Are you looking for a fragrant, low-maintenance plant to grow in your container garden? Why not try lavender? Simply follow these easy steps!
Known for lovely purple flowers and soothing scent, Lavender is a well loved herb. Cultivating lavender in pots (or containers) is a wonderful way to add interest to your outdoor spaces. By following a few simple steps, it is so easy to grow lavender in pots!
As an added bonus today, I am joining several of my blogging friends to give you even more ideas for your container gardens. From themed container gardens and info on how to grow lavender in pots to window box ideas and more, I think you will find so much inspiration. The links to their posts are included at the end of this post. I hope you enjoy their creative ideas!
Before we get started
No matter how you arrived here today, whether you are joining me from Sonya’s blog or you are one of my regular readers or you found me on Google or via Hometalk, I am so glad you are here! My name is Kimberly and I have a passion for flowers (a former florist) and flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many things in between! Especially rusty and chippy items!
I love to share all the things I have learned over the years. Sometimes I tell stories about my life. Other times, I will share a craft or a recipe. I hope you enjoy your thyme here today and learn at least one thing during your visit!
Let’s get ready for some container garden inspiration!
But first, grab a glass of lavender lemonade to enjoy while you learn all about how to grow lavender in pots!
Step-by-Step: How to Grow Lavender in Pots
Choose the Correct Lavender Variety
Before you can begin growing lavender in containers, choosing the correct variety is crucial. With over 47 different varieties of lavender available, it is easy to get overwhelmed! Let’s talk about the basic traits of lavender and then I will describe a few of the most common varieties available.
Lavender is a Mediterranean plant. Lavender needs to be planted in well drained, sandy soil in an area that will get proper air circulation and a lot of sun. Good drainage is very important as lavender does not like to have its “feet” (roots) kept wet. Lavender is hardy in zones 5 – 9. If you are unsure what I mean by zones, the USDA has a plant hardiness zone available here. All you need is your zip code and the map will help you figure out your growing zone.
If you live in a zone where lavender isn’t hardy, there are ways to still plant and enjoy lavender! I often say I am a zone 6a girl transplanted to a zone 10 world! Growing lavender in containers helps me to be able to still grow and enjoy lavender even though I no longer live in the plant’s preferred zone!
As a general gardening tip, it is always good to know your zone and that of the plant you are wanting to grow. A lot of frustration and money can be saved if you know your zone and what the plant needs are. Most plants will come with a tag and there is a wealth of information on those tags!
Sorry for getting off topic but you will thank me later! Back to our discussion about how to grow lavender in pots!
Recognized for its very fragrant blossoms and attractive foliage, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most commonly grown variety. If you are interested in a lavender variety that is very popular for culinary uses, Jean Davis is an English lavender variety to seek out. With its more compact growth habit and unique flower stalk, French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is also a popular for gardeners. Spanish lavender (Lavandula dentata) has jagged leaves with fragrant purple & pink flowers.
One hybrid lavender that is well known for both its vibrant tall purple blossoms and gray-green foliage is Lavender Provence. A perennial herb plant, it does well in well-drained soil. Lavender Provence’s subtle gray-green leaves and fragrant purple flowers make an excellent choice for your garden. This is the variety I choose for my container garden.
Lavender plants will attract bees and butterflies to your garden. Bees are important pollinators but can sting you. So keep this in mind when you ultimately place your lavender container gardens.
Choose the Right Pot and Soil
Now that you have your plants picked out, it is thyme to pick out the proper container and soil. As I mentioned before, lavender prefers soil that drains well. You will want to use a very good quality potting mix that is recommended for use in containers. It wouldn’t hurt to mix some additional perlite to help improve drainage. Do Not Use soil straight from the ground….. ever…. Soil from your garden or yard is too heavy and can contain bugs and other things you don’t want in your container gardens. I made the mistake of using garden soil when I was a young gardener. It wasn’t long before my newly potted Norfolk Pine was infested with some type of root worms. Yuck!
