OOF! This one is hard to finish. I started this post before we had a winter storm. We were plagued with 40 hours of power outages (5 total) and a TON of trees down. We now have a tree over a couple of rows in our Test Field and a smaller tree down in our Heather Field. Lavender is very resilient as it withstands deer hooves and our shepherd running over it to catch her ball so I am hopeful!
So here I go finishing this blog post, it isn’t easy and I feel five hundred years older since this post was started about 2 and a half weeks ago. I will try to finish it with the same optimism, happiness, sunshine, roses, rainbows and unicorns I felt when I started this post!
I am going to continue with the “original” post. The only difference will be “plants planned for 2024.” If we end up excavating a very storm damaged area, we will have room for a new field with double rows (30-50 times 2) of each different variety of lavender! A total of 2000-400 plants will fit in this area. We are still wrapping our heads around this!
We lack photos when lavender is blooming. One reason is because we are crazy busy. The other reason is because our farm does a “selective harvest.” This means we harvest a little from each plant during all phases of bud and blossom. Our plants never look “spectacular” when in full bloom due to our selective harvest.
English Lavender
We specialize in English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for several reasons, with the most important one being its ability to thrive in Michigan’s harsh climate. When it comes to selecting a lavender species for our region, hardiness is crucial, and English Lavender has proven time and again to be resilient even in challenging conditions.
English Lavender is known for its adaptability and ability to withstand colder temperatures, making it an ideal choice for Michigan’s unpredictable weather patterns. This particular lavender species has been cultivated and perfected over centuries, resulting in a plant that is hardy and able to withstand frost, snow, heat and widely fluctuating temperatures.
Furthermore, English Lavender offers a delightful fragrance that is highly sought after in various industries. Its aromatic properties and distilled constituents make it a popular choice for essential oil production, perfumes, soaps, and other beauty products. The distinct scent of English Lavender adds a touch of luxury and relaxation to any application.
In addition to its hardiness and fragrance, English Lavender also is known as “culinary lavender.” English Lavender’s low camphor content (compared to Lavandin) lends floral and herbal notes to dishes when properly infused.
By specializing in English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), we ensure that our customers receive a top-quality product or plant that not only survives but thrives in Michigan’s challenging climate. Whether you’re looking to enhance your garden or utilize the lavender’s aromatic properties for various purposes, our selection of this exceptional lavender species will meet your needs with excellence.
All of our English Lavender is seed grown with the exception of Violet Intrigue and Wee One. Those are both patented lavender plants so we bought them as 1 gallon plants.
Munstead, Vera and Hidcote were our first plantings in 2019.
Munstead
Why we chose this variety: Very easy to grow from seed. Floral scent and taste. This is our main crop. Very “intoxicating” when in bloom. Munstead is our “early bloomer” as we usually see buds the week after Mother’s Day.
Where Munstead is planted: Test Field (2019,) Heather Field (2019,) Apothecary Rows (2019,) Lily Field (2022,) Rows down drive (2022 & 2023.)
How many plants: Approx 500
How many plants planned for 2024: Another 200. We throw these in as fillers 🙂
Flower Color: Light, Almost White, Buds, Rosy Purple Blossoms.
USDA Grow Zone: 5-9
Plant Spread: 18″ Tall x 24 Wide at Maturity
Hidcote Blue
Why we chose this variety: High therapeutic value in hydrosol and processed health and beauty products. One of my favorites but difficult to grow from seed (slow grower.) Citrus taste and scent. Hidcote Blue is a “late bloomer” for English Lavender.
Where Hidcote Blue is planted: Test Field (2019,) Heather Field (2019,) Lily Field (2022.)
How many plants: Approx 200
How many plants planned for 2024: Another 100 with Heather Field Expansion and Row Down Drive.
Flower Color: Deep Purple/Blue Buds and Blossoms
USDA Grow Zone: 4-9
Plant Spread: 15″ Tall x 18″ Wide at Maturity
Vera
Why we chose this variety: It is thought to be the first “true” lavender. Herbal taste and scent. Medium difficulty to grow from seed otherwise we would have more.
Where Vera is planted: Test Field (2019,) Heather Field (2019,) Row Down Drive (2022.)
How many plants: Approx 100
How many plants planned for 2024: 25 for Lily Field.
Flower Color: Purple
USDA Grow Zone: 5-10
Plant Spread: 16″ Tall x 24″ Wide at Maturity
Violet Intrigue
Why we chose this variety: We chose Violet Intrigue for its sweet taste and scent and dark purple blossoms. This English Lavender variety is patented so we are unable to grow it from seed.
