Lavender Plants for Ontario

A very common questions I get is what kind should I buy, and my answer is always, English Lavender.  "French" or  professionally named X intermedia is that traditional smell that most people say remind them of France.  

But do you know what France climate is? Mediterranean.  Do you know what climate Ontario is? Crap. Our winters are harsh and some years we have seen a drop of -25 celsius after a rain storm.  Why do we live in a place where the air hurts our face? The "French" Lavender have the same thought and would rather not participate.   

But if you are stubborn like we are, there are some ways to attempt to prevent all that drama in the spring.  We cover with biodegradable plastic bags.  We cut a hole in the corner of the bags for airflow and tie the handles around the base.  Most lavender farms use tarps that may or may not work better.   Being in the windiest location in Southern Ontario (which is why we have the windmills behind us), we do not have the luxury to attempt tarps unless we want to spend our days chasing them.  

With that said, English Lavender is beautiful and the colour of the flower is bluer and much prettier than the "French".  It is a smaller plant and their are many kinds.  Folgate is our favourite with a second to Royal Velvet.  There are so many to choose from, but whatever you do, do not buy the Spanish Lavender.  Nothing against the Spanish, that is for another post.