Lavender Renewal

 

With sunny weather this week, it simply has been impossible to stay inside.  All week long, work has been done in the yard as trimming, pruning, and weeding has been completed.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I love lavender!  At one time our garden had over 100 lavender plants of forty different varieties.  Lavender plants have a tendency to grow woody stems over time, and although ours have been trimmed faithfully each autumn, they have become somewhat unruly and overgrown.  With reluctance, about thirty lavender plants were pulled up, making way for new plants after spring arrives.  I decided this was a good time to learn how to propagate new plants from some of my favorite old ones.  Stems of the silvery leafy-green plant were cut and prepared for rooting.  After removing the lower leaves, each stem was dipped in honey and then placed in potting soil to root.  Twice a day they are gently watered and each little planter is set in larger trays and set in a warm place.  They seem to be doing well, and although they have only been set to grow a day or two, I couldn't resist pulling one up to see what was going on in the soil.  I'm quite sure I saw a tiny little root starting on the stem I pulled, but it could be wishful thinking.  Time will tell.