I interviewed Cynthia Johnson from Fox Farm on Vashon last week for a blog posting and story about lavender.

While we were chatting, she mentioned a great tip for lavender that I thought I would pass along:

(Lavender will) grow fine in acidic soil, but it will be fabulous if you add a little lime in the soil mix. But it’s difficult, (if you add) too much lime and it won’t grow. What we suggest is adding limestone chips and sprinkling them around the drip line of the plant. It is said that as it rains, the limestone will drip into the plant. Just sprinkle the chips around the plants. They can reflect the sun, which will cause the plant to get more heat. It causes alkalization of the soil.

Johnson said the chips also work for peonies, iris and hellebores.

So where do you find limestone chips? Well, that's a good question. It turns out you can't necessarily run down to McClendon's and buy a bag. Johnson buys them by the hundreds of pounds from people who install marble flooring. Want some? Johnson has the chips for sale in small bags for a few bucks each at her Vashon farm. Find Johnson's farm here.