My inlaws gave my wife a lavender 'tree' for mother's day in 2014. It has a trunk of about a foot, and a large pom pom of stems above that.

We brought it in for the winter, and it got through the winter without a problem, but it neither grew much nor bloomed this year.

I'm thinking that it has a chilling requirement.

But: I don't know what species it is. (The label was singularly unhelpful)

Ideally I would like to give it enough chilling to get it ready to bloom, then bring it in. But I haven't been able to find out chilling requirements.

Failing that, I'd like to winter it outside, but don't know how to best protect it.

My best guess right now is to put it next to the house, put a box with open ends over it, fill the box with leaves, put more leaves around the box, cross my fingers.

Thoughts?