LAVENDULA STOECHAS 'BLUE STAR'
Lavendula stoechas is also known as the French or Spanish lavendar. Blue Star is a colour that I'm not familiar with but when I checked it out on the net it looks to be a lovely, deep purple colour. I've tried to grow lavenders other than English before but without success; they have succumbed to the harsh winters we can have here on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire. I wanted to give this one a go though and I shall grow it in a pot, rather than plant it in a border. That way I can protect it in winter. I hope.
Actually, the colour of the flowers on the label look rather more pink than the image I discovered on the net. I cannot take much notice of that. As any gardener knows, labels are often deceiving.
The label says that this is easy to grow, great for containers, has a dense bushy habit, has deep purple flowers, is attractive to wildlife, and the flowers (which are produced from summer to early autumn) can be added to soup. It achieves a height of about 60cm (24in). Sounds great, apart from the putting the flowers in soup bit.
The label also says that it needs protection in winter - just as I thought! - and should be pruned annually after flowering. If it is like other lavenders, I believe you should not cut so hard that you cut back into old wood when pruning.
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| Lavendula stoechas 'Blue Star' |
The label says that this is easy to grow, great for containers, has a dense bushy habit, has deep purple flowers, is attractive to wildlife, and the flowers (which are produced from summer to early autumn) can be added to soup. It achieves a height of about 60cm (24in). Sounds great, apart from the putting the flowers in soup bit.
The label also says that it needs protection in winter - just as I thought! - and should be pruned annually after flowering. If it is like other lavenders, I believe you should not cut so hard that you cut back into old wood when pruning.