Where Violet Intrigue is planted: Lily Field (2021)
How many plants: 9
How many plants planned for 2024: About another 8 or 9 to finish row.
Flower Color: Dark Purple
USDA Grow Zone: 5-8
Plant Spread: 18″ Tall x 18 ” Wide at Maturity.
Ellagance Snow
Why we chose this variety: We wanted a white lavender and found that this variety, the entire Ellagance series in fact, was bred to be germinated from seed. We have not tested the taste of Ellagance Snow, while we have had some random white blossoms, as we have not had a large yield since the plants are so young. Ellagance Snow is the only true white lavender we can grow from seed.
Where Ellagance Snow is planted: Lily Field (2022,) Row Down Drive (2022.)
How many plants: 40
How many plants planned for 2024: No more plantings of Ellagance Snow are planned for 2024
Flower Color: White
USDA Grow Zone: 5-8
Plant Spread: 12″ Tall x 16″ Wide at Maturity
Ellagance Purple
Why we chose this variety: It is easy to germinate and advertised as a “first year bloomer.” We found it was a vigorous first year bloomer: sending random blossoms all the way through mid-November. It was probably a little “confused,” since it was a baby in 2023, so we will see what the true bloom cycle may be in 2024.
Where Ellagance Purple is planted: Lily Field (2023,) Row Down Drive (2023)
How many plants: 40
How many plants planned for 2024: No more plantings of Ellagance Purple are planned for 2024
Color: Deep Purple
USDA Grow Zone: 5-8
Plant Spread: 14″ Tall x 12″ Wide at Maturity
Ellagance Sky
Why we chose this variety: Another easy to germinate from seed, compact English lavender plant. We did have some loss from our 2022 plantings and the seed prices are through the roof. We will no longer sell Ellagance Sky as nursery stock, due to the outrageous price of seed and the fact that we had high winter loss.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2023,) Row Down Drive 2022
How many plants: 40
How many plants planned for 2024: No further plantings of Ellagance Sky due to seed cost and first year loss of plants.
Flower Color: Lilac Blue
USDA Grow Zone: 5-8
Plant Spread: 12″ Tall x 10″ Wide at Maturity
Rosea
Why we chose this variety: We wanted a sweet pink! Jean Davis or “Rosea” seems to be rated pretty high among lavender growers AND you can grow it from seed!
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2023)
How many plants: 20
How many plants planned for 2024: 20 Row Down Drive
Flower Color: Pink
USDA Grow Zone: 6-8
Plant Spread: 12″ Tall x 12″ Wide at Maturity.
Lady
Why we chose this variety: Lady was one of the first English Lavender plants bred to be seed germinated.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2023)
How many plants: 20
How many plants planned for 2024: 20 Row Down Drive
Flower Color: Purple
USDA Grow Zone: 5-10
Plant Spread: 16″Tall x16″ Wide at Maturity
Folgate
Why we chose this variety: Folgate is a larger English Lavender variety with a peppery taste. Perfect for Herbes de Provence spice blend or savory dishes. It is also one of the taller English Lavender plants you can grow from seed.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2023)
How many plants: 20
How many plants planned for 2024: 20 Row Down Drive
Flower Color: Violet Blue
USDA Grow Zone: 5-9
Plant Spread: 36″ Wide x 36″ Tall at Maturity
Wee One
Why we chose this variety: We chose this because Wee One is a dwarf lavender and is thought to be the smallest of all English Lavender varieties. The buds and blossoms are smaller than my pinky fingernail! The 9 plants we have are fully mature. Wee One is a patented lavender plant.
Where they are planted: Near the sassafras patch in the Lily Field (2021)
How many plants: 9
How many plants planned for 2024: None
Flower Color: Blue
USDA Grow Zone: 5-9
Plant Spread: 12″ Wide x 10″ Tall at Maturity
Lavandin
Lavandin, scientifically known as Lavandula x intermedia, is a fascinating hybrid species that is a cross between English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Portuguese Lavender (Lavandula latifolia). This unique combination gives lavandin its distinct characteristics and qualities.
One important thing to note about lavandin is that it is sterile, meaning it does not produce seeds. This has practical implications for farmers and gardeners who cultivate this species, as they need to rely on propagation methods such as cuttings or cloning to propagate new plants. Our farm prides itself on being a “seed grown” farm. Lavandin is the exception on our farm. We did resist adding lavandin but found this is what people wanted to see when they visit a lavender farm.
