The Rooted Journal; Lavender, Chapter 1
The Rooted Journal
Volume One • Lavender
Chapter One
Growing Lavender in Ohio: Choosing the Right Variety for a Thriving Garden
By Rooted in Medina
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"The quietest mornings often teach us the most."
By late June, something magical begins to happen here on our little flower farm in Medina County.
The lavender wakes.
Not all at once, but slowly, almost imperceptibly, until one morning the field is brushed with soft shades of violet and the air carries a fragrance that seems to stop time. Before the first visitors arrive and before the afternoon breeze begins to dance across the blooms, I like to wander through the rows with a cup of coffee in hand.
It's my favorite part of the day.
The garden is still. Honeybees drift lazily from blossom to blossom, so focused on gathering nectar that they hardly notice I'm there. Their gentle hum has become the soundtrack of early summer on our farm. Every so often, I reach out and run my hand across the flowering stems. The fragrance clings to my fingertips—a clean, floral perfume with hints of herbs and sunshine—and it follows me long after I've left the garden.
It's impossible not to smile.
Ironically, I didn't begin growing lavender because I knew all the wonderful things it could do. I planted my very first lavender simply because I loved the way it smelled. I dreamed of harvesting fragrant bundles, hanging them upside down to dry, and filling our home with that unmistakable scent through the long Ohio winter.
At the time, I had no idea lavender could flavor shortbread, infuse honey, calm a restless evening, attract countless pollinators, or become one of the most versatile plants in the garden.
I simply wanted to bring a little bit of summer indoors.
Years later, I still do.
But somewhere along the way, lavender became much more than a beautiful flower. It became one of the plants visitors ask about most often. Every summer we hear the same surprised question:
"I didn't know lavender could grow this well in Ohio."
The answer is always the same.
It absolutely can.
Growing lavender in Ohio isn't about luck. It's about understanding where lavender comes from, choosing varieties that are well suited to our climate, and creating conditions that allow the plants to thrive. Once those pieces come together, lavender is surprisingly resilient, rewarding gardeners with years of fragrant blooms, busy pollinators, and armfuls of flowers to enjoy both fresh and dried.
Of course, I didn't know all of that when I planted my first lavender.
Like many gardeners, I made mistakes.
I knew lavender preferred dry feet, but I underestimated just how much it dislikes sitting in wet soil. During that first season, I loved those tiny plants a little too much. I watered faithfully, believing I was helping them establish strong roots.
Instead, I was learning one of lavender's greatest lessons.
Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for lavender is simply leave it alone.
That lesson changed everything.
Today, whenever someone asks for advice about growing lavender, I rarely begin by talking about fertilizer or pruning. Instead, I talk about sunlight. Airflow. Drainage. Patience. Those four things matter far more than expensive soil amendments or complicated gardening routines.
Lavender has survived for centuries on rocky Mediterranean hillsides where the soil is lean, the sun is relentless, and rainwater disappears almost as quickly as it falls.
Our job isn't to pamper lavender.
Our job is to recreate just enough of those conditions here in Ohio that the plant feels at home.
That's exactly what this guide is designed to help you do.
Whether you're planting your very first lavender beside the front walk, dreaming of a backyard cutting garden, or hoping to create rows of fragrant blooms that buzz with bees every June, you'll learn everything we've discovered growing lavender here in northeast Ohio.
We'll explore the differences between English lavender and lavandin hybrids, compare the varieties we grow at Rooted in Medina, discuss why proper spacing is one of the most overlooked secrets to healthy plants, and explain why choosing the right location matters more than almost anything else you'll do.
Because when lavender is planted thoughtfully, cared for simply, and allowed to flourish in the conditions it loves, it becomes one of the most rewarding plants you'll ever grow.
And perhaps, like me, you'll find yourself wandering into the garden on quiet summer mornings—not because there's work to be done, but simply because you can't resist the fragrance waiting there.
