As 2023 came to a close, discussions about acquiring additional lavender dominated our nightly conversations. To ensure our complete order is fulfilled and delivered by April, a decision must be made by mid-January 2024 if we plan to expand.
With no visible signs of growth in the winter, we contacted our nursery to order 108 plants for the 2024 season. We selected the varieties of Phenomenal, Munstead, Sensational, and Gross Bleu that we believed were thriving. Hidcote was not included in our order due to concerns about its development and potential return in 2024.
We were completely mistaken. Haha... April arrived, bringing the plants and the early spring warmth of Missouri. Since the nursery is located out of state, the plants had to be shipped. Last year, everything went smoothly, but the weather was cooler. However, this spring brought much warmer temperatures, and with the plants sitting on a UPS truck, we were certain that we would lose some. Luckily, the nursery guarantees their plants for 12 months - and just as we feared, an entire cart of plants, totaling 9, did not survive. It was heartbreaking. We planted them with the hope that they would recover, we held our breath.
RIley is our rescue, she is about 10 and follows me EVERYWHERE. She would sit in front of each new plant I planted, staying close to me and taking in the smells of fresh lavender! I thought it was precious so I wanted to share.
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