Seeds for lavender and herbs

A reader asked about growing lavender and other herbs from seed and when to start them inside.

For mail order seeds, two possibilities are Johnny's at http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ and Renee's Garden at http://www.reneesgarden.com.

If you have a greenhouse you can start seeds now but if you are planning to grow from seed in the house you will need a florescent shop light type setup that hangs a couple of inches over the seed pots. One writer suggests lining the wall behind the seedlings with mylar to intensify the light.

Renee's lavender seed package indicates that the seeds germinate at 60-to-70 degrees so they will need to be kept warm enough to get started. Or you will have to wait until the weather warms up above our current 30-degrees. You can click around Renee's site to read the packets on the others seeds they offer.

Johnny's is very popular with local growers - here is the link to their lavender selection.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/subcategory.aspx?category=205&subcategory=247