KAREN WIGHT -- No Place Like Home

In the world of fragrance, lavender is royalty. Lavender is the basic

ingredient for potpourris. Lavender is marvelous in scented soap.

Lavender-filled sachets and pillows are sold to soothe body and spirit.

These easy-to-grow, sun-loving plants are sorcerers of scent in your

garden as well as in the house. Most varieties of lavender are easy to

find in local nurseries and easy to grow at home. Planting this

hard-working herb in your garden, window box or patio container is akin

to having your own perfumery.

In addition to the scent, lavender’s fabulous foliage is an extra

benefit. From the fat and fluffy greenery of Fat Spike to the dainty

multicolored leaves of Variegated French, lavender leaves add interesting

texture to your garden all year long.

Fat Spike is a compact, gray-leafed variety. One of the longer and

broader-leafed Provencal lavenders, Fat Spike impresses everyone with

full foliage and bright purple flowers.

French lavender has grayish-green serrated edges. French can reach 36

inches in height and offers masses of purple flowers almost all year

long.

Lady boasts brilliant blue-violet flowers on 18-inch stems. Lady’s

leaves are long and bright green and are lovely added to bouquets.

Variegated French has green leaves with cream and gray accents. This

lavender is a showstopper in flower borders and herb gardens. Tall spikes

of bright blue flowers add to the charm of this hardy lavender.

French Lace has delicate, dainty foliage. The lacy grayish-green

leaves and highly aromatic flowers make a great companion plant for other

lavenders.

Jean Davis is a sturdy, almost shrub-like plant. This English lavender

grows to 24 inches and has needlelike, gray-green foliage and soft pink

blooms.

Twickel Purple has large purple flowers that grow in fan-like

clusters. Bees love Twickel flowers. Perhaps these flowers inspired the

invention of bee skeps that are so popular in France. Bee skeps protect

food from the pollen-loving insect when dining al fresco.

Lavender plants like full sun and loose, fast-draining soil. They do

well with little water or fertilizer; you may even call them “easy.”

Pruning the plants immediately after a bloom cycle helps to keep the

plants compact and neat. If wild and woolly is what you’re after, let

them grow helter-skelter.

These fragrant plants hold their own in the house as well. Cut a

handful of flowers (with leaves) and put them in a vase in your powder

room. The scent is subtle and pleasing.

Dried lavender flower buds make great potpourri or filling for a neck

pillow. Lavender sachets are nice to tuck into lingerie drawers or in

your sweater storage boxes.

In your home, the scent of lavender will remind you of a warm day in

the south of France. In your garden, lavender will be a hardy perennial

and provide beautiful foliage all year long.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Sundays.