Forget frozen lavender! Shanta can handle Czech winters, blooms for up to four months and attracts pollinators. In addition, it grows quickly and needs a minimum of care.
Why prefer chancre to lavender?
Lavender may be the queen of sunny Provence, but let’s face it, it can sometimes be pretty capricious in our gardens. If you want thick blue-purple cushions that won’t die after the first wet winter and won’t require constant attention, it’s time to meet the shanty. This unpretentious perennial looks much the same, but in many ways is a much more grateful companion.
While lavender needs precise timing of cutting and absolutely hates overwatering, shanta is right at home in our conditions. It has several advantages that make it a modern star:
- Long flowering time: While common lavender blooms within a few weeks, the shanty puts on flowers from May until August.
- Frost resistance and durability: Unlike its Mediterranean counterpart, it survives the harsh Czech winters without the need for covering.
- Rapid growth: Shanta very quickly forms a dense clump that reliably covers the bare ground and gives weeds a chance.
- Scent for humans and insects: Its leaves smell of mint and lemon and are literally a magnet for bees and bumblebees.
In this post from Zahrady od Dana’s YouTube channel, you will learn how to grow a shanty.
How to make it bloom until autumn
Even though she is almost immortal, one little trick will greatly help her beauty. As soon as the first wave of flowers begins to fade in mid-summer and the bunches begin to spread slightly, take the scissors and radically cut the entire plant, easily up to ten centimeters above the ground.
Within two weeks, the shanty will grow again with fresh leaves and in August it will reward you with a second, equally rich wave of flowers.
What does a buffoon need to be happy?
Even a complete beginner can grow shanty, just follow these three simple steps:
- Find her a sunny spot: It thrives best in full sun, where its colors are brightest and its fragrance is strongest.
- Ensure permeable soil: Shanta does not like “standing water” near the roots, so in heavier soils it will benefit from a little sand or gravel in the hole.
- Beware of cats: It’s not for nothing that she’s called the catwalker. Some varieties contain substance, so they may want to roll in it. But if you choose bred varieties like ‘Walker’s Low’, your beds will be relatively safe.
