by The Long Island Gardener

Created on: May 10, 2008   Last Updated: August 17, 2010

A whiff of Lavender perfume really does calm your nerves, according to psychologists who've studied this.

Research shows that men actually like rooms more when they smell like Lavender.  People sleep better when their bedrooms are scented with it. In hospitals, patients breathing Lavender-spritzed tissue are calmer during stressful procedures.

That explains why aromatherapists consider Lavender their best seller.

You can grow your own Lavender, and easily. This Mediterranean shrub grows like Thyme, Rosemary, Olives and Wine. All these plants need alkaline soil that swiftly drains after a downpour - and if it borders on rocky, all the better.

The soft, fluffy, dark brown potting soil that you sift out of a bag yields poor results with this genus. To fix it, add lots of sand, gravel and pebbles. You'll know you've got it right when water flushes out in a flash. Add a handful of lime-rich, crushed seashells to the rough growing medium and you'll tilt the pH skywards, a la Provencal.

Remember, this woody bush grows wild on the semi-arid mountainsides and hills of Spain and France; its roots, stems and leaves need air and circulation - don't crowd it with companion plants. Because it's susceptible to so many fungal pathogens, moisture and humidity have no place in the life of Lavendula. A full day of Summer sun will keep its leaves dry and pay off with a burst of gloriously fragrant, violet spikes.

Scientists know something about Lavender plants that they didn't know 20 years ago: Lavender grows better with the right microbes.

Writing in the journal Applied Soil Ecology, botanists found that Lavendula in their lab was healthier when specialized, Lavender-loving mycorrhizal fungi were included in their Soil mix. Turns out the species has a serious mycorrhizal dependency. Roots bond with the fungi, sipping nutrients in, getting stronger by the day. This is even more important because of the poor soil these plants are found growing in.

Gardeners can protect Lavender roots and their fungal friends. Disturb surrounding soil as little as possible. Minimize (or completely banish) use of chemical fertilizers, which burn microbes in the soil and wipe out fungal populations. Don't even hand cultivate near the stem; you risk breaking the delicate, beneficial fungal hyphae that network through the soil around the Lavender.

Almost all bloom quickly when the weather is warm, ideally around 79 degrees F.

Lavandula officinalis? L. multifida ("French Lace")? L. vera? L. latifolia ("Spike")? Which smells best?

Fragrance varies among two plants: L. angustifolia ("True Lavender") and L. stoechas ("Spanish") are the ones used for perfume, having the highest concentrate of oils; The "Hidcote" and "Munstead" of English gardens have scent, but somewhat less than their scraggy cousins. The species, in fact, have a stronger fragrance than the prettier hybrids, presumably because scent has been traded away in favor of strong color and flash.

Who would not wish for a poetic sprig of home-harvested Lavender in the bureau drawer?

In gourmet shops, candied Lavender dresses up cakes.

Lavender Sorbet on a Summer afternoon? Some things, money can't buy.

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