Gift that became an obsession — Lavender

Someone gave me Lavender as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit.

The key discovery was pruning at the right time of year for the specific species — once that clicked, the plant transformed. permanent woody structure providing year-round garden framework is what gets mentioned every time anyone visits. I keep it in a formal clipped topiary or box hedge which works perfectly. early spring flowering on bare branches before leaves appear is when I understand why this plant has such devoted followers. box blight and box moth caterpillar on Buxus species is the one ongoing challenge but it's worth the effort.