When we arrived home from a trip in April, we discovered the giant lavender shrubs at La Cressonnière had been removed. Surprise! The lavender bushes were BIG, so their absence made an impact. A few days later, Colette Sineux, the mother of the artist who owns this house, came to plant new ones.
Colette and her husband Roger (pronounced Ro-zhay), are two of the most wonderful people we’ve met here. We think of them as a model of a life well lived and we pay attention when they’re around.
One thing I took note of: she filled a bin with a few inches of water, and she would place the root ball in the water before she put it in the ground. Smart!
Another thing I took note of: her red shoes. : )
The lavender is already thriving and full of blooms. Colette has a green thumb! Any planting going on at your house this year?
P.S. — Last year we harvested lots and lots of lavender. I’m so glad we didn’t miss our chance!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Colette is a darling! I love her red scrunchie/shirt/watch/shoes mojo. I’m hoping I have that kind of mojo in 40 years. (:
Why did she remove the old shrubs? I need some info on lavender grooming, I’m slowly growing a field of it! I put it everywhere, it smells gorgeous and right now, it sounds amazing too, with all the bees and butterflies flying around!
Can’t wait to try soaking the root ball the next time I’m transplanting something! Seems like one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” things :)
My family and I were planting last Sunday: zinnia flowers, jamaica, lettuce, chilli peppers, beans, garlic, watermelons, pumpkins and zucchinis, beans and corn…. we got a complete vegetable field! :D
I learned the soaking the root ball thing last summer from my landscaper when we planted our yard
That is a great idea of keeping it in the water before it goes into the ground. I will try that next time. I planted some new lavender too in my front this summer. Even though we had a mild winter in Michigan most of my existing lavendar did not survive the harsh spring we had. Love the red shoes! I want some red crocs for the garden now or maybe toms. I’m always in flip flops in the garden and ruining my pedicure. Hmmm.
Wonderful yard work you have going on there! You should give this one a shot, its quite a trend right now! http://www.eieihome.com/blog/do-it-yourself-vertical-gardens.html
Nice post. My dad uses a similar idea. He digs the holes for planting, fills them with water and lets that sit for a bit before planting. He also puts the plants in a barrel or something full of water before planting. The roots are free and moist.
I might plant a lavender corner in my front yard… this is beautiful… I notice her red shoes as well. I love the idea of soaking the root ball in the bucket of water. Very SMART indeed… Thanks for sharing…