Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender is definitely a popular perennial in the Hudson Valley. It has beautiful flowers and fragrance. I have mixed feelings about this perennial based on the difficulty for customers to care for this plant. We have to understand lavender is a Mediterranean plant that likes hot temperatures, full sun and dry conditions. A lot of the time prolonged wet soil conditions will quickly kill this plant. Exposure to long periods of cold without adequate top cover protection will kill this plant as well. If you are an avid gardener you can easily manage this perennial but it is definitely not for beginners. Instead if you are new to gardening I would suggest Junior Walker Catmint