Gracious Hospitality

Robin's lavender is planted in rows with mulch and bark below to keep weeds down. In some areas she uses weed barrier, although with lavender this is not always necessary. Weed growth is only a worry for the first two years; after that time they are large enough to shade the area around them which discourages any weed growth. Young plants can be mulched with several layers of newspaper placed around them. Adding a layer of white or red rocks on top of the newspaper is helpful, as it not only holds the newspaper in place, but it reflects the sun back into the center of the plant. Commercial weed barrier landscape fabrics can also be used. This is the method that I prefer.