Pruning, Weeding, Burning and Budding

Lots going on in the lavender rows. I've finished pruning the winter die back, essentially any part of the plant that has greened up at this point: Here is the Croxton's before pruning:

Most of the winter die back was in the plants planted last year. I did end up ripping that Hidcote giant out too. Here is a Marge Clark before pruning:

The last Sunday in April, Dad came over and he and Andrew burned all the weeds and grass between the plants. Andrew used plywood to block the heat from the lavender and Dad used a propane tank (like for a grill) strapped to a dolly and he had an attachment that just wilted the weeds. I don't have a picture of this because while they were doing it I was in town getting stuff for the chickens and when I came back I helped them. There are few things as demoralizing to me this time of year, as seeing the grass out of control around the lavender. It looks sloppy and it holds moisture. This spring, when I add varieties, I will be planting them between the existing rows and then graveling them. You will see this process at the end of May. But this is what it looked like at the end of the day.

And yes, that's a cement deer in the background, it's a story for another blog entry. Here's another shot, notice the fence board in the background that it broken in the middle. That is the last remnant the storm we had last May that led to some damage on the homestead.