I wonder if you can put that through a chipper shredder and use that as mulch. I wonder if the shredded lavender would have enough scent to help deter pests in the garden.
Those are great questions Lana! 👍 It wouldn’t provide much mulch, but I suppose it could be used as such. And deterring pests is always a great idea. Of course I wasn’t thinking of this while I chopped it all up as I cleaned everything up. 😔 I wish I would have, so I appreciate your suggestion! 💜
@@bambinaforever5720maybe some varieties are different, but every time I trim or prune my lavender branches, I can definitely smell lavender. I love that idea about using it for mulch!
@@bambinaforever5720 true for us. but I wonder since animals sense of smell is so much stronger if it would hold some repelling properties. at any rate its returning things back to the soil thats hopefully good. it was just something I wondered about.
@@bambinaforever5720 I definitely detected some scent from all of that woody-ness I removed. Lavender Phenomenal -- the variety that I have -- has one of the highest concentrations of essential oils, so maybe that's why. 😀
My Phenomenal Lavender has been properly pruned for the past 5 years. The Lavender started moving out of the center last year and exposing a lot of dead wood - sad. I pulled them out this year. I replanted with Grosso Lavender this year. As magnificent as they are in bloom, at least one local nursery is discouraging homeowners from planting Phenomenal.
I also neglected pruning my lavender for years. would love to see how the lavender topiary looked after blooming! Thank you for sharing this- motivation😊
You're in luck: I have an entire video playlist showing the progression of the lavender, so there's several videos filmed after this one. You'll see how they flowered, how I pruned them after flowering, and how they look this year. Here's the link to watch: th-cam.com/play/PLenOueHl62Ow6VFKWBWk8SFsia39P_sgd.html&si=pebIgZfLF9hGZBj4 Hope this helps!
I cut some really old woody lavender right down to the wood and cut most of the wood off. It came back beautifully. It will grow from the woody stems. One of the stems was 2 inches in diameter.
Cutting super aggressive even the wooded branches, they still come back is my experience too, and on multiple plants. So on average I’d say you can cut as much as you want, it’ll grow out again.
Wow that looks so much better. Now you have lots of room to plant new plants and that is so exciting. I just got Lavendar last year so I am hoping mine do not get woody but if they do then I am going to do the same thing you did in this video. I love how you create new ideas in your garden beds. Love your videos.
Thanks Linda! Although my husband would love to see me hurry up and plant the area so it looks better, I'm still figuring out what I want to go there. I'd rather not (ever) do another major digging up of plants in these foundation beds! 😂 And yes, the problem is I want to plant everything I love! But stay tuned, because I'll be tackling the bed within the next several weeks I hope. 💜
Wish I had seen your video sooner... I ended up with a woody woody lavender bush. However a year later its very forgiving and has new greenery😊 You explained it so simply and easy to understand for a beginner gardener...thank you
Sometimes it hurts to make those decisions to remove plants, but at the same time it provides possibilities for new plants. I can’t wait to see what you decide to plant. It seems we have a lot of the same plants even though I’m in zone 8a. We both have lots of bunny activity. That might be why we choose certain plants that bunnies stay away from. Happy gardening!
Hi Sonia, you’re so right about it being hard to let go of plants yet exciting to add new ones. 🙂 The lavender did so well in these beds (obviously too well LOL) so I may add some back in front of those topiaries to help shade the Candytuft. But yes, I need to sit down, clear my mind and decide what to do! 💜
I have only ever grown lavender in terracotta pots and I love the Mediterranean look. Never had success in the ground as I have heavy clay water logged ground in autumn all the way through to early summer. As woody as that one was you had, it did look beautiful in flower.
Growing lavender in pots is a great idea -- especially terracotta like you're doing since it won't hold in the water. 👍I have heavy clay soil as well, but we amended these low raised beds before planting anything, and luckily the Phenomenal variety can handle the soil better than other lavenders. I'm hoping my "new" lavender topiaries will look almost as beautiful as the larger plants did this Summer. We'll see! 💜
Love this idea!❤ I think anyone with lavender has at least one potential topiary, I know I do. And as my gardening friend says, gardeners are always hungry for more space, so can't wait to see what new plantings are in store!
Thanks Susan! 🙂 I like the way you put it: everyone has a potential topiary! I called mine a modern topiary, lest any purists tell me it isn’t a true topiary. 😂 Yes, we are hungry for more space, but I also ask myself am I hungry for more work? 😀 ❤️
I just found your channel and I’m loving it. Your voice is also so soothing. Everything appears to be so simple to do, hope I can follow some of your tips. I am in zone 8a but I think I can adjust the plants for my area.
