Sensational! is a lavandin bred for gardeners in humid climates like ours, with extra-wide silver leaves, stout stems, and large violet flower spikes in summer. It holds its form and fragrance through heat that defeats most English lavenders.

The rules for lavender still apply: full sun, lean unamended soil, and drainage above all. Plant it high, skip the rich compost, and water sparingly once established. Shear lightly after bloom, never into old wood. Bees and butterflies work the spikes; deer and rabbits do not.