Fragrant, free flowering and heat and drought tolerant. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Vicenza Blue’ blooms the first year from seed. Bold clustered flower spikes in deep lavender-blue from mid July through to early September. The plants have a more compact and tidier habit than common Lavender, and grow 30cm (12in) tall. They have deeper green leaves and a more powerful, less sweet, fragrance. The blooms can be used as a cut flower, or dried for their aromatic flowers and foliage. Because plants bloom uniformly, mass plantings of Vicenza Blue Lavender are stunning. This especially fine lavender is very suited for growing in patio containers, for bedding or in the rock garden. The deliciously perfumed, rich blooms make an enchanting informal aromatic hedge in the garden. The flowers are produced from July onwards and are highly attractive to bees. It is common to dry lavender, but it also makes a wonderful fresh cut flower. If you arrange fresh lavender stems without adding water to the vase, it will dry on its own and extend its vase life indefinitely. Lavender's strong fragrance intensifies as it dries. When arranging it in a water-filled vase, remove all leaves below the water level or they will rot. Cut fresh and placed in water, English lavender will last for up to ten days.