If the foliage still has some colour to it, it's not yet dead. But it sounds like it's going to be, before long. It's certainly one very unhappy lavender. Have you thought to give it a drink recently?

Well, when I was watering it about every couple of weeks or so, it seemed to get even less happy. I watered it last week, but I guess it won't hurt much now to give it another drink. I bet my apartment just isn't conducive to happy lavender, tho my houseplants seem to be at least not dying. :/

Lavender aren't tropicals that like to have dryer times during the winter... Lavender is mediterranean so it gets most of it's water during the winter... I'd think it needs more water.

How hot is it where the lavender is? As someone has been said, it is not a tropical and only needs to be kept from freezing in winter. In fact what is the temerature outside? The common English lavender can cope down to around freezing - even below for a while as long as its roots don't freeze. Some of the other varieties are more tender. Which one do you have?

Its a Hidecote lavender. I plan on next year leaving the lavender and a new sage plant out.

I don't think its going to make it...its slowly turning brown except for one or two branches, and the pot drains far too easily. I thought it needed a lot of drainage so I put rocks in the bottom of the pot, which was obviously a mistake!

Does anyone think it might help if I trim off all the dead growth and leave the one or two still-green branches, or would the stress kill it even quicker? Or will it even matter at this point?

Regarding the heat where its sitting...like I said its far too variable in my apartment, and I don't have a thermometer. It is sitting in the warmest possible area, tho, without putting it in the dark kitchenette. My old cat gets first dibs on warm places, too, so the warmest warmest places are both occupied by cat carriers.

You won't stress the plant by cutting off dead bits. You'll be doing it a favour.

Give the lavender the warmest spot, and remember that it can't move by itself - the cats can!

No, my 15 year old cat who has been with me through many trials and is now ailing takes precedence over a year old lavender.

Doesn't matter anymore anyway, the lavender finally died, when I had to rush it to the shower stall to keep my floor from being flooded since it wouldn't absorb any water at all.

Oh well, I'll do better next year.

Oh well, I'll do better next year.

The above statement is the mark of a true gardener. Many friends casually try their hand at growing something, it dies and they write themselves off as black thumbs and go on to other things. Nothing wrong with that, not everyone is blessed enough to have the gardening gene.

A true gardener though, suffers a failure and simply says, 'there is always next year'.

Keep at it, you will get it eventually and then you can tell the rest of us how you did it ;-)

First time gardener, in a new home (well 3rd summer, finally did a garden last year) my husband and I planned a beautiful bed that surrounded our hot tub/patio area. When we came across a lavender plant at our local nursery we were so excited to plant it because of it's great aroma (what better scent to have down wind to the hot tub).

I purchased a nice size Lavender from Stein's (I think, about 2ft tall). It even came with a 1yr guarantee. I was so proud that I had planted a plant that my mother didn't already have experience with. Followed all the instructions for placement, watering, protecting in the winter, etc... and yet today it looks dead.

Outside of reading the label at time of purchase and a little online care information I didn't really do much to it besides keep it watered regularly and weed free. When I shake it, it still smells. But the plant itself just appears so brittle and lifeless. I admit, the dogs may have marked their territory once or twice, but everything else is doing just fine.

What do you think?? Is it dead and I have to get a new one, or is it dormant still at the end of May and I just missed a pruning rule or something. I'd love for this one to stick around for a while.

Is there a "Quick Cheat Sheet" out there for Lavender care that I may not have stumbled across?

Help me too,
NewGardenInWisconsin

Well, it certainly sounds unhappy at least. Have the leaves gone gray? From my experience with mine, I know they don't like overwatering, especially if they're sitting in heavy clay that retains water well like my soil does. There's also the consideration of what chemicals you're using in your hottub, and how much of that is getting on the plant, or on the ground near it?

I wouldn't be surprised if its not happy about being peed on, either, since urine can burn, but someone with more experience with them might know better than me.

--GW

Gosh, Somebody should have told me that Lavender wasn't Winter hardy years ago! I've been leaving mine outside in Our Michigan Winters ever since they sprouted!! Seriously, my Lavender does just fine outside and our Winters can get COLD- as in SUB-ZERO. Don't give up on your Lavender too soon in the Spring, 'cuz mine does take awhile to look alive again. When it does wake up, it's LUSH. I wish I could tell you what variety I have, but I started it from seed (got one plant out of an entire packet) and I don't recall the name. I have since added other plants from the Nursery. Kathy

Well, like I said before, it died completely even down to brown stem interior, so I bought a new Hidcote lavender this year with the intention to leave it outside permanently as a partner to the rhubarb that's taking up the other half of the bed. I was disappointed to learn that the person I bought the other from last year, who grew organically, was nowhere to be found at the farmers' markets this year, and thus I had to buy one from one of the local nurseries.

Oh, and the neighbor who was killing my plants with the 'kindness' of overwatering them every day has moved!

--GW