Reports in the past 24 hours suggested that the UK had recorded its biggest ever wave, at Penzance in Cornwall. It later turned out to be an anomaly. But how do you measure the height of a wave, asks Tom Heyden.
Trim away dead or damaged parts in spring. If you live in a place with heavy snows and harsh weather, your lavender bush is likely to lose a few branches over the winter. Examine the shrub in early spring, before it begins producing new shoots. Remove any broken or rotting branches to make way for new growth.
In the spring after the last frost has passed, cut away the dead plant material, making room for the new growth. Water the lavender plants deeply one last time before the first killing frost of fall to help reduce the coming drought stress of winter and prepare for spring growth. Add a thick blanket layer of mulch over the lavender plants that is at least 2 inches deep. Use an organic material such as straw, shredded bark, evergreen boughs, leaf mold, cocoa hulls or compost or some combination of the above for a well-insulated and moisture-holding cover.