熏衣草 (圖)

5月的時候在人海歐洲的論壇裏轉貼了一篇<<熏衣草的浪漫傳說>>。那之前一個朋友剛在我家裏作過客，出門的時候指著我們家門前小路旁的一排Lavendo說，你種了這麽多熏衣草，開花了可以放在衣櫃裏，好聞又防蟲。這才知道了它的中國名字，心裏驚喜了很久。從前看過一部香港電影是這個名字的，當時覺得浪漫極了，沒料到自己家裏就種了這麽多。後來在網上看到那篇<<熏衣草的浪漫傳說>>和許多美麗的照片，知道5月熏衣草在法國正是開花的季節。照片上的熏衣草開著藍紫色的細碎的花，一串串的，往往是覆蓋了一整片山坡或田野。在陽光下麵，燃燒的紫色，是那種叫人無比心愛的顏色，它的魅麗，在這裏是發揮到極致了。

 

我家的熏衣草是6月開，花期很長，連綿不斷地開到7月中。開到極勝的時候，花園裏，小路上飛滿了蜂蝶，轟轟烈烈。每次走過，就情不自禁地快樂。熏衣草一點也不難養，入冬前我們都要把所有的枝葉剪光，不用施肥，第二年春天又會蓬勃地長出新的枝葉，一大叢的一大叢的，把地麵給蓋住。就是這樣普通的一年開一次花的植物。從前的時候我沒有特別地注意過它。

 

朋友說，熏衣草在盛開的時候采摘下來是最芬芳的，可以立即紮成束吊在衣櫃裏或者是房間裏。今天早上，我興致大發，拿了剪子去花園裏剪了一大把，握在手裏，有濃鬱的紫色和淡淡的幹燥的清香。搬進這房子有3年半了，今年是第一次真正注意到它的美麗和香味後麵的含義，第一次把它的花溫柔地采下來存放。心裏突然想，如果沒有熏衣草這個名字和有關這個名字的各種傳說，它在這個花園裏的盛開和凋謝會是那麽的寂寞。

 

我會在今後的每一年裏把它所有的花收集起來，作一個懂它的人。

 

 

[飄泊]

昨天一口氣讀完所有的文章，心一下子亮起來
原來這就是薰衣草呀
去前院看了看，已經被其他的植物擠得隻漏幾株小花
兒時的渴望又一次燃燒起來
自然，美， 與愛， 這樣來享受生活吧

Looking After Lavender


Planting
Lavender can be planted singly, when the full beauty of its dome-shaped habit can be appreciated, or as a hedge. You will be rewarded with two or three months of summer colour, and attractive foliage throughout the year.

For a hedge, allow 12-18 inches (30-45cm) between plants, depending on the variety.

If the soil is at all acid, use lots of lime when planting and then an annual top dressing. On heavy soils, line a deep trench with shingle for better draining and add plenty of sand to the soil.

Feeding
Most plants enjoy a little manure, and it will certainly help to establish healthy plants quickly. High potassium feed promotes flowering, but too rich a soil may result in limp, over-leafed plants.

Pruning
Cut back well after flowering – at least to leaf level – to maintain a compact and tidy bush.

We strongly advise against pruning lavender during the spring.

Propagation by seed
When ripe, the fine, black seeds of lavender can be collected from the flowers as the bushes are pruned; they are also available from seedsmen. Germination is erratic and plants produced by this method are most unlikely to be true to the parent plant. In one sowing there may be plants of different sizes and colour – interesting for the plant breeder, but not good for a tidy hedge.

Propagation by layering
Long stems of lavender may be bent down into the soil and held in place with a stone or a wooden or wire peg until they have rooted (this may take several months), when the rooted stem can be cut from the mother plant and replanted.

Propagation by cuttings
The best method of propagation is to take ‘heel cuttings’ from your own plants in spring or autumn. Select a non-flowering young shoot and pull it sharply downloads so that it comes away with a ‘heel’ at the bottom. Dip this into a hormone compound and plant it in a light, sandy compost. Keep it just moist and protect it from frost. Spring cuttings are usually quickest to root. One-year old plants should be cut back after flowering to encourage bushy growth, and if necessary transplanted to allow more room for growth. At about two years old the plants can be put in their permanent positions.

How to treat a neglected Lavender
Firstly, take cuttings just in case. Then, once they have rooted, you can take drastic action.

Using large pruners, cut the thick woody stems down to two or three inches (5-8cm) from the ground. The plant should then make new growth from the base. This is best done in spring when the danger of frost has passed. An old floppy plant might also be suitable for layering.

Pests
The only pest on lavender is the green capsid bug or cuckoo spit. This is unsightly but harmless.

Many people believe that strongly aromatic plants like lavender keep garden pests away, and plant them among fruit and vegetables – greenfly certainly seem to dislike it.

Disease
Shab is the only killer disease. It was this that wiped out the old lavender fields in southern England. Spores of Phoma lavandula appear on the stems as minute black spots and cause the flower stalks to corkscrew and turn brown. Then parts of the bush die. There is no cure for shab, so if it does appear it is best to get rid of the plant completely. Most modern hybrids are resistant to shab, but ‘Munstead’ and occasionally ‘Loddon Pink’ are susceptible.

If a bush has died, it may be because of a hard frost, or because of the unwelcome attentions of dogs.

Tender varieties
Tender varieties may be grown in large posts in a conservatory in winter. The best potting mixture is two parts coarse gritty sand to one part loam. Once the danger of frost has passed, plants are much better left outside.