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Lavender is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant for your garden

April 18, 2026

Here are five things to do in the garden this week.

Flowers: Lavender has many species with many forms. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is a stocky plant densely packed with lavender-pink blooms from spring to summer. Dwarf cultivars may grow no more than 1-2 feet tall. Fernleaf lavender (Lavandula multifida) has an entirely different look. Its lacy, silvery foliage is complemented by bluish violet flowers. Fernleaf lavender blooms heavily from spring to fall and may flower intermittently throughout the year. There are also a number of variegated lavenders with green leaves and gold or silver edges. Some of these, however, may revert to pure green with the passage of time. Lavender benefits from a gravel mulch, not only to prevent standing water but to provide a suitable substrate for germination of lavender seeds that fall in place. It’s extremely drought-tolerant.

Fruits: Grape vines can live with relatively little water, but high-quality fruit necessitates weekly irrigation. If birds poach your fruit, you will need to put a paper bag around each developing bunch. Staple the bag at the top of the stem. The grapes will still get the sugar that sweetens them from the surrounding leaves. Open a bag or two every now and then to see your grapes’ progress, since you do not want them to turn into raisins before they’re picked. You can use bird netting or simply attach brightly colored streamers to your vines to deter avian predations of your crop.

Vegetables: Chijimisai (Brassica rapa) has been promoted as a new superfood. There is a umami flavor to its large, plush leaves that will remind you of cooked cabbage. Where taste experts are concerned, there are five basic flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Umami is a long-lasting sensation that stays on your tongue after eating, curbing appetite and aiding in digestion. Sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms are considered to be the richest crops in umami, scientifically known as glutamate. Black olives are another rich source of umami, as are sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, garlic, onions, sweet corn, asparagus, and broccoli. Chijimisai (chi-JIM-i-sigh) is a strong grower and is impervious to both heat and frost. Its seeds are available at rareseed.com.

Wasabi: Highly prized in Japanese dishes of all kinds, especially sushi, Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) comes from a rhizome of a plant in the mustard family, making it kin to horseradish and radish. In Southern California, it must be grown in a container in dense shade where only a tiny bit of sunlight filters through. It will need regular watering and, during heat spells, must be brought indoors. Wasabi is known for its nasal-clearing pungency, exceeding that of any other condiment. Seeds and rhizomes are available through Internet vendors. Cut a rhizome in two, using one half for a sharp seasoning and the other to plant in a pot in a shady corner of your patio or balcony.

When planting seed directly in the ground, water at least once a day until three sets of true leaves (not cotyledons or seed leaves) have developed. At this point, water every other day unless the weather is so hot that daily watering is still warranted. Water early in the morning so that a reservoir of water will collect in the soil, to be drawn upon by roots on an intensely hot day. Use thin fabric floating row cover — not the thick fabric used in such cover that traps heat for frost protection — to provide protection from the heat and, with its ventilating features, provide a cooling effect.

Orange County Register

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Lavender is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant for your garden

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