Lavender Chapter 2
The Rooted Journal
Volume One • Lavender
Chapter Two
Understanding Lavender Varieties: Choosing the Right Lavender for Your Garden and Lifestyle
"Every lavender tells a slightly different story. The secret is choosing the one that fits yours."
Walk through a garden center in spring, and you'll likely find yourself standing in front of several different lavender plants, each with a beautiful tag promising fragrant blooms and buzzing pollinators. At first glance, they all seem remarkably similar. Their silvery foliage catches the sunlight, their purple flower spikes sway gently in the breeze, and each one carries that unmistakable lavender fragrance we all love.
Yet beneath those similarities are important differences.
One variety may thrive through an Ohio winter while another struggles after the first hard frost. One is prized by chefs for its sweet floral flavor, while another is grown almost exclusively for essential oil production. Some remain neat and compact, perfect for edging a garden path, while others mature into broad, impressive shrubs that become the centerpiece of a perennial border.
Understanding those differences is one of the most important steps toward successfully growing lavender in Ohio.
At Rooted in Medina, we've chosen our varieties carefully. Every plant growing in our fields has earned its place—not only because it's beautiful, but because it performs well in our Midwestern climate and offers something unique to the garden.
Before we introduce the three varieties we grow, it helps to understand the larger lavender family.
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Meet the Lavender Family
Although there are dozens of lavender species and hundreds of cultivated varieties, most gardeners will encounter four primary groups.
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Despite its name, English lavender isn't actually native to England. It originated in the Mediterranean but became widely cultivated in English gardens, which is how it earned its common name.
For Ohio gardeners, English lavender is often the best place to begin.
It offers:
• Excellent winter hardiness
• Sweet, delicate fragrance
• Outstanding culinary quality
• Compact growth habit
• Beautiful dried flowers
• Long-lived perennial performance
If you've ever enjoyed lavender cookies, lavender lemonade, or lavender-infused honey, chances are English lavender was the variety used.
Its flavor is soft, floral, and pleasantly herbal without becoming overpowering.
Both Munstead and Hidcote, two varieties we grow here on the farm, belong to this group.
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Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia)
Lavandin is a naturally occurring hybrid between English lavender and Portuguese lavender.
It combines many of the best qualities of both parents.
Compared with English lavender, lavandin typically produces:
• Larger plants
• Longer flower stems
• More abundant blooms
• Stronger fragrance
• Higher essential oil content
Many commercial lavender farms choose lavandin because each mature plant produces an impressive harvest of flowers.
One of the most exciting newer introductions is Phenomenal, a variety specifically bred for improved tolerance to heat, humidity, and winter conditions. For gardeners throughout Ohio, Phenomenal has become one of the most dependable choices available.
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French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)
French lavender is undeniably beautiful, with softly toothed foliage and nearly continuous blooms in mild climates.
Unfortunately, it isn't well suited for Ohio gardens.
French lavender prefers warm winters and struggles when temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods. In our region, it's best treated as an annual or grown in containers that can be overwintered indoors.
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Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Spanish lavender is instantly recognizable by the whimsical tuft of colorful bracts that sit atop each flower spike, almost like tiny butterfly wings.
It's a favorite in southern climates and containers, but like French lavender, it lacks the winter hardiness needed for most Ohio gardens.
While stunning in appearance, it's not the variety we'd recommend for gardeners hoping to establish long-lived perennial plants.
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Which Lavender Is Best for Ohio?
This is easily the question we're asked most often.
If you live in Ohio and want a lavender plant that will reward you year after year, focus your search on English lavenders and hardy lavandin hybrids.
These varieties have repeatedly proven themselves capable of handling our cold winters—provided they're planted in well-drained soil and receive plenty of sunshine.
Cold temperatures alone rarely cause lavender to fail.
Winter moisture is usually the greater challenge.