Thank you Joyce -- I really appreciate your feedback! 😊I try to keep instructions simple because gardening should never be complicated in my mind. If you ever have questions -- always feel free to leave a comment and ask!🌺
@@GardenSanity We are a subtropical region, similar to zone 11b/ Hawaii, hot and humid most of the year, with no snow or frost, so the plants are mostly subtropical plants in summer, which is 8 months of the year. But in autumn and winter it is cool enough (minimum temperatures of around 54 degrees Fahrenheit) to grow annuals. I love petunias, but in summer I have to replace them 2 to 3 times, they just don’t last. But if I plant them, or any annuals now in our autumn, they should last till Spring (August/ September)
@@adrisutherland837 Thanks for sharing what your climate is like Adri! At least you can enjoy annuals through the Winter season -- something I can't really do here, unless we have an extremely mild Winter. But even this year, we had a deep freeze at the beginning of Winter, and that killed my pansies straight away, and I had hoped to enjoy them all Winter. 💜
Yes, you can prune your lavender definitely after it has bloomed. 👍Many gardeners will prune their lavender at the same time they are harvesting their lavender to use for drying or in crafts too. As long as the lavender is pruned at some point during the season at least once, your plants should be fine! 🙂
Last year we planted 7 Spanish Lavender but I didn't quite understand about pruning. Now I can see I did some correct pruning (lush growth) and missed other areas (woody). Thank you for the video it really helped me understand what I did wrong. We may end up losing one or two but that's ok. Knowledge is power. Great video!!!
I’m in Chesterfield, NJ, and just started watching some of your videos. I like when I find someone with the exact same growing conditions as I have. Actually 6 B here. I work in a greenhouse and am the busiest at work when the garden needs the most attention, but oh well. I only work 4 days a week, so it’s not that bad. Just found Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, the darker green, at a local place, and am in love with them! I have to figure out where they should go, and that’s the hard part because we’ve been here 20 years and it’s maxed out.
Waving to you from down here in Little Egg Harbor! 👋You must be swamped at work this time of year especially, and so I imagine gardening for yourself is quite a nice break for you. I love our Dwarf Hinoki Cypress shrubs -- they've really grown on me because they are so easy to take care of. And I can relate to trying to find space -- we just started another new garden bed for that purpose! 🤣
Thank you for this great instruction video Laura. I've watched many videos on the topic and yours is hands down the most helpful. 👍 lots of details and examples.
I just love the way you talk to your plants! 😂 I do as well. Maybe if that lavender grows more, you could cloud prune it……. It would be the most original lavender ever. Thank you for your video!! We get another snow storm with 5-8” tomorrow night. I think my daffs will start swearing 🤣🤣🤣
Anytime my husband is outside when I’m gardening, at some point he thinks I’m talking to him, when instead I’m talking to my plants. 🤣😂 As for cloud pruning… I don’t know if I would have the patience to do it, however I’m ruling nothing out with these topiaries! 💜 I hope your daffodils get to enjoy Spring at some point without snow! 🌼❄️ Because that much snow is just crazy!
@@GardenSanity yes after tonight’s snow storm, I hope it will be the last but who am I kidding? Hello Wisconsin 😂😂😂. When your hubby is out, just pretend you’re talking to him 😂😂😂😂😂.
Garden Sanity, I'm always talking to myself AND my plants. The dog thinks that visitors have come and he gets excited. I have to tell him that it's only me, the crazy plant lady.
True Pixie -- maybe it's a modern standard topiary! 😂 And my bravery came from "have no choice but to try this..." so I"m also looking forward to seeing how they look as they put on new growth and flowers this year. 💜
I think I would have just stooled all of the plants, almost flush cutting them down to the ground, perhaps in January. I'm in Philadelphia so same zone more or less. I'm pretty sure these woody lavender would flush up in the spring, and since they have established root systems I think you would see a lot of growth. I'm curious to see what your thoughts on that approach would be.
Thanks for you sharing. We just moved in a house with some woody lavender. They overgrown to the path. so... it's hopeless and I need to remove them all...
Good question Jules! I suppose you could do that, but usually when the bottoms get woody, they don’t necessarily stay standing straight up but rather sprawl along the ground. I lucked out to have some of mine standing upright. Keeping lavender “bushy” seems to be the best way to help them thrive. 💜
This was so helpful! I have a bunch of lavender in my front beds and I love the smell and how many bees feed in them, but I made the mistake of not pruning the first couple of years. Lots of woody growth now and some of them are looking sad.
