This weekend we visited a Lavendar Farm on the south end of the valley. It was a truly special and beautiful experience. The farm is well developed and well thought out, and so was the event they were holding where people could visit and enjoy the environment and buy the flowers right from the field.
We thought about it and talked about doing it ourselves a few years back, but to be honest, I was a bit unsure because of the soil requirements and water requirements. But seeing it in practice as we did and learning more since our original discussion. Seeing it in practice has encouraged us to get it going. So, we ordered some plants yesterday and set aside a place in the yard to get them started. I ordered some landscape cloth, and the staples to hold it down.
Next Day:
Me being me, I cleaned up the space on the side of the yard we will plant the Lavender and scythed off the grass for the animals to eat later today. I tilled the area completely over twice. It was dry and dusty work as we have not seen rain lately. Good thing I have a cab on the tractor! I was able to get into the soil a bit, but there are still roots there, and I am positive some of the grass will grow back again. What’s more, grass grows long and under the cloth in order to find light. I’d like to see that not happen here. But as you can see in the photo below, we will be right up against a grassy field.
Dirt driveway on the left, the right side at the bottom of the fence is where we will lay in the lavender plants with three feet of landscape fabric between the plants and the fence, then three feet more between the plants and the driveway. I am considering putting a wood barrier to separate the fabric and the dirt drive.
I want to till a time or two again before the plants arrive in the fall. Then if we can get some propagation next year or the one after, we should be able to move starts to the current goat pen and llama pen, which my then will be converted into growing field, and get this really going. The plan is to move the animals across the street and plant where the pens are now.
So, the Lavender is not meant to arrive here till Autumn. That makes it easier for me to get the planting areas tilled, covered and ready. I guess I am supposed to plant it right away. Seems like they would not establish, but what’s the worst that can happen? If I have the plants, I need to put them in the ground, rather than try to keep them up somewhere all winter. We won’t know till spring how it all turns out!