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Occasional Contributor
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎03-23-2012

Early in the season, I ordered about nine lavender plants.  I believe they are hybrids of the English and the French.  They were hyped as being strong plants which would grow well.  I planted them when they arrived.  Recently, I watched a Roberta's program pushing the new American bred variety.  The sales pitch imformed me that English and French lavender will not do well in this country due to soil, climate and humidity, and that if you want healthy, long-lived lavender to purchase the American bred.  All I can say it, "Well, thanks a lot for wasting my money by not being up front with QVC customers, and then coming along at the end of the QVC garden season to tell everyone what they actually should have purchased."  It's not as though Roberta's didn't know all this; it's not as though they didn't know they had inventory in the American bred stock.  To my way of thinking, this is just being deliberately dishonest by omission.  How many other customers have been deceived in this manner?...and deception is what it is.  I've bought things from QVC that turned out to not be as good as advertised, for instance, food items that had the hosts smacking their lips and going "yum", but had me going "yuk" or outdoor lights that don't even make it through a season.  I chalked it all up to "buyer beware" and my fault for buying, but this is different somehow...a more deliberate deception.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,702
Registered: ‎08-22-2013

I have grown both English and French lavender plants I bought from our local plant farm with good success. Lavenders like a lot of sun and good drainage so as long as you make sure of that you should have a good result. Roberta's are just trying to sell you more plants. I have had very little success with plants I bought from  Roberta's or Cottage Farms over the years, I finally gave up and buy locally and I have much better out comes.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,158
Registered: ‎06-27-2013

@blackhole99 

OT question please. I would love to order some French lavender plants. Any ideas of reputable greenhouses that I may order from? 

 

Thank you, 

🦋

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,702
Registered: ‎08-22-2013

@butterfly123  I buy plants from local green houses in my area, if the plants do not work out you have some where you can go to get help. I find mail order is not the way to go.

Contributor
Posts: 52
Registered: ‎04-19-2011

Lavender plants can be iffy in the best conditions. I agree that you should try for a reliable local nursery. I myself have been trying to find a local source for this new hardy “American”  Lavender but no one I have checked with has even heard of it so I am a bit skeptical that one really exists. I also have not had any luck with Roberta’s.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,028
Registered: ‎04-03-2016
My Cottage Farm perennial lavender arrived today. Two were very wet abscond had several dead branches. Will see how they develop.
My local nursery lavender were annual type.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,654
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Lavenders generally like well drained soils in full sun. In the early spring, remove any dead stems. 

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,382
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Roberta's is very deceptive in many thing they say.  They have a lot of exotic tropical plants that need special growing conditions but they never mention that.  They set the consumers up for failure because they know the average person will not be able to grow these plants.  I refuse to buy anything from them.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,028
Registered: ‎04-03-2016
As an update, my Cottage Farms lavender is not surviving. When it arrived the plant was super wet. Recent rains not helping. Guess I have to pursue replacement.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@algin   I grow all types of Lavender.  They love heat and good drainage, not much watering once established, and the summers are hot here, also a long growing season, and they have to be cut back every Fall or early Spring or they become very leggy and woody.  I have bought all of my lavenders online, many from Roberta's and Cottage Farms, several years ago, and other companies, all are doing fine.