Make sure to choose a pot with drainage holes. The size of your lavender plant will help determine the size of pot you need. The three lavenders that I had, came in 8 inch pots. They were already showing signs of being root bound. I decided to go up to a 10 inch pot and then place that pot into a 12 inch container. I could have planted them directly into the 12 inch planter but I was a little short of potting mix and I wanted to make sure the plants were able to drain effectively. We are getting ready to go into rainy season here in Florida so I wanted to be able to easily drain off any excess water.
Before planting, I washed and sterilized both the black grower’s pots as well as the eco friendly containers that I planned to use. Here are the pots all lined up ready to hold the newly planted lavender plants.
Because I was going to set the planted lavender down into the decorative container, I added a terra cotta saucer inside the pot to help with drainage. Excess water can collect there but it will be easy to lift the potted lavender out of the container to pour out any excess water.
Repot The Lavender Plants
Now that you have chosen your lavender plants and gotten your containers ready, it is thyme to grab the bag of potting mix and start potting!
Lay the plant on its side and gently remove it from the original pot. If you are having difficulty getting the plant out of the pot, gently tap the pot against the table to help loosen the plant from the container. After getting the plant out of the container, you may need to gently massage the root ball in order to loosen the roots.
Fill the cleaned and sterilized pot about 1/2 full with potting soil.
Set the plant into the pot and add more potting mix , leaving about an inch of space at the top of the pot. Gently shake the container to be sure the soil is distributed around the plant and the plant feels secure inside the pot. Water thoroughly until water runs out the bottom of the pot. Add more soil if necessary so that the roots are completely covered.
Once the plant has finished draining out all the excess water, it is thyme to set the potted lavender down inside the decorative container.
The lavender container gardens are ready to be placed in a sunny location. The container gardens will need to be watered regularly. You will want the plant to dry out slightly between waterings.
I moved my three lavender container gardens to our lanai.
What Else You May Need to Know to Grow Lavender In Pots:
Feed & Water Your Lavender Container Gardens
For optimal plant health, it is important to water the plants regularly. Remember, lavender doesn’t like its feet (wet) to be kept wet. That doesn’t mean it likes to be bone dry either. Simply allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, and water deeply when you water. Water deeply means water until the water runs out the holes in the bottom of the pot. This insures that the soil is getting evenly watered and all of the roots can get access to water. Don’t let the plants sit in standing water, simply drain off the excess water that is collected in the saucer.
Lavender plants don’t require much fertilizer. An application of an all purpose plant fertilizer once or twice during the growing season is all it really needs. Using too much fertilizer can hamper flower formation.
Trim The Lavender
Trimming the lavender plants helps promote new growth. Pruning or trimming is best done early in the growing season. Use clean, sharp garden shears and remove any dead or damaged stems. Avoid over-trimming. You will want to leave at least two sets of leaves per stem in order to promote new growth.
Your lavender container garden will reward you with beautiful flowers and pleasant fragrance as long as it receives adequate water, sun and a little food!
How to Grow Lavender in a Pot
Equipment
- 3 10 inch growers pot or terra cotta flower pot
- 3 12 inch decorative container
- 1 watering can
- 1 bag potting mix add additional perlite if desired
Materials
- 3 8 inch lavender plants
Instructions
- purchase 3 8 inch Lavender plants
- clean and sanitize the 3 10 inch pots and the 3 12 inch decorative containers, wipe them dry with a clean towel.
- to help aid with drainage, I added a terra cotta saucer to the bottom of each decorative saucer. *
- Fill a clean and sterilized container 1/2 full of potting mix
- remove the lavender plant from its existing container. Gently loosen roots from if they are showing signs of being root bound
- Place the lavender plant in the pot and fill in with extra potting mix.
- Gently shake the pot to make sure the soil is distributed evenly. Add enough soil so that the root ball is completely covered. Water thoroughly, until water runs out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Repeat steps until all plants are planted and watered.
- Place the newly planted lavender down inside the decorative planter
- Decorate your garden or outdoor living space with the lavender container gardens
Notes
- *I added the extra saucer because I live in Florida and we are going into rainy season. I think it will be easier to drain off any excess water that collects in the bottom of the decorative container. This is an optional step.
