Rosemary & Lavender for Hedging

[summer]

I'm wondering if the Dwarf Munstead Lavender mentioned a couple of times here is a good dark blue colour and very importantly whether it dries well keeping it's colour. My lavender hedge has been brilliant for a lotta years but i've lost a few bushes this winter.
Summer

[Earthbabe]

The flowers on the flower spike are quite a deep purple. Much more so than standard lavender so it may be suitable for what you want. You could always get an "alba" as well that is white and would provide a good contrast.

[summer]

Thank you Earthbabe, I will search out some plants, especially as it is suitable for a low growing hedge. Nice idea to interject one or two of the 'alba' as well.

Summer

[Earthbabe]

There is a very pretty cultivar around at the moment called Lavandula Stoechas Leucantha Alba (the butterfly headed type), unfortunatly not very hardy. I bought one yesterday and next to it they had a Lav
Stoechas Purple Emperor which has deep purple flowers with yellow flowers - stunning. Managed to resist as I thought two at a time even for me was probably excessive.

[NattieG]

I'd love to take cuttings from my lavender and rosemary plants (both in their second year in huge containers and doing fab) for planting out into other areas of the garden.

But I have no idea how to do this at all! I've read what RhubarbonToast and Madderbat have posted, but still unsure!

How and where from do I take a cutting, and then what do i need to do with it? Surely not just stick it in some soil lol?! Do you need rooting powder or something?

[Earthbabe]

I generally cut a 3-4 inch (7-10cm) long piece from the end of a "branch", strip back an inch worth of leaves and bung it in compost. I don't use rooting powder although you can if you wish. Growing Success do one that is hormone free I think. Alternatively you could probably get some shoots to root in water.

You will know they have taken when new growth appears.

[shirley]

I am very interested in the dwarf munstead lavender. It sounds really pretty and I shall look out for it

[moggssue]

I dug up a huge lavendar that I inherited with the garden and decided was in the wrong place last March, leaving half of the root ball behind. Replanted it in a different part of the garden, with just a little growmore for help, in pretty poor stony soil and through a summer of drought last year. This year it is flowering away as happy as anything, so from my experience I would say that they are incredibly hardy! Sorry, no idea what variety it is, about 2' tall and wide.

[Flummery]

Just make sure that if you choose a flowering stem, cut off the flower. You don't want the little thing concentrating on setting seeds when it should be concentrating on shoving out roots. They are both quite easy (without rooting powder) and if you put 5 or 6 round the outside edge of a small (3"-ish) pot you'll probably get 2 or 3 of them to strike. If you have a gritty seed compost so much the better, but you can do it in any (I have!). Good luck!

[Earthbabe]

I am very interested in the dwarf munstead lavender. It sounds really pretty and I shall look out for it

I've got loads Shirley. The lavender I gave you is dwarf munstead so if you can't find one or don't want to have a go at seeds (Alan Thompson collection do some) I can do you some cuttings.

[NattieG]

Thanks Earthbabe and Flummery - I'll look forward to giving it a go!

[shirley]

I've got loads Shirley. The lavender I gave you is dwarf munstead so if you can't find one or don't want to have a go at seeds (Alan Thompson collection do some) I can do you some cuttings.

Thanks EB. I thought that was really pretty. I would love some if you are successful at a cuttings. Cheers

[Littleweeme]

Rosemary cutting

Hello all, i'm new but hope you can help me with a query? I've been reading through all these posts and in a roundabout way my questions been answered but i'm gonna ask anyway.

I took some cuttings from my nannas well established 5ft Rosemary bush a few weeks ago and I popped them into a glass of water which now sits on the kitchen window sill. One of the cuttings has a root on it about 1.5cm long. I don't know whether to pot it now or leave it. Also I go away in a week for almost three weeks and was wondering if i do pot it, what size pot should it be and can i leave it outside and pray it survives till i return?

Also, seeing as one has a root can I assume the rest will too eventually?
I'm new to this green finger stuff and hope you can advise )

Thank youuuu, Jenny x

[Littleweeme]

Oh and what kind of compost? My garden soil is very clay based so would I be able to plant it out eventually or should I leave it in a pot?

[Earthbabe]

Hello littleweeme and welcome to the vine. I'd pot it up now in either a potting on compost or multi-purpose. Assuming it is only a few inches long (the cutting) a 3 inch pot should be fine. As long as someone is able to water your pots and things while you are away there shouldn't be a problem. If it has developed more roots and they are sticking out the bottom of the pot when you return then pot it on again.

I generally put rosemary cuttings straight into moist compost and they generally do fine.

rosemary is very hardy so it should be fine unless we hit an ice age or it gets no water while you are away.