I so know what you mean about lavender, I have a love not so love relationship with it. I love it when it's doing it's thing but so much through the season mine looks ragged. I am not as forgiving as I am w/ nepeta or say russian sage. I have a lavender in my herb bed and that one seems to be doing well. I just can't understand how to prune them (even after watching your videos and others)... I just can't wrap my head around how to cut so I do a light trim on them and leave it up to the garden Gods. Your topiaries will look great! 🤗
I think we (as gardeners) all have plants that do well for us versus other plants that can cause some frustration. For me, I couldn’t deal with my catmint, whereas it seems like most gardeners can with ease. 🙃🙂 And similar to your experience with your lavender, I tried everything with my catmint before deciding to break the one-sided relationship off. 🤣 If you haven’t yet given your lavender a good pruning, there’s still time. 👍 The key is to do more than a light trim at least once a year, down to “a few inches” above the woody base. This will encourage full, bushy new growth. Let me know what you’re stuck on so I can help! 💜
Thank you for this video. I have some lavender that has gone woody and was wondering if there is a way to fix it. I don't think I can make a topiary out of mine but yours I'm sure will look even more beautiful when they develop some more. I may remove mine and start again. This is the first video of yours that I have watched but I love your style of gardening as I am a similar age and also use something to kneel or sit on. Your daffodils are beautiful. I'm a new subscriber and look forward to watching more. Greetings from Sydney, Australia 🌷
Omg that is so beautiful, i just wanna see it in full bloom. I wanted to try that with a rosemary plant that also got too woody but it died. I think I burnt the roots with the fertilizer, cuz i fed it right after a harsh drought period it had. I always read that rosemary was drought resistant so i just didnt water it for like 1 month when the hot and dry summer beggined, then when it was crispy I did some research and found that they almost never get that drought resistance when growing in containers so i started watering it and added a nitrogem chemical fertilizer, it started to die from the bottom and when i checked the roots it was too late, it had few small roots that were already brown and dry. So idk if it was the lack of water while getting full sun above 32°C or the fertilizer, the mixture of everything. Now Im trying to grow some cuttings i took from it.
Thanks Eddo! I want to see it in full bloom too. 😂 As for your Rosemary, yes the nitrogen fertilizer may have been too strong for the plant. Rosemary actually doesn't need much fertilizer if the soil is full of nutrients. Maybe try a slow-release organic fertilizer that will improve the soil in the container over time. Or water down the nitrogen fertilizer to start out until you see how the Rosemary responds. (Just some info for next time!) I'm glad you were able to start some cuttings!
Have been growing Candy Tuff for years, it likes siun and loves to be cut back after blooming and that way you get two blooms per season. Don't shade them, you will get less flowers, less spreading of the plant and less blooms. I live in an area that gets to 115 degrees in the summer and no problem at all with being in the sun,.
HI Christine -- It's possible, although I'm unsure how long the scent would last, as compared to the scent that comes from the dried flowers directly. I was so overwhelmed by all of that refuse after I removed it, that I didn't take a step back to consider doing anything like saving the large pieces that looked like driftwood, or seeing what else I could do. 💜
Will the 2 lavenders which you cut right back to the ground survive, or are you just creating more real estate in the bed? Until I watched your videos, I didn't realise about the woody part of the stem. Our lavender has gone woody and I'm trying to work out whether to cut back hard, or just start again. Thanks for these videos. 👍🏼
You’re in luck, as you can see how they look now in several of my gardening videos! I have a video playlist all about these lavender plants, so you can see the before and after (of this video) to get a complete growing history in my garden up to the present topiaries blooming. 👍 I also show the topiaries in general garden tours and in this video about excellent plant combinations to try: th-cam.com/video/mWcrnnVMNwE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g06Eq3705h6jdZak You’ll see them in full bloom. 🤗💜
Do you mean the thin bottom stems on the "topiary" ones I kept, or on all of the other plants? I wanted a fresh start, and for me it was easiest this way. Plus I really kept visualizing these topiary-types on each side and wanted to try it out. Not sure yet how it will look, but I think once I fill in with other flowering plants, the area will make more sense. (That's my hope!) 😀
I admit it...I talk to my plants! 😂 (And it is simultaneously funny and frustrating when my husband happens to be nearby but not close up, because he thinks I'm talking to him.)