- Lavender doesn't like to have its feet (roots) kept wet. Use a quality potting soil and water when the plants are slightly dry. Don't let the soil in the pots dry out completely.
- The lavender container gardens need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for optimum growth.
- The lavender container gardens will need to be repotted into the next size pot when the roots start growing out of the pot.
Interested in Learning More About Lavender?
Did you know that you can use lavender flowers or blossoms in your cooking? Yes, yes you can!
Let’s Craft a Caffeine Free Herbal Tea Blend
How to Create A Dessert Garden
Ready for the Hop?
I have joined together with 6 of my blogging friends to share our ideas for container gardens. It is easy to gather all of the inspiration by simply clicking the link above each photo! I learned several new tricks and gained so many new ideas, I hope you will too!
Kippi from Kippi at Home has put together a very informative container gardening guide. Find the post here: Container Gardening Guide
Container Gardening Guide
Next on the hop is Marie from This Dear Case with all of the information you need to create stunning container gardens! All the details can be found here: How to Create Stunning Containers for your Home
How To Create Stunning Container Gardens for Your Home
Sonja Burgess is sharing tips on creating beautiful container gardens for small spaces. I think these tips can be used to create container gardens for any size area! Her informative post can be found here: Tips On Creating Container Gardens for A Small Porch
Tips on Creating a Beautiful Container Flower Garden for a Small Porch
Leslie from Feet Under My Table designed this adorable fairy garden. It is just one of the cute ideas she is sharing today! The fairy garden and all her wonderful creations can be found here: How About New Container Garden Ideas?
How About New Container Garden Ideas?
Rebecca from Zucchini Sisters designed this beautiful pastel flower box. She can’t wait to share all the details with you! Everything you need to know can be found here: Window Box Flowers
Window Box Flowers
Lynne blogs at My Family Thyme. She is sharing her 6 favorite easy tips on growing a full & fabulous flower box! I can’t wait to check it out! I will be heading here to read all about it! 6 Easy Tips on Growing a Full & Fabulous Flower Box
6 Easy Tips to Grow a Full & Fabulous Flower Box
Lavender is one of my favorite plants. Just got a beautiful one for Mother’s Day. Now if I can just follow your directions to keep it alive! Loved hopping with you!
I hope my tips help! It is always fun hopping with you! Happy Belated Mother’s Day!
I love lavender! This post is so informative about the different types. Super helpful tips about including this lovely plant in a container garden.
Thank you , Marie! It is always fun hopping with you! Have a wonderful Summer!
I love keeping lavender in my yard and never knew about the different types, thank you so much for sharing. Pinning for later. So fun hopping with you today.
Thank you, Sonya! It was a fun hop, wasn’t it? Have a wonderful weekend!
I really learned a ton of information about growing lavender. I am going to buy some tomorrow and try to grow it!
Thanks for organizing the hop, Kippi! It is always fun hopping with you!
Kim, I love lavender and learned so many great tips from reading your post! Thank you so much for sharing. It is always so much fun to hop with you!
So glad you enjoyed the post, Lynne! It was a fun post to write! Always fun hopping with you!
Oh, I love lavender. Our son and DIL have a small non-profit animal rescue farm and now also added a lavender field. I cannot wait for it to go into full bloom. In fact, visiting them this Sunday to see how things are progressing.
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Thanks for stopping by! Your son’s animal rescue farm is such a great cause! Where are they located? Enjoy your weekend visit with them!
Kimberly, thanks for sharing your knowledge about lavender. Who knew there were so many varieties? My mom used to have a lavender patch in her garden, and we would make lavender wands with ribbon. The smell of lavender is so heavenly! It was fun hopping with you 🙂
I bet it was fun to make the lavender wands! I have never tried that! I think I will add that to my project list for this summer! It is always enjoyable hopping with you!
I love lavender but I have never tried to grow my own. So, thanks for these great tips. I also never knew there were some many different varieties.
Thank you for stopping by, Natasha!
I love lavendar Kim, my mother grows it in her backyard. I will have to follow all of your tips and see if I can also grow it, but I love the idea of pots!