Replanting Biodynamic Lavender
There must be a eulogy for the old lavender and a blessing for the new, as there must be a prayer for the bare earth in its liminal, in between state.
This week we pulled the last of Lot Sophia lavender, 420 plants, just as the new replacements arrived from Cottage Gardens Nursery in St. Helena, CA. They propagate from our own plant material, being a certified organic propagator.
Yesterday we sprayed the ground with the first barrel compost (BC Prep) we have made on site before rototilling the earth. The BC Prep improves fertility by making minerals more accessible to the plants. We then make mounds to keep the lavender’s feet dry, and then dig in a shovelful of Biodynamic compost for each lavender plant. We finish with a mulch of our chipped brush for weed control. We will plant on a “flower”, or air day, next Tuesday and Wednesday, when the moon is in Libra, giving these new plants a good, rhythmic start.
The new plants, waiting.
But the eulogy, ah, so sad, to see the mound of those hundreds of bushes that served us for 16 years now! Even in their death, their scent reminds us of the years of stems and oil they have provided.