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Lucky gardeners in Zone 8 and higher are nearing their second planting season of the year. And while fall is the prime time to plant wildflower seeds and many other garden delights, it’s an excellent season to try your hand at lavender. The rocky, dry soil in Blanco and Gillespie counties is the perfect place for this tough crop with delicately colored blooms.

The aromatic perennial also likes our soil’s alkalinity. It prefers a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5. It is deer-resistant and needs full sun to thrive. Its preference for local conditions is one of the reasons lavender farms have sprouted in our area in the past decade.

In addition to all of its excellent growing qualities, lavender has a storied history with roots in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and many other countries. It has been used in embalming, cosmetics, and even as a medicine to treat burns, wounds and indigestion. People have used it on insect bites and as an insect repellent. Cholera, migraines, skin ailments, kidney disorders, sinus ailments and depression all have been the targets of lavender’s allegedly therapeutic qualities. People have even mixed it with beeswax to make a furniture polish. It is an ingredient in soaps, perfumes, potpourri and even herb mixes and rubs.

Anyone who wants to grow this crop would be wise to start it in pots or small plots to experiment and see which varieties they like the best.

Here are more tips for growing lavender:

* In much of Texas, early March and early November are the best times to get lavender in the ground. Planting at these times gives the crop a chance to get established before the blistering summer heat or cold weather set in. Fall is a better time to plant for southern gardeners as we don’t normally have to water as much in the cooler season.

* One popular variety in our Zone 8 is Provence or Lavandula x intermedia, which is fragrant and blooms light lavender in color. It is a lavender hybrid, also known as a lavendin. And did you know there is a yellow lavender, as well as a gray-hued variety?

* In the ground, use 4-inch plants and allow 3 feet between plants for Provence, or 18 inches for English varieties, such as Munstead, Lavandula angustifolia.

* If you are planting rows, allow 6 feet between them. Lavender plants are happiest when the air is circulating around them.

* Check your soil for silt and clay content. Water must drain out the bottom — not get caught in the rows.

* In the field, lavender rarely needs fertilizer. But you can fertilize twice a year with corn meal or compost tea. Corn meal helps fight rhizoctonia, a root disease.

* Once your lavender is established, trim half an inch to an inch every year to create a domed look. Prune annually in fall for spring blooms, as this extends the life of the plant. Summer blooms are the biggest, and sometimes you can get a second bloom in October.

* Let grass grow between lavender rows. This cuts down on soil erosion and the look is acceptable, especially if you keep the grass cut low.

* Propagate cuttings in late fall or late February — anytime after Oct. 1 and before April 1.

* Cuttings are the best way to grow lavender, although you can grow from seed. However, seeds can be hard to find, germinate slowly and can be irregular in form and color. And the most popular lavenders make no seeds or have sterile seeds.

* Lavender reaches its full size in three years. It is drought-tolerant once established, but regular watering means bigger plants and more blooms.

In the Hill Country, one of the more well-known lavender farms is Hill Country Lavender, owned by Tasha Brieger. A former employee of the lavender farm, she bought it from founders Robb Kendrick and Jeannie Ralston. Hill Country Lavender is located on Highway 281 near Blanco, behind McCall Creek Farms. This Saturday, July 31, is its last Saturday to be open this year.

Barbara LeDoux Elmore grew up in Johnson City and gardens in Fredericksburg. She publishes a free online garden and home newsletter. To subscribe or suggest story ideas, e-mail her at barbara@digandletdig.com.