Frozen, waterlogged soil can damage roots and crowns far more quickly than a stretch of below-zero temperatures.
That's why variety selection and site preparation work hand in hand.
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The Three Lavender Varieties We Grow at Rooted in Medina
When we planned our lavender field, we weren't looking for the biggest collection of varieties.
We were looking for the very best.
After researching, experimenting, and watching how different cultivars responded to Ohio's changing seasons, three stood out above the rest.
Each brings something special to the garden.
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Munstead Lavender
If I could recommend just one lavender for someone planting their very first garden, Munstead would always be near the top of my list.
It's dependable.
Graceful.
Exceptionally fragrant.
Named after the famous English garden of Gertrude Jekyll, Munstead has remained one of the world's most beloved lavender varieties for generations.
Its compact shape makes it ideal for:
• Cottage gardens
• Walkways
• Raised beds
• Kitchen gardens
• Pollinator borders
Because its flowers have a naturally sweet flavor with lower camphor content than many lavandins, Munstead is also one of the finest choices for culinary use.
Whether you're making lavender sugar, herbal tea, or shortbread cookies, this variety shines.
Typical mature size:
Height: 18–24 inches
Width: 24–30 inches
Recommended spacing:
30–36 inches
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Hidcote Lavender
Hidcote has a personality all its own.
Its blooms emerge in one of the deepest shades of purple found among English lavenders, creating beautiful contrast against its silvery-green foliage.
Many gardeners choose Hidcote for its color alone.
We love it because it also dries beautifully.
The rich purple flowers retain much of their color after drying, making them perfect for wreaths, bouquets, sachets, and arrangements that last long after summer fades.
Its naturally tidy growth habit also makes Hidcote an excellent border plant.
If your goal is creating defined edges along pathways or surrounding a cutting garden with fragrant blooms, it's difficult to beat.
Typical mature size:
Height: 18–24 inches
Width: 24–30 inches
Recommended spacing:
30–36 inches
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Phenomenal Lavender
Every so often, a new plant arrives that truly lives up to its name.
Phenomenal is one of those plants.
As Ohio flower farmers, we're always paying attention to varieties that perform well despite our humid summers and unpredictable winters.
Phenomenal continues to impress us.
Unlike many lavenders that struggle with prolonged humidity, this variety was selected specifically for improved disease resistance and exceptional garden performance.
Its flower stems are noticeably longer.
Its fragrance is wonderfully strong.
Its mature size is considerably larger than Munstead or Hidcote.
Because it develops into a broad, vigorous shrub, proper spacing becomes especially important.
Allowing each plant approximately 48 inches of space gives excellent airflow, reduces disease pressure, and allows the plant to mature into its naturally rounded form without crowding its neighbors.
Typical mature size:
Height: 30–36 inches
Width: up to 48 inches
Recommended spacing:
42–48 inches
When visitors ask which lavender is most forgiving for newer gardeners, Phenomenal is often our first recommendation—especially for larger landscape plantings.
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Choosing the Right Lavender for Your Garden
Rather than asking which variety is "best," consider what you hope your lavender will become.
If you dream of baking fragrant cookies or brewing calming herbal tea, choose Munstead.
If your heart belongs to rich purple bouquets and dried arrangements, Hidcote is a beautiful companion.
If you're creating sweeping borders, harvesting armfuls of blooms, or simply want a vigorous, dependable plant for Ohio's changing climate, Phenomenal is hard to surpass.
Of course, if you're anything like us, you'll probably discover that choosing just one variety is nearly impossible.
And perhaps that's the greatest joy of lavender.
Each variety offers its own fragrance, beauty, and quiet personality, yet together they create something far greater than any single plant could offer alone.
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From Our Farm
One of our favorite moments each summer is watching visitors step into the lavender field for the very first time.
Almost immediately, someone notices the bees.
There's usually a moment of hesitation, followed by the question we hear nearly every day:
"Is it safe to walk through them?"
