Lavender Varieties – Folgate

Hello lavender fans!

As we are coming to the beginning of our blooming season in the next few weeks, we at Hitchin Lavender thought it would be a good idea to look at the one of the first lavenders that will be coming into bloom in the next few weeks in the main field. We shall be looking at its properties generally, as well as some bits of information about the rows we have growing on the farm.

The lavender we are going to be looking at today is called Folgate. This is an angustifolia (for more information about species of lavender, look at our previous blog post on the subject here) and will come into bloom between mid to late June. Of course, this is totally dependent on the weather and if we have a long period of hot dry weather, this can bring the blooming period forward. Conversely, if we have colder wetter weather, it may well push the blooming period back (to stay up to date with how our lavender is doing, make sure to keep checking our Hitchin Lavender Facebook page.)

As discussed previously, this lavender grows best in direct sunlight, in well drained alkaline soil – chalk is ideal. For more information on how to plant lavender, please follow this link for bedding lavenders.

Folgate produces a slightly lighter shade of purple in comparison to some and, during its blooming period, gives off a sweet aroma. When picked and dried it can be a perfect addition in potpourri, or can be bunched together and distributed around the home.

The first seven rows of lavender on the field are mostly made up of Folgate. They are the oldest rows we have at Hitchin Lavender, as they are 17 years old – and still going strong! In the right conditions these bushes can grow for as long as 50 years, so we may yet have a few years left to enjoy its purple. At roughly 6 feet wide, these bushes are at their biggest size – though we do have to trim them back before the season, to keep them at this width.

As we go to expand the field, we have planted Folgate plants at the far right of the field. These rows are around 2 years old (planted in 2015) and are currently at the size of footballs. So if you were thinking of growing your own lavenders at home and are coming to the field for a visit, you’d be welcome to see just how big these plants can get over time, to inform your decision.

If you like the sound of this lavender and did want to grow Folgate at home, we have plants for sale outside the main barn.

Just as a reminder, as the lavender is not currently in bloom, it is free entrance into the field, if you did want to come and have a visit!

That’s all for this week!

Come back next Monday for more information about lavender!

Will