@@GardenSanity thats funny! ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Want to hear a plant 'listening' story? I learned this in a psychology class in high school - though, its somewhat tragic, and gruesome, so be for warned. A group of scientists performed this experiment. They hooked up a nursery to EKG devices. The plants were even on the dials (my guess what they would term tabulation of a 'base line') Then, and this is the gruesome part they sent a 'character' in to not just kill a plant but VIOLENTLY murder one. The gages went WILD. The plants freaked out. Then they (the scientists) let the plants c o me back down into their base line... then the sent in a variety of humans. The plants remained at base line... Until... They sent in the person that had committed the violent crime... and... again... the plants FREAKED OUT. Now this is a horror story. Yet... imagine, the converse, in reaction to AFFECTION, that must like wise also exist. Now, don't go feeling bad for playing favorites, plants still have a survival instinct (which is why some plants have properties, that ensure they 'garner' personal space/ even from their own off spring, in some cases... ) - - - This has been a plant 'listening' story
Hi Paula -- I normally do leave the leaves on the ground, but come Springtime -- in those particular foundation beds -- I need to clean up the leaves. What happens in those particular beds is the weeds grow like crazy underneath those leaves coupled with the thin dried leaves of the Ornamental Maples in each foundation bed. I learned this the hard way, and then played "catch up" all last Summer pulling established weeds. But yes -- I love how dead leaves nourish the garden beds overall, plus help any Wintertime nesting bees that come out to enjoy the Winter-blooming Heath! Thanks for the heads up! 👍🙂
Why dont you put the wood in a composter but in a plastic bag instead? This way you are creating unnecessary plastic garbage instead of valuable new soil.
Actually different lavender varieties can have different lengths of survival in the home garden. On average overall, lavenders can live for 7 to 10 years and some up to 15 years! 👍
Mine one seemed to have 3 years. Just died, left one brunch. Still do not understand what happened - i have irrigation and the rest of them plants are fine
@@bambinaforever5720 Maybe try a different variety, Bambina. Research which ones grow best in your soil conditions, growing zone and so on...and maybe one of those will do better for you. Lavender Phenomenal is one of the hardiest, which is one of the many reasons I chose to grow it. It comes back reliably each year plus has wonderful color over the Winter months. 🙂
I wonder if you can put that through a chipper shredder and use that as mulch. I wonder if the shredded lavender would have enough scent to help deter pests in the garden.
Those are great questions Lana! 👍 It wouldn’t provide much mulch, but I suppose it could be used as such. And deterring pests is always a great idea. Of course I wasn’t thinking of this while I chopped it all up as I cleaned everything up. 😔 I wish I would have, so I appreciate your suggestion! 💜
Flowers have scent, not wood
@@bambinaforever5720maybe some varieties are different, but every time I trim or prune my lavender branches, I can definitely smell lavender. I love that idea about using it for mulch!
@@bambinaforever5720 true for us. but I wonder since animals sense of smell is so much stronger if it would hold some repelling properties. at any rate its returning things back to the soil thats hopefully good. it was just something I wondered about.
@@bambinaforever5720 I definitely detected some scent from all of that woody-ness I removed. Lavender Phenomenal -- the variety that I have -- has one of the highest concentrations of essential oils, so maybe that's why. 😀
My Phenomenal Lavender has been properly pruned for the past 5 years. The Lavender started moving out of the center last year and exposing a lot of dead wood - sad. I pulled them out this year. I replanted with Grosso Lavender this year. As magnificent as they are in bloom, at least one local nursery is discouraging homeowners from planting Phenomenal.
Tumble weeds = winter interest 😃👍 My kind gardening !!
I also neglected pruning my lavender for years. would love to see how the lavender topiary looked after blooming! Thank you for sharing this- motivation😊
You're in luck: I have an entire video playlist showing the progression of the lavender, so there's several videos filmed after this one. You'll see how they flowered, how I pruned them after flowering, and how they look this year. Here's the link to watch: th-cam.com/play/PLenOueHl62Ow6VFKWBWk8SFsia39P_sgd.html&si=pebIgZfLF9hGZBj4 Hope this helps!
Love that! I love that look!
Thanks so much! I was so happy with how they turned out. And relieved too! 😀
Another Lavender lover here. Didn't prune from 2020. My Lavenders look exactly the same. Feel sad taking them out but got to do it🌿
Same here
Wow, that is a great idea.
Thanks! I'm really happy with how they turned out. 😀
I cut some really old woody lavender right down to the wood and cut most of the wood off. It came back beautifully. It will grow from the woody stems. One of the stems was 2 inches in diameter.
