1 OZ LAVENDER VERA

Lavender ‘Vera’ (Lavandula angustifolia) is a classic “true lavender” variety, prized for its strong fragrance, medicinal qualities, and cold hardiness—making it a great choice for places like Michigan.

🌱 Key features

• Type: Perennial herb/shrub

• Height: 18–24 inches (sometimes up to 30 inches)

• Spread: 18–24 inches wide

• Leaves: Narrow, gray-green, aromatic

• Flowers: Purple to violet spikes

• Fragrance: Strong, classic lavender scent

💜 Why gardeners love it

• One of the hardiest lavenders (handles colder climates better)

• Excellent for herbal use, oils, and drying

• Attracts bees, butterflies, and pollinators

• Repels some pests (like mosquitoes and moths)

• Beautiful ornamental plant

🌿 Growing basics

• Sun: Full sun (absolutely essential)

• Planting time: Spring after last frost

• Spacing: 18–24 inches apart

• Soil:

  • Well-drained

  • Sandy or rocky preferred

• Water: Low — drought tolerant once established

⏱ Growth timeline

• Germination (from seed): 2–3+ weeks (slow)

• First blooms: usually second year (faster if planted from plant)

• Peak bloom: mid to late summer

✂️ Harvesting

• Cut flower stems just as buds begin to open

• Best time: morning after dew dries

• Tie into bundles and hang to dry

👍 Uses

• 💐 Dried flower bundles

• 🌿 Herbal teas and sachets

• 🛁 Bath products and oils

• 🦟 Natural insect repellent

• 🌸 Decorative landscaping

⚠️ Tips for success

• Drainage is everything — wet roots = plant death

• Avoid rich, heavy soil or over-fertilizing

• Prune lightly after flowering to keep plant compact

• In Michigan:

  • Add mulch in winter (light, not wet mulch)

• Don’t let it sit in water or clay soil

✅ How it fits in your garden

Lavender (like rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano) prefers dry, sunny conditions, making it part of your dry herb zone:

🌿 Plant near:

• Sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary (same care needs)

🚫 Keep slightly away from:

• 🍉🍈 Melons (need more water)

• 🫘 Beans and leafy greens (higher moisture needs)

🌱 Best placement

• Sunny edges of the garden

• Raised beds or mounds (for drainage)

• Borders or walkways (great smell when brushed)