  By pruning it now, in early Spring, I'm expecting an early Summer bloom, and then I'll revisit it again later this year.  Pay attention to your plants, and they will tell you what they need.  Now I'm off to give my lavender a haircut, and give my wife a fragrant treat. 

Cheers!