Provence French lavender is a charming, old-fashioned plant with light purple blooms and a sweet, fresh fragrance that makes it perfect for drying to use in aromatherapy or sachets. Provence French lavender is a sturdy, easy-to-grow plant that does especially well in warm climates . If you live in a cooler climate where the winter temperatures drop into the 20s, plant lavender in a container so you can bring it indoors for the winter.
Purchase Provence French lavender starts at a greenhouse or nursery in spring, and prepare a planting area in full sunlight. Although the plants can grow in partial shade, the chances of mildew or disease are greatly increased.
Remove weeds from the area with a hoe, and loosen the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Lavender likes lightweight, non-compacted soil that drains well, so it may be helpful to work in about an inch of bark mulch.
Don't plant other plants too close to Provence French lavender. It needs plenty of air circulation on all sides. Two to three feet between plantings is optimum.
Harvest Provence French lavender just before the buds are fully opened. If you don't harvest the blooms, be sure to clip them off after they fade so the plant will continue to produce blooms.
Avoid fertilizing Provence French lavender. Fertilizing will produce green plants at the expense of more blooms and fragrance.
Prune Provence French lavender in spring or fall, but just enough to maintain the shape of the plant. Don't trim the plants back more than halfway, and don't cut so far that no green remains.