Thank you for the information
Does it? Mine doesn’t.
Mine doesn't. Whenever I cut into the wood, that branch dies
I cut mine back at the end of March. It has come back beautifully
Cutting super aggressive even the wooded branches, they still come back is my experience too, and on multiple plants. So on average I’d say you can cut as much as you want, it’ll grow out again.
Wow that looks so much better. Now you have lots of room to plant new plants and that is so exciting. I just got Lavendar last year so I am hoping mine do not get woody but if they do then I am going to do the same thing you did in this video. I love how you create new ideas in your garden beds. Love your videos.
Thanks Linda! Although my husband would love to see me hurry up and plant the area so it looks better, I'm still figuring out what I want to go there. I'd rather not (ever) do another major digging up of plants in these foundation beds! 😂 And yes, the problem is I want to plant everything I love! But stay tuned, because I'll be tackling the bed within the next several weeks I hope. 💜
Thank you Laura. Very explicit and helpful 😊
Wish I had seen your video sooner... I ended up with a woody woody lavender bush.
However a year later its very forgiving and has new greenery😊
You explained it so simply and easy to understand for a beginner gardener...thank you
Sometimes it hurts to make those decisions to remove plants, but at the same time it provides possibilities for new plants. I can’t wait to see what you decide to plant. It seems we have a lot of the same plants even though I’m in zone 8a. We both have lots of bunny activity. That might be why we choose certain plants that bunnies stay away from. Happy gardening!
Hi Sonia, you’re so right about it being hard to let go of plants yet exciting to add new ones. 🙂 The lavender did so well in these beds (obviously too well LOL) so I may add some back in front of those topiaries to help shade the Candytuft. But yes, I need to sit down, clear my mind and decide what to do! 💜
Thanks for doing lavender today I am going to make a topiary out of my one plant.
Oh let me know how it turns out Myra! 👍🌿
I have only ever grown lavender in terracotta pots and I love the Mediterranean look. Never had success in the ground as I have heavy clay water logged ground in autumn all the way through to early summer. As woody as that one was you had, it did look beautiful in flower.
Growing lavender in pots is a great idea -- especially terracotta like you're doing since it won't hold in the water. 👍I have heavy clay soil as well, but we amended these low raised beds before planting anything, and luckily the Phenomenal variety can handle the soil better than other lavenders. I'm hoping my "new" lavender topiaries will look almost as beautiful as the larger plants did this Summer. We'll see! 💜
Love this idea!❤ I think anyone with lavender has at least one potential topiary, I know I do. And as my gardening friend says, gardeners are always hungry for more space, so can't wait to see what new plantings are in store!
Thanks Susan! 🙂 I like the way you put it: everyone has a potential topiary! I called mine a modern topiary, lest any purists tell me it isn’t a true topiary. 😂 Yes, we are hungry for more space, but I also ask myself am I hungry for more work? 😀 ❤️
Excellent point. But...new plants!!😍😄
I know - I’m really excited to map out what I want to do! ❤️🌸🌺
I just found your channel and I’m loving it. Your voice is also so soothing. Everything appears to be so simple to do, hope I can follow some of your tips. I am in zone 8a but I think I can adjust the plants for my area.
Thank you Joyce -- I really appreciate your feedback! 😊I try to keep instructions simple because gardening should never be complicated in my mind. If you ever have questions -- always feel free to leave a comment and ask!🌺
Hi 🙋🏽♀️ I just came across your channel. I like what you did with the lavender, your modern topiary 😅 Happy gardening, from Durban, South Africa 👩🏽🌾
Hi Adri! Welcome to Garden Sanity! What are your favorite plants to grow in Durban? 🌸🌿🙂
@@GardenSanity We are a subtropical region, similar to zone 11b/ Hawaii, hot and humid most of the year, with no snow or frost, so the plants are mostly subtropical plants in summer, which is 8 months of the year. But in autumn and winter it is cool enough (minimum temperatures of around 54 degrees Fahrenheit) to grow annuals. I love petunias, but in summer I have to replace them 2 to 3 times, they just don’t last. But if I plant them, or any annuals now in our autumn, they should last till Spring (August/ September)
@@adrisutherland837 Thanks for sharing what your climate is like Adri! At least you can enjoy annuals through the Winter season -- something I can't really do here, unless we have an extremely mild Winter. But even this year, we had a deep freeze at the beginning of Winter, and that killed my pansies straight away, and I had hoped to enjoy them all Winter. 💜
I am learning how to prune my lavender after it has bloomed.
