LMAO, Peggy! You are not alone in that club! Most of my collected seeds are surprise packages! Poppies and snapdragons are my favorites to mix up! :)

Ginny

how long would you keep lavender plants? I've got lavenders over 5 years old now. Don't know if I should dig them up and replace them

Glad to hear I'm not alone laughing at myself - life's too short - gotta laugh.

Ianna if you are happy with your lavender plants keep them. You can trim them down 1/3 each year so long as you don't cut into the hardwood. I like to start new ones each year to build on my current lavender - I love to use them around garden veggie beds, around sitting areas and the like. I love to collect seeds every year for trading and when they start to look ragged I yank them out, dig out some of the old dirt and put it elsewhere in the garden and mix in new compost/dirt into the old hole. When I decide that I have a lot of them but want to keep some for one last flower bash I take out every second plant only and put in new ones. So I still get the wow factor from the old plants - the following spring I take out the rest of the old stock and put new stock in. You can keep new plants bushier by trimming them back 1/3 on the new growth in the spring or fall. I use munstead lavender because they are tough in zone 5. Does this help at all?

It's only 1C outside but I'm dressing up and getting back at working in my garden - making side steps along the grade of the house. Will be putting down old house wrap (from the home build) and pinning it in place and then getting lovely red chips to lay on top. And I want to flip a few existing beds. Will be getting manure to add to them but for now I want to get clean them out and lay house wrap or black garbage bags down to start baking the soil and suppressing the weeds. If I get cold hot chocolate should warm me up. I've played with my indoor seedlings this morning, breathing all over them (okay I talk to them, sing and pet them to keep them green and raking my fingers across them on a regular basis helps the stems to thicken up).

I full of mischief today!
Whooooooo Hooooooo!
Peggy

My lavender is starting to look ratty. I think cutting it back each spring makes that happen? I've read here, a few years ago, that lavender cuttings root well in water. Anyone ever try that? I think I will experiment with it this summer. Marg

I have always had a plant or two in my garden, but they were ones that I had bought as plants. Last year I WS some and planted them out in the garden. They are doing well and I am thinking they need a haircut as they are a bit gangly looking. I am planning to use some of the cuttings to try and root them by sticking them either in the garden or in a rooting bucket. (which I haven't made yet, but will in time to root the lavender)