Remember back in November when I wrote about how much I looove winter? Scratch that. We’ve been in this deep freeze far too long. Enough with the Polar Vortex already.
In an effort to will spring into making an early appearance, I’ve decided to get a head start on some gardening. I’ve been dreaming about lavender all winter so I wanted to try growing it indoors. Lavender is one of my favourite plants. It’s so beautiful – I love scenes of lavender fields, row upon gorgeous row of that vivid purple-blue. It has a lovely, calming fragrance – just smelling it makes me feel like I’ve stepped into some country-chic French spa. The scent is believed to help relieve headaches, promote relaxation, and bring on a nice, sweet slumber. Plus, lavender adds an amazing flavour to baking – I had a lavender crème brûlée a couple years ago that was to die for, and I’d love to try to recreate it using my own, home-grown lavender. I figure that late winter is the perfect time of year to try growing it, since I can get it started indoors and then replant it in the garden once it’s warm enough outside.
Maybe this is a good time to admit that I don’t have much of a green thumb. So I opted for the easiest approach I could find. I bought this Lavender Ecocube from Indigo for $10. According to the instructions, you just add water and the lavender should start growing in something like 12-16 days. That’s my kind of gardening! Then, when the lavender gets too big for the planter, you put the whole wooden cube in a larger pot and the cube is supposed to compost and act as fertilizer for the plant. Sounds too good to be true!
Lavender Ecocube from Indigo. $10
Just add water!
Well, it was. It’s been about 6 weeks now and nothing has happened. I followed all the directions – I’ve kept the soil moist but not wet and kept the cube in full sun. Looks like I’m going to have to cut my losses. So I bought a packet of seeds from the garden centre and this week I’ll give these a shot. Stay tuned for an update!
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