Yes, you can prune your lavender definitely after it has bloomed. 👍Many gardeners will prune their lavender at the same time they are harvesting their lavender to use for drying or in crafts too. As long as the lavender is pruned at some point during the season at least once, your plants should be fine! 🙂
Last year we planted 7 Spanish Lavender but I didn't quite understand about pruning. Now I can see I did some correct pruning (lush growth) and missed other areas (woody). Thank you for the video it really helped me understand what I did wrong. We may end up losing one or two but that's ok. Knowledge is power. Great video!!!
Tops and tip of the softer new growth can be rooted as cuttings! You've got about a thousand babies there!
Yes indeed Cris, there were lots of potential baby lavender plants! 🪴 And that’s why I talked about it at minute 15:25 in the video! 💜
LOVE the topiary results! Great work :-)
I’m in Chesterfield, NJ, and just started watching some of your videos. I like when I find someone with the exact same growing conditions as I have. Actually 6 B here. I work in a greenhouse and am the busiest at work when the garden needs the most attention, but oh well. I only work 4 days a week, so it’s not that bad. Just found Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, the darker green, at a local place, and am in love with them! I have to figure out where they should go, and that’s the hard part because we’ve been here 20 years and it’s maxed out.
Waving to you from down here in Little Egg Harbor! 👋You must be swamped at work this time of year especially, and so I imagine gardening for yourself is quite a nice break for you. I love our Dwarf Hinoki Cypress shrubs -- they've really grown on me because they are so easy to take care of. And I can relate to trying to find space -- we just started another new garden bed for that purpose! 🤣
OMG, from watching your previous video I now know what I did wrong! Thank you!
You're quite welcome Cheryl -- glad the video helped! 💜
Thank you for this great instruction video Laura. I've watched many videos on the topic and yours is hands down the most helpful. 👍 lots of details and examples.
I just love the way you talk to your plants! 😂 I do as well. Maybe if that lavender grows more, you could cloud prune it……. It would be the most original lavender ever. Thank you for your video!! We get another snow storm with 5-8” tomorrow night. I think my daffs will start swearing 🤣🤣🤣
Anytime my husband is outside when I’m gardening, at some point he thinks I’m talking to him, when instead I’m talking to my plants. 🤣😂 As for cloud pruning… I don’t know if I would have the patience to do it, however I’m ruling nothing out with these topiaries! 💜 I hope your daffodils get to enjoy Spring at some point without snow! 🌼❄️ Because that much snow is just crazy!
@@GardenSanity yes after tonight’s snow storm, I hope it will be the last but who am I kidding? Hello Wisconsin 😂😂😂. When your hubby is out, just pretend you’re talking to him 😂😂😂😂😂.
Garden Sanity, I'm always talking to myself AND my plants. The dog thinks that visitors have come and he gets excited. I have to tell him that it's only me, the crazy plant lady.
@@diannenaworensky6698 That is hilarious Dianne! 🤣😂❤
Looks more like a “standard” than a topiary. How scary! You’re a brave, brave woman !! Looking forward to seeing how they look
True Pixie -- maybe it's a modern standard topiary! 😂 And my bravery came from "have no choice but to try this..." so I"m also looking forward to seeing how they look as they put on new growth and flowers this year. 💜
Great improvement!! Love the result! 💜
Thanks Sandra! 💜 I’m really hoping it looks nice once there’s new growth and especially once it’s blooming! 🤞
Your info is greatly helping! I am on eastern shore maryland. We started lavender from seed last year. We are very much lavender newbies!
Very glad to help you Deb! You won't be a lavender newbie for long! 💜
Congratulations with your bravery! 😁
I think I would have just stooled all of the plants, almost flush cutting them down to the ground, perhaps in January. I'm in Philadelphia so same zone more or less. I'm pretty sure these woody lavender would flush up in the spring, and since they have established root systems I think you would see a lot of growth. I'm curious to see what your thoughts on that approach would be.
Thanks for showing us how to rescue a lavender without just taking out a shovel.
Thanks for you sharing. We just moved in a house with some woody lavender. They overgrown to the path. so... it's hopeless and I need to remove them all...
Does it really help with mosquitos and flies?
What make are your secateurs and loppers please, they look really great!
Could these also have the canopy raised, like other shrubs might? Never thought of doing that to lavender, but maybe it’s another solution.
