I've tried both. They germinate easily but lavender was not successful in that the plants seem to always die on me either in the pots or after transplanting. Rosemary is less challenging from seed but it roots so easily from stem cuttings that I choose that method over seeds--- you'll have a small bush the first year because they grow fast. Seedlings are slow. I clipped off three cuttings from one by the street that has been growing in a neglected, rather weedy spot for years since I knew it was winter hardy, all three rooted quickly and I have large bushes now. I advise purchasing one of the cold hardy types because these do very well in Oklahoma, are unaffected by drought and as an added bonus, they bloom in winter (attracting bees) unless you want to grow them in pots. They do well in pots but will they quickly outgrow the pot.

Lavender self sows for me but here in Oklahoma it tends to be short lived. I always get several volunteers which do much better than any of the ones I've coddled in pots indoors or the ones I winter-sowed (which all died). I think of lavender as a short lived perennial and know I will have to buy new plants every three years or so, besides, they are always inexpensive & available at nurseries, farmer's market, Walmart or the package stores.

I (finally) got 6 lavender plants from seed last year. I really only needed two. (I probably started twice as many seeds and was lucky to get the 6)

I wanted another one for the garden and one for indoors. I shared the other 4. One, my daughter took to her apartment and killed it. I'm not sure how the other 3 did, but the one I planted in the garden quickly died. The indoor one is beautiful and lovely and has grown quite well.
Rosemary is a difficult too. You just have to be patient and keep trying. OR, just buy one. I stubbornly wanted to start my own from seed. Now that I've succeeded, I'll probably do what Dawn does and buy it already started.

Well, thank you everyone. I think all of you answered the question for me: From now on, just buy one of each from the store when they come out! lol I buy a rosemary plant every year, and it always grows well, but it never makes it through the winter for me. Which is not a big deal. I've never grown lavender, that I can remember. I had the seed, and some egg cartons, and thought, "why not".

There are several varieties of rosemary. The most cold hardy is 'Arp', you might be able to find it at a local nursery. Creeping rosemary is almost as hardy, they get quite wide but not tall but an unusually cold winter can kill one. I lost one that was about 7 years old a few years back. It roots along the ground as it grows making it easy to cut off starts, blooms heavily in winter with deeper purple blooms than the upright winter hardy types. Neither seem to care how hot or dry it gets making it perfect for difficult dry areas where a hose won't reach, as long as drainage is good.

I've ordered several types of plants from both of these places--good people, reliable.
http://www.santarosagardens.com/Rosemary-p/ros-hil.htm

http://www.highcountrygardens.com/rosmarinus-officinalis-arp

I've had the best longevity success with Lavender 'Silver Anouk'. Farmer's Market on 10th St here in OKC always sells it. I'm surprised at how well it does (needs good drainage).

http://www.onlineplantguide.com/Plant-Details/4251/

Texasranger2, I don't know what kind of rosemary I usually have. It's always been whatever Bonnie Plants puts out at the big box stores. I always grow one plant, but I never worry about it over-wintering. Creeping rosemary might be something I could plant somewhere other than the vegetable garden, though. I will look and see if our local nurseries carry any lavender. We usually have a big plant/herb stand that shows up mid-march, and I bet they'll have lavender.

If it is whatever rosemary that BP carries, then it isn't Arp. I usually grow Arp and I buy it at smaller local or regional nurseries that carry named varieties of rosemary in order to get the most cold-tolerant one that I can find locally.

Mary, I imagine Arp is sold at some of the herb shows/festivals and, if not, then it probably is sold by some of the vendors at the local farmer's markets.

Dawn, thanks. I will make a point to check them out when they start opening up. In the meantime, should I go ahead and pot up these 2 that have sprouted up?

If you go to the Cherry Street Farmers market in Tulsa in the spring, look for Duck Creek's booth. He sells quality plants, I've bought several herb plants from him. I don't know what variety of rosemary he grows, and honestly that is not what I bought from him, but I've been pleased with the things I've gotten.

Amy, I don't drive to Tulsa anymore. I haven't driven there in over two years now. Hopefully I can find a variety of herbs here when the markets start setting up.

Owasso has a little herb festival...in May I think. I went looking for a list of herb festivals, I know that Duck Creek goes to them, but I guess they aren't listed yet. Maybe there will be one closer to you. I think my Worleys sells some herbs, probably nothing too unusual.

I'm going to need a rosemary plant this year I think. I had a huge one, but I think the cold got to it this year. My lavender is in a pot. If it survives I may put it in the ground somewhere. Both were purchased plants, I've forgotten where I got them.

Had to laugh--I'm with Dawn. Picking my battles, and growing rosemary or lavender from seed isn't one of them. Having said that, thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got my precious rosemary plant two years ago and watched it grow into a 3' x 3' shrub in just two summers. Since last winter was my first one here, I was so delighted that many plants, like the rosemary, parsley, daisies, thyme, sage, oregano sailed through winter with hardly a blip. And then we had this winter. It appears that the rosemary is a goner. Got down to about 15 a couple nights, and though I had lots of leaf mulch around the plants, it's not looking good for the rosemary. So I ordered 3 of the Arp variety just a few days ago, and plan to plant them in 3 different locations, in hopes that one of those locations will be a lovely little microclimate of a 7b or 8a. I can't winter them indoors because our house is very dark inside, and I don't want to fuss with any artificial lighting for one. (I do have a big grow cart, but a sizable rosemary wouldn't fit.)

Nancy, I am picking my battles, too.

Oh--I order most of my stuff online. Sooner Plant Farm in Park Hill (south of Tahlequah is wonderful. Wonderful people, wonderful nursery. I've also ordered a lot from Baker Seeds (they only have seeds), Nature Hills--frankly I've ordered from many, depending on who has what I'm looking for. I'm not good with traveling around to shop, and don't like to buy bedding plants from Big Boxes, though do occasionally from Lowe's in Muskogee. I even order most of my soil supplements from Amazon much of the time. Just got 44 lbs of Azomite shipped (free, since I have a Prime membership) from them. And just getting ready to oder seed starter mix since Walmart didn't have any today when we were in town (Wagoner). And this is the first time, but the 3 rosemary Arp I ordered were from Burpee. I'll report back on the quality after they come.

Nancy, thank you.

My rosemary is fine with no die back at all. I don't really know what kind it is since I started it from one I snipped 3 tips off of up the street. Its been growing for years in that neglected looking spot, it could use a bit of trimming and some weeding but its looking fine too. Maybe its been though so many Oklahoma summers and winters its adapted? Rosemary Arp is good down to zone 6, it might be that type but there's no way to know. It has light colored, not too flashy flowers which are sparse in number compared to 'Tuscan', the creeping kind and some of the non hardy types they sell as Christmas ornamental plants.

Up the street in a well groomed yard across from where the messy neglected rosemary grows the woman has several torturously trimmed ones (ugh on the flat top artificial looking trimming) perfectly spaced apart in a circle around a tree that have done well for the last 3 winters. They all look 100% totally dead while old faithful lives on in its unkempt spot

Ha! Wish you knew what it is, texasranger2! Well, now you've inspired me. Maybe I'll try a couple others, too.

Hill's Hardy rosemary is from the same lady that found Arp and is just as hardy for me. I've grown both and they were both good to -3 degrees here. I've read that they are good to -6 anyway. Don't know about anything less. It's an upright plant with greener foliage than Arp.

Now that sounds very promising, oklavenderlady! I'm anxious to get going with it again.

Tex, is it in your rock garden? I was thinking about that as I read your post. I bet those bushes love it there. Thanks for the info and links.