Wilting of the leaves on lavender is probably a little too dry. Again depends on variety whether it shows wilt from water-stress easily. Provence doesn't show water stress well in my experience and does better in a gallon or larger sized pot for me. The media(potting soil) plays a key role in container culture and I suggest going to the container forum and read about the many myths of container culture and why we fail or have success this way. In z7 provence should be ok but if you have wet winters this can be very challenging as it tends to get crown rot easily. Does the same in humid hot weather as well like I have in Texas sometime years. A raised mound or bed will help your lavender thru this most the time. Also I suggest using pea gravel or crushed granite instead of a (organic(wood leaves bark)mulch) as this helps keep the crown and lower leaves drier and lessens the chance of rot and fungal problems during wet periods. They can handle freezes in a container but if it gets in the teens for many hours it may be a problem for the roots to uptake water and so some protection of the container during these periods would be my advise(insulate the root area). I wish you luck and happy growing David:)

Oh no! ThatÂs terrible! Garden Pleasure, too. ThatÂs one IÂve wanted so I know how beautiful it is. When you bought at Van Engelen: was it their fall sale (which always comes too late for me) or their regular catalog? The fall sale stuff they ship right away. I bought in fall once and it was really too late for me to plant: they arrived mid-November and I had to plant them temporarily in a holding bed. Then in spring I had to move them. Some did not make it (Album and some rubrum) so I called and they gave me credit for them, which I used in regular season. Since then, I have looked at their fall sale offerings but never bought because it was really too late for my zone. They give half credit, but itÂs better than nothing. But if it was NOT the sale, there was no way they should have shipped so late. I would definitely make a fuss and insist on replacementÂto arrive at the RIGHT time.

I have several lavender in some pots that did not get transplanted last year. They are STILL in the same pots, lol. I live in 6b/7a and they all stayed out on the back patio, and didn't skip a beat. My situation was the same as yours....I planted them from seed a bit late and never transplanted them to a permanent plant site. It threatens to be a colder winter this year, and I will move them to the unheated garage during the worst times.

As far as how and where to mount, I'd go with the "naked faced ape's" ;-) suggestions. As far as removing an orchid from a plastic pot, unless it is totally entwined in/around/through the pot, I'd soak it for about 20-30 minutes and start cutting the pot away doing as little damage as possible, I usually use a sharp set of hand pruners for this type of pot surgery. In my experience the roots come free from plastic pots fairly easily but you sometimes have to cut them from the bottom holes. I think removing the pot and possibly damaging some roots is better in the long run than leaving it in a plastic pot. That is one good thing about a clay pot, a tap with a hammer and things are free or I will pot-up with a clay pot if the roots are really attached. Good luck, Bob