The answer always brings a smile.
The bees are simply too busy to notice us.
They're completely focused on gathering nectar, moving methodically from bloom to bloom with remarkable purpose. If you walk slowly and respectfully through the rows, you'll quickly discover what we've learned over countless summer mornings—that a thriving lavender field isn't something to fear.
It's something to celebrate.
The gentle hum of pollinators is one of the surest signs that a healthy garden is alive.
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A Moment to Root Into
Every garden teaches us that beauty comes in many forms.
Some lavender fills the air with fragrance.
Some produces armfuls of flowers for drying.
Some quietly nourishes bees that will pollinate the rest of the garden.
Choosing the right variety isn't about finding the "perfect" lavender.
It's about finding the one that invites you outside just a little more often, encourages you to slow your pace, and reminds you that the simplest moments—a quiet morning, the scent lingering on your hands, the sound of bees beginning their day—are often the ones we carry with us the longest.
Lavender Chapter 3
The Rooted Journal
Volume One • Lavender
Chapter Three
Planting Lavender for Success: Creating the Perfect Home from the Ground Up
Late June | Medina County, Ohio
The first stems are beginning to bloom. The bees have found the field once again, and each morning the fragrance seems just a little stronger than the day before.
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"A plant can only flourish when its roots are happy."
Whenever visitors ask why our lavender grows so well, many expect the answer to be a special fertilizer or a secret watering schedule.
They're often surprised when I tell them the most important decisions happen before the lavender is ever planted.
Long before the first flower appears, before the bees arrive, and before that unmistakable fragrance drifts across the garden, the foundation has already been laid beneath the soil.
Healthy lavender doesn't begin with flowers.
It begins with roots.
And healthy roots need only a few simple things: sunlight, fresh air, and soil that allows water to move freely away from the plant.
If you give lavender those conditions, it will reward you for years.
If you don't, even the healthiest young plant can struggle.
That's why I always tell new gardeners that planting day isn't simply another task on the calendar.
It's the day you're setting your lavender up for the next decade.
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Understanding Where Lavender Comes From
One of the easiest ways to understand what lavender needs is to imagine where it naturally grows.
Picture the hillsides of southern France or the rocky landscapes surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The soil is lean.
The sun is intense.
Rainfall is infrequent.
When it does rain, the water drains quickly through gravelly soils before the roots have a chance to remain wet.
Lavender evolved to thrive under these conditions.
Now picture much of Ohio.
Our summers can be warm and humid. Spring often brings days of soaking rain, and many gardens sit on heavy clay soil that holds moisture long after the storm has passed.
Neither climate is "better."
They're simply different.
Our job isn't to change Ohio into the Mediterranean.
Our job is to recreate the few conditions that matter most to lavender.
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Sunlight Is Non-Negotiable
If there is one piece of advice I hope every gardener remembers, it's this:
Never compromise on sunlight.
Lavender thrives in full sun, receiving at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. More is often even better.
Without enough light, plants become weak and open. Flower production decreases, stems stretch toward the light, and the fragrance is often less pronounced.
A sunny location also helps the foliage dry quickly after rain or morning dew, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.
When choosing a planting location, spend a day simply watching your garden.
Notice where the morning sun arrives first.
Watch where shadows linger in the afternoon.
Sometimes moving a planting site just a few feet can make the difference between a lavender plant that merely survives and one that flourishes.
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The Secret Beneath the Surface: Drainage
If sunlight is the heart of lavender, drainage is its lifeline.
In my first year growing lavender, I knew the phrase "lavender likes dry feet."
What I didn't fully understand was what that looked like in practice.
Like so many gardeners, I watered with good intentions.
I thought I was helping.
Instead, I was slowly creating conditions lavender simply wasn't designed to tolerate.
That lesson taught me something I still remember every time I plant a new field.
Lavender would rather be slightly thirsty than constantly wet.
