GardenDC Podcast Episode 109: Lavender

In this episode, we talk with Lloyd Traven of Peace Tree Farm all about lavender. The plant profile is on Stewartia and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events.

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SHOW NOTES: 1:16 Meet Lloyd Traven, president of Peace Tree Farm located in Pennsylvania! 2:05 Love story of Lloyd and Candy Traven 4:03 Peace Tree Farm is one of the oldest herb growers in the country 4:49 1.5 million herbs propagated every year! 5:30 They are second-generation growers 6:25 98% wholesale company 7:02 Lloyd mentions the Philadelphia Flower Show 8:29 Peace Tree Farm is equidistant from NYC and Philadelphia 9:12 Large and exclusive group of retailers and botanical gardens 10:46 Strictly greenhouse growers (not in-ground plants) 11:34 Natural rock walls! 13:07 Lavender farms are now all over PA, MD, VA, and more 13:38 “People are not growing your grandmother’s lavender.” –Lloyd 15:12 Lavender is not a ‘pass-along plant’ 15:50 You can never give lavender too much sun 17:10 “Drainage, drainage, drainage” –Lloyd 17:48 Light fertilization to grow lavender well 18:45 Calcareous plant = loves calcium! 19:27 Low levels of phosphorus are key 21:20 Egg, clam, and oyster shells are great to add calcium 22:48 Bone meal is also great but be careful of critters 23:27 Lavender is almost bulletproof 24:24 Blooming and pruning tips 25:45 English varieties are earlier bloomers with giant flush of harvest 26:38 Don’t cut when fully open for wreaths or other projects 26:43 Cut when they open for fresh flowers with a little water 26:58 Looking for buds? Cut when they’re tight! 27:34 Maintenance of the plant is necessary for lavender to thrive 28:21 Labor Day is a good cut-off to be done pruning 29:43 Don’t over-prune the plant 30:00 There was a nationwide issue of dying lavender this past winter! 31:46 Rapid cycling of temperatures disrupting gardens all over the Mid-Atlantic 33:00 Lavender thrives in neglected city planters at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor 34:32 Lavender LOVES to be left alone 36:24 New lavenders coming soon! 37:35 Lavender is the only perennial that is grown in acreage 38:43 Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ was a game-changing plant 40:01 Lavender intermedia is a sterile plant 41:11 Hundreds of new Lavender angustifolia out today 42:00 Peace Tree Farm has the only two patented Lavender intermedias in the marketplace with another on the verge 43:05 New lavenders have to be hardy for the winter and heat/humidity tolerance due to changing climate 44:00 Farms in Florida growing Peace Tree Farm lavenders that are thriving! 45:25 Unusual uses for lavender 47:14 Adult beverages with lavender! 48:45 Medicinal uses likely to come soon 50:12 Contact information for Lloyd and Peace Tree Farm 51:58 “It’s a worthy plant.” —Lloyd 52:16 Learn all about Stewartia in this week’s Plant Profile 54:24 New in the garden: summer heat is upon us, Philadelphia Flower Show, hydrangeas, tomatoes, peppers and more! 55:33 Local gardening world: Pollinator week (June 20-26), summer garden tours at Green Spring Gardens in VA 56:33 Washington Gardener Magazine’s June 2022 issue is coming out this week! 56:43 The GardenDC Podcast is taking a summer break for the next two weeks 57:45 Order your copy now of “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 62: Edible Flowers with Denise Schreiber

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-62-edible.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 16: Garlic, Lavender, and No-stress Gardening

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-16-garlic.html

This episode is archived online at: 

https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Lavender-e1k3hdm

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Episode Credits:

Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Editing and Show Notes: Tori Vandergriff

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Lavender 'Phenomenol'