The main reason why we planted lavandin is for the delightful guest experience it provides. The vibrant purple flowers and stimulating camphorous fragrance create an aesthetically pleasing ambiance in gardens, parks, and even indoor spaces. Its visual appeal and aromatic properties make it a popular choice for landscaping projects aimed at enhancing the overall atmosphere.
Lavandin stands out from true lavender in terms of its chemical composition. It contains higher levels of camphor, which contributes to its distinctive scent. This makes lavandin an excellent choice for products such as perfumes, soaps, and candles where the invigorating aroma of camphor is desired. We personally do not process lavandin due to its high camphor content. Lavandin cannot be used for culinary purposes as well because of the high camphor content. We sell lavandin as cut fresh flowers because of its long stalks and dramatic fresh buds & blossoms.
It’s worth noting that lavandin is often mistaken or confused with true lavender due to their similar appearance. However, their differences in fragrance profile and growth habits set them apart. While both species have their own unique qualities and uses, lavandin offers a captivating alternative that adds depth and complexity to any garden design.
Grosso
Why we chose this variety: They are large, fast growing and not patented. This allows us to clone and add to other areas in the future. We originally chose Grosso for aesthetics and dried bundling. We have learned that Grosso is not a good dried bundle choice. Color fades quick. These make beautiful fresh cut flowers. Grosso is a prolific oil producer but its oil is high in camphor, like most lavandin, which is a natural stimulant and could cause issues with people prone to seizures.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2021)
How many plants: 150
How many plants planned for 2024: None planned.
Flower Color: Purple-Blue
USDA Grow Zone: 5-9
Plant Spread: 24″ Wide x 30″ Tall at Maturity
Phenomenal®
Why we chose this variety: We chose Phenomenal® Lavandin because it was highly recommended by other lavender farmers. It is also a very cold hardy and humidity tolerant lavandin. The flowers are lackluster for fresh or dried bouquets. Fresh blossoms are not as beautiful as Grosso and, just like Grosso, the color fades quickly and actually turns brown in dried bundles. It is supposedly lower in camphor than some lavandins but I definitely can smell a strong camphor scent profile when the buds are squeezed. The Phenomenal® camphor is just as strong as Grosso when compared side by side. We are definitely disappointed with the performance of Phenomenal® Lavandin.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2021)
How many plants: 18
How many plants planned for 2024: None
Flower Color: Deep Blue-Purple
USDA Grow Zone: 4-9
Plant Spread: 32″ Wide x 24″ Tall at Maturity
Gros Bleu
Why we chose this variety: Gros Bleu produces beautiful dark indigo buds which dry true to color and do not fade. Even though Gros Bleu is camphorous, as is all lavandin, it does have a sweeter smell like English Lavender. Gros Bleu makes a beautiful dried flower bundle. Unfortunately, they have been slow growers for us, we have not had the opportunity to dry enough for sale. We do use Gros Bleu dried bunches for our product photography! Gros Bleu is hands down the best of the three lavandins for dried bouquets. If a spot is found, we may expand our collection of Gros Bleu, just for dried bouquets.
Where they are planted: Lily Field (2021)
How many plants: 9
How many plants planned for 2024: None
Flower Color: Dark Indigo Blue
USDA Grow Zone: 6-10
Plant Spread: 24″ Wide x 24″ Tall at Maturity
New Varieties of English Lavender Planned Plantings for Summer 2024
Coming Soon! Planned expansions for 2024 in Lily Field and Row Down Drive. Look for future descriptions of our new planned lavender varieties for 2024:
Royal Velvet
Royal Purple
Melissa
Lavance Deep Purple
Avignon Early Blue
Ellagance Pink
Live English Lavender Plant 6 Pack For Sale | Hydroponic Starts
Buy Lavender Plants in a 6 Pack and Save!
This English lavender plant offering is for six different varieties of “grower’s choice” rooted starter lavender plugs. You will be pleasantly surprised with our different varieties of lavender: we have purples, blues, pinks and white! Comes with planting and care instructions.
Renee started out as an avid real estate blogger in 2006. Opting for a less stressful life, Paul and Renee moved to Michigan in 2018 and started a lavender farm in 2019.
There are very few resources available to aspiring lavender farmers for growing lavender, lavender aromatherapy and lavender culinary infusion.
Renee hopes to change and shake up the world of lavender by sharing her knowledge and experience she has gained by being a lavender farmer and aromatherapist with lavender lovers all over the world.
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