Good question Jules! I suppose you could do that, but usually when the bottoms get woody, they don’t necessarily stay standing straight up but rather sprawl along the ground. I lucked out to have some of mine standing upright. Keeping lavender “bushy” seems to be the best way to help them thrive. 💜
This was so helpful! I have a bunch of lavender in my front beds and I love the smell and how many bees feed in them, but I made the mistake of not pruning the first couple of years. Lots of woody growth now and some of them are looking sad.
I so know what you mean about lavender, I have a love not so love relationship with it. I love it when it's doing it's thing but so much through the season mine looks ragged. I am not as forgiving as I am w/ nepeta or say russian sage. I have a lavender in my herb bed and that one seems to be doing well. I just can't understand how to prune them (even after watching your videos and others)... I just can't wrap my head around how to cut so I do a light trim on them and leave it up to the garden Gods. Your topiaries will look great! 🤗
I think we (as gardeners) all have plants that do well for us versus other plants that can cause some frustration. For me, I couldn’t deal with my catmint, whereas it seems like most gardeners can with ease. 🙃🙂 And similar to your experience with your lavender, I tried everything with my catmint before deciding to break the one-sided relationship off. 🤣 If you haven’t yet given your lavender a good pruning, there’s still time. 👍 The key is to do more than a light trim at least once a year, down to “a few inches” above the woody base. This will encourage full, bushy new growth. Let me know what you’re stuck on so I can help! 💜
@@GardenSanity OK, ok I will try it. Why is it so scary to do? LOL. Thanks!!
Thank you for this video. I have some lavender that has gone woody and was wondering if there is a way to fix it. I don't think I can make a topiary out of mine but yours I'm sure will look even more beautiful when they develop some more. I may remove mine and start again. This is the first video of yours that I have watched but I love your style of gardening as I am a similar age and also use something to kneel or sit on. Your daffodils are beautiful. I'm a new subscriber and look forward to watching more. Greetings from Sydney, Australia 🌷
Omg that is so beautiful, i just wanna see it in full bloom. I wanted to try that with a rosemary plant that also got too woody but it died. I think I burnt the roots with the fertilizer, cuz i fed it right after a harsh drought period it had. I always read that rosemary was drought resistant so i just didnt water it for like 1 month when the hot and dry summer beggined, then when it was crispy I did some research and found that they almost never get that drought resistance when growing in containers so i started watering it and added a nitrogem chemical fertilizer, it started to die from the bottom and when i checked the roots it was too late, it had few small roots that were already brown and dry. So idk if it was the lack of water while getting full sun above 32°C or the fertilizer, the mixture of everything. Now Im trying to grow some cuttings i took from it.
Thanks Eddo! I want to see it in full bloom too. 😂 As for your Rosemary, yes the nitrogen fertilizer may have been too strong for the plant. Rosemary actually doesn't need much fertilizer if the soil is full of nutrients. Maybe try a slow-release organic fertilizer that will improve the soil in the container over time. Or water down the nitrogen fertilizer to start out until you see how the Rosemary responds. (Just some info for next time!) I'm glad you were able to start some cuttings!
Say hey lavender friend, what did u do with the pruned woody pieces?if u have any left, i would be interested, am a budding lavender /orchid rescuer😊👍
If u cut it back into dead wood ,do u kill the lavaneder
Fun possibilities!
Thanks! I'm excited to come up with something fun -- and easy-care too! Stay tuned!
Have been growing Candy Tuff for years, it likes siun and loves to be cut back after blooming and that way you get two blooms per season. Don't shade them, you will get less flowers, less spreading of the plant and less blooms. I live in an area that gets to 115 degrees in the summer and no problem at all with being in the sun,.
This looks exactly like my lavender next to my apartment building and I’m wondering why mine looks like this in August?
Wondering what of the refuse could be used for poupouri?
HI Christine -- It's possible, although I'm unsure how long the scent would last, as compared to the scent that comes from the dried flowers directly. I was so overwhelmed by all of that refuse after I removed it, that I didn't take a step back to consider doing anything like saving the large pieces that looked like driftwood, or seeing what else I could do. 💜
Will the 2 lavenders which you cut right back to the ground survive, or are you just creating more real estate in the bed?
Until I watched your videos, I didn't realise about the woody part of the stem.
Our lavender has gone woody and I'm trying to work out whether to cut back hard, or just start again.
Thanks for these videos. 👍🏼
Very interesting ! Thanks for giving me a great idea...my success rate with lavender is 50 percent 🤔
I'm in Albuquerque NM zone 7B.
Would love to see how it looks now?!
