Whether you grow herbs for culinary, cosmetic, medicinal or ornamental benefits, lavender should be one of your choices. It's also a wonderful perennial for the herbaceous border or mixed flower garden.

Lavender varieties that grow well in this area are the English lavenders (Lavendula angustifolias) and some of the hybrid lavenders (Lavendula x intermedia), notably 'Grosso' and 'Provence.' The Spanish lavenders (L. stoechas) and fringed or branched lavenders (L. dentata or L. pinnata) are not hardy and should be treated as tender perennials.

Differences among the lavenders include the length of flower stem and the shape of the flower itself. Flower color ranges from rich dark violet-blue to pink and white. 'Provence' is noted for its long stems that support a slender flower, which make it ideal for crafts such as lavender wands. 'Hidcote' has fuller deep purple flowers on shorter stems, making it ideal for edging pathways or the edge of a perennial border.

To grow lavender, you need to have full sun and well-drained, sweet soil. Most lavenders fail because of drainage problems, so make sure that you add plenty of soil amendments before planting. A little lime or a few ashes from the fireplace will help to sweeten the soil and raise the pH, and a soil test will ensure that a neutral or slightly alkaline soil is achieved.

Apart from drainage, lavenders sometimes fail because of fungus. This is particularly true when the humid summer days extend for several weeks. Give your lavender plenty of space so that good air circulation is available and mulch with marble or stone rather than hardwood, so that moisture from the mulch does not encourage fungi. Although lavender can be trimmed into short formal hedges, fungal problems make it a tough choice to maintain successfully.

The different varieties of lavender are commonly available in local garden stores and online both as plants and in seed form. For just one or two lavenders, it is worth buying healthy plants. But if you really want lots of lavender, try seeds.

Of the several varieties available in seed form, 'Lavender Lady' is the most reliable. It was introduced several years ago for northern climates where no lavenders are hardy, and it will grow quickly and flower the first year. 'Hidcote' and 'Munstead' are also available but will not come as true to the named variety as stem-cut propagation.

Lavender seed has a low germination rate, taking several weeks in a warm environment to come up. Again, make sure that the potting mix is well drained. The seedlings grow slowly at first, but if started early in the season, they will be big enough to place outside by summer. Do not expect all the lavender plants grown from one seed packet to look the same.

Young lavenders rarely require pruning apart from trimming dead stems. Delay pruning until the new growth has started because the older stems do not regenerate well. Trimming actively growing stems will allow new stems to grow.

Very old lavenders tend to die out in the center. It is best to replace the whole plant at this point. For old lavenders that are a specific variety, propagate by stem cuttings or layering before disposing of the old plant.

To layer, take a piece of the lavender stem (still attached) and lay it on the ground. Where the stem touches the ground, remove the leaves and anchor well with a stone or soil (pins to hold hair rollers also work well). Cover the area and leave it to root. This may take several weeks. Sever the daughter plant and move it and its roots to another location.

Stem cuttings can also be successful. Take a stem of lavender about 6 inches long and strip the leaves from the lower 2 inches. Place it in a well-drained potting mix, away from direct sun, until it roots. Covering the cutting with a plastic tent may help retain some of the moisture, but check it regularly to avoid fungal problems. A tent is generally not necessary if the potting medium is kept moist.

To dry lavender flowers, take a small group of similarly sized stems and tie together. Place them in a warm, well-ventilated room away from direct heat or sun. A bunch in a small vase without water also works well and will scent the room as the blossoms dry.

To produce lavender sugar, dry a small bunch of flowers for a few days. Tie the blossoms into a muslin pouch and place in a jar with sugar. After a few weeks, the sugar will take on the flavor of the lavender and can be used as a sugar glaze for cookies or substituted for regular sugar in other recipes.