Winter's Home

Garden Theme: From Lawn to Lavender: Water Saving alternatives that are guaranteed to attract bees and butterflies. Answers, tips and suggestions for water conservation in your garden.

When we drove up to the property 12 years ago, our first reaction was “You can’t be serious!” I didn’t know what was worse, the house or the property around it. My inner child came forward, “I’m not getting out of this car! This place is awful!” I sat arms crossed and stared at the dashboard.

A month later I was digging 30 lifeless Juniper plants from the walkway with a pickaxe. The yard was an eye sore. I did my best to keep the patchy grass alive while my husband and I worked to make the house livable.

This garden is an experiment in the making. I have always been intrigued with lavender and its healing properties so when we saw that Truckee Meadows Community College was offering classes in growing lavender, we signed up – twice. In November of 2014, our water-demanding grass was removed and 200 lavender seedlings were planted. I wanted the feel of being in the South of France in a fragrant field of purple.

Lavender loves sun and poor soil, and thrives on little water. A simple drip-line was installed and the plants are watered twice a week, an hour each time. We are experimenting with four varieties, including Super, which can grow 4 to 5 feet tall.

The neighbors are thrilled with the lavender and can’t wait for the first harvest. As a licensed massage therapist, I am anxious to use the fragrant lavender oils in my practice.