You’re in luck, as you can see how they look now in several of my gardening videos! I have a video playlist all about these lavender plants, so you can see the before and after (of this video) to get a complete growing history in my garden up to the present topiaries blooming. 👍 I also show the topiaries in general garden tours and in this video about excellent plant combinations to try: th-cam.com/video/mWcrnnVMNwE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g06Eq3705h6jdZak You’ll see them in full bloom. 🤗💜
Thank you for the information. Please note that half time of this would have been satisfactory.
Thank you!
What is the difference between a topiary and a bonsai?
Why didn't you keep the thin stems at the bottom and remove the rest?
Do you mean the thin bottom stems on the "topiary" ones I kept, or on all of the other plants? I wanted a fresh start, and for me it was easiest this way. Plus I really kept visualizing these topiary-types on each side and wanted to try it out. Not sure yet how it will look, but I think once I fill in with other flowering plants, the area will make more sense. (That's my hope!) 😀
Nice!
hope you do some updates
You're in luck! 👍 I just did a recent update on how these look two months later -- you can find it on my channel homepage. Hope you enjoy it!
@GardenSanity - I’m going right now to see your update 💜
in the beginning it looked like a crime scene! pavers are gorgeous tho!
I leav3 m6 lavender nail spring so th3 birds can eat seeds , love you4 idea
You can root the clippings and have new plants
Your adorable! ( "I promise you lavender... your going to look so good... and new friends... " ) etc... etc... etc...
I admit it...I talk to my plants! 😂 (And it is simultaneously funny and frustrating when my husband happens to be nearby but not close up, because he thinks I'm talking to him.)
@@GardenSanity thats funny!
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Want to hear a plant 'listening' story?
I learned this in a psychology class in high school - though, its somewhat tragic, and gruesome, so be for warned.
A group of scientists performed this experiment.
They hooked up a nursery to EKG devices. The plants were even on the dials (my guess what they would term tabulation of a 'base line')
Then, and this is the gruesome part they sent a 'character' in to not just kill a plant but VIOLENTLY murder one.
The gages went WILD. The plants freaked out.
Then they (the scientists) let the plants c o me back down into their base line... then the sent in a variety of humans. The plants remained at base line...
Until...
They sent in the person that had committed the violent crime... and... again... the plants FREAKED OUT.
Now this is a horror story. Yet... imagine, the converse, in reaction to AFFECTION, that must like wise also exist.
Now, don't go feeling bad for playing favorites, plants still have a survival instinct (which is why some plants have properties, that ensure they 'garner' personal space/ even from their own off spring, in some cases... )
- - - This has been a plant 'listening' story
Why would you say you need to clean up your leaves? Leaves are a great free mulch. Leave them on the garden bed as mulch and to help improve the soil.
As we gardeners say “compost happens”.
OK -- I love that phrase so much! 🤣 (Do you believe I hadn't heard that before? It's true!)
I put a cord around the trunk and yank out with the Jeep.
Leave the leaves! They are lovely, free mulch!
Hi Paula -- I normally do leave the leaves on the ground, but come Springtime -- in those particular foundation beds -- I need to clean up the leaves. What happens in those particular beds is the weeds grow like crazy underneath those leaves coupled with the thin dried leaves of the Ornamental Maples in each foundation bed. I learned this the hard way, and then played "catch up" all last Summer pulling established weeds. But yes -- I love how dead leaves nourish the garden beds overall, plus help any Wintertime nesting bees that come out to enjoy the Winter-blooming Heath! Thanks for the heads up! 👍🙂
15:05
Why dont you put the wood in a composter but in a plastic bag instead? This way you are creating unnecessary plastic garbage instead of valuable new soil.
Great question Jo! I’ve been look into getting a small wood chipper for all of my clippings, if I can find one that is affordable. 🙂
@@GardenSanitywhere i live putting in compostable brown bags to be recycled by garbage collectors.
Lavender has only 4years life.
Actually different lavender varieties can have different lengths of survival in the home garden. On average overall, lavenders can live for 7 to 10 years and some up to 15 years! 👍
@@GardenSanity YAY !!!!
Mine one seemed to have 3 years. Just died, left one brunch. Still do not understand what happened - i have irrigation and the rest of them plants are fine
@@diannenaworensky6698 😀 Makes it more worth it to have, most definitely!
@@bambinaforever5720 Maybe try a different variety, Bambina. Research which ones grow best in your soil conditions, growing zone and so on...and maybe one of those will do better for you. Lavender Phenomenal is one of the hardiest, which is one of the many reasons I chose to grow it. It comes back reliably each year plus has wonderful color over the Winter months. 🙂