Yah, it's pretty much clay underneath. Since I posted, I've dug up about a 3' x 4' area about a foot deep, put about 6" of pea gravel in there, and am contemplating putting a small paver installation there. How is the harder clay soil good for the garden beds?

I've never had any luck planting lavender straight in the ground. My "soil" is pure red clay no matter how many amendments I've added over the years. They all seem to get eaten up never to be seen again. LOL! A few years back, I got a variety of lavender called "Dilly Dilly" from Park Seed. I planted it in a sort of raised bed with mushroom compost, bagged garden soil (Miracle Gro or Scott's), and a bag of sand. (I couldn't remember which kind I used, hence my question. :) ) It's thrived and survived for 3-4 years now when all the other lavenders I've gotten from Lowe's/Home Depot didn't make it a season in pots. One even died planted in the same bed right next to the "Dilly Dilly"! I got some Lavender Lady from the Bluestone Perennials 1/2 price sale earlier this summer and I'm hoping to duplicate my luck I had with the "Dilly Dilly". Might not succeed though since "Dilly Dilly" is an intermedia and "Lady" is an angustifolia. We'll see, I guess. :D

Dear Summer Fashion, Thank you very much for your inquiry. When you are only going to buy a small amount of sand as I am guessing you are thinking, a landscape supply company is your best bet, as they will deliver. When you get into larger loads, you can go directly to the sand and gravel company. Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more. Respectfully Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com

Denise, as I said, only my H. rupicola is in sand. In nature they grow amongst sandstone rocks where the only soil is weathered sandstone, ie sand. They need fast draining soil otherwise they rot. I had tried them previously in more 'normal Hoya mix' but lost them. David Liddle told me to treat them as I found them in nature, and they haven't looked back since.