The greatest threat to lavender in Ohio isn't usually our winter temperatures.
It's prolonged moisture around the crown and roots.
That's why drainage deserves just as much attention as the plant itself.
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From Our Farm
When people visit during bloom, they often admire the flowers.
I find myself admiring the spaces between them.
Those open spaces allow sunlight to reach every plant and breezes to move freely through the rows after a summer rain.
Sometimes what you leave out of a garden is just as important as what you plant.
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Understanding Ohio Soil
Many Ohio gardeners feel discouraged when they hear their soil described as "heavy clay."
Please don't.
Clay soil isn't a gardening failure.
It's simply a starting point.
Clay holds nutrients beautifully.
The challenge is that it also holds water.
For lavender, standing water around the roots is far more concerning than poor fertility.
Before planting, spend a few minutes getting to know your soil.
Dig a hole about twelve inches deep and fill it with water.
Allow it to drain completely, then fill it again.
If water remains in the hole several hours later, your site may benefit from improved drainage or a raised planting area.
This simple test can save years of frustration.
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Should You Amend the Soil?
One of the biggest misconceptions about lavender is that it loves rich soil.
It doesn't.
Lavender isn't a heavy feeder.
In fact, soil that's overly rich in organic matter often encourages lush, leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fragrance.
If your soil drains reasonably well, resist the temptation to over-improve it.
The goal isn't to create fertile soil.
The goal is to create soil that breathes.
In areas with heavier clay, incorporating coarse gravel or expanded shale throughout the planting area can improve drainage over time. Raised beds or gently mounded planting rows are another excellent option, especially in regions where spring rains linger.
Avoid adding large amounts of peat moss or moisture-retaining compost directly into the planting hole. These materials can hold water around the roots longer than lavender prefers.
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Give Lavender Room to Breathe
One of the most common mistakes I see is planting lavender too closely together.
It's understandable.
Young plants look small, and it's tempting to imagine how full and lush the bed will appear by midsummer.
But lavender grows into its space.
Crowded plants compete for sunlight and airflow, creating humid pockets where disease is more likely to develop.
Giving each variety the room it deserves not only improves plant health but also creates the graceful, rounded form that makes lavender so beautiful.
Recommended Spacing
Munstead
30–36 inches
Perfect for edging pathways, cottage gardens, and smaller planting beds.
Hidcote
30–36 inches
Its naturally compact shape creates beautiful borders while allowing enough airflow for healthy growth.
Phenomenal
42–48 inches
This vigorous variety matures into a broad shrub. Wider spacing allows each plant to develop fully and makes harvesting much easier.
Whenever possible, imagine the mature plant rather than the one sitting in the nursery pot.
Your future self will thank you.
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Planting Day
When it's finally time to plant, the process is refreshingly simple.
Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball and about twice as wide.
Gently loosen any circling roots before placing the plant into the hole.
Position the crown so it sits level with—or just slightly above—the surrounding soil. Planting too deeply can encourage moisture to collect around the base of the plant.
Backfill with the existing soil, pressing gently to remove large air pockets without compacting the ground.
Water thoroughly to settle the roots.
Then step back.
Resist the urge to keep watering unless the weather is especially dry during establishment.
Sometimes the hardest part of growing lavender is learning when to leave it alone.
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Looking Ahead
By the end of the first growing season, your lavender may still seem modest.
Don't be discouraged.
Lavender is quietly investing its energy below the surface, building the root system that will support years of fragrant blooms.
Gardening has a way of rewarding patience.
Lavender reminds us that some of the most beautiful things grow slowly.
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A Moment to Root Into
There is something hopeful about planting a perennial.
You're placing your trust in tomorrow.
Long after the trowel has been put away and the soil brushed from your hands, those roots continue their quiet work beneath the surface—unseen, unnoticed, and steadily growing stronger.
Perhaps we're not so different.
The seasons that shape us most are often the ones no one else can see.