Lavender will survive best if it's grown in lean, dry soils and never fertilized. Your Artemisia should be hardy, but it too needs dry soil and full sun. If you're worried about it, wait until spring. BTW, you'll want to prune your lavender hard in the spring; helps to keep it compact.

Thanks Laceyvail! You know, I think I fertilized the lavendar when I planted it last spring. It isn't exactly looking great, but is alive and healthy. I think I overwatered it after just planting it, then cut back a bit too far on water. I think it is OK now, just hope it gets bigger next year, as it isn't much bigger than when I planted it. I know it likes poor and sometime rocky soil and sun. I just thought I maybe needed to mulch it over the winter.

I'm confused a little. Doesn't the artemesia need water as it roots, being new in the ground? Should I be watering it every day for awhile, and then cut back?

Thanks, Alleycallie

Not all artemesias are the same, and what you do for some you don't do for others. Artemesias that are herbaceous and fully hardy can be cut back any time. That includes plants like A. lactiflora and also most of the running types that spread by underground rhizomes. However, for semi-woody plants like 'Powis Castle' (if you want to see how woody they are, look at plants in mild areas that form shrubs and have woody stems), you DON'T want to cut them back in the fall. The plants need to be left till spring, and not just February either, but until the buds start to break and you can see new growth. Every Powis Castle I cut back here in the fall died, and yet the plant is completely hardy here if treated in the manner above. That does mean looking at limp foliage and branches long after you would like to cut it back (this can get to be a huge plant even in one season, even in colder climates).

I also have learned that, for me, lavendars should only be pruned in spring after new growth or greening of the foliage is apparent.

I have "Silver Mound" type Artemesia Schmidtiana. These plants have been here for three decades and cutting them back in the fall absolutely does not hurt them despite the fact that all the liturature says to cut them back late spring. This is such a nice artemesia, perfect cushion type mound - stays compact here without falling apart in the middle.

Thanks to the two previous writers. I apologize, I should have mentioned that I have Artemesia Silver Mound Schmidtiana. I'll wait for spring this year to cut them back.

I think they splayed because first of all, they were somewhat root bound (though healthy and within the splayed areas you could see new growth, tiny leaves). They had gone into flowering mode, and I did trim all the flowers off. What a beautiful plant--I know it's common, but I love its fluffy rounded shape. Really pretty next to the Little Spire dwarf sage, also common,that I planted which has such vibrant lavendar flowers.

I remember reading in a thread about gas station or mall plants. It just reminds me that you should garden for your own sake and plant what you like. I love people who have "show" gardens, or have unusual varieties of plants. But I also admire simple gardens full of marigolds and zinnias and Knockoput roses. There is beauty in many common plants, or why would they be "common?"

The lady I bought the small silver mound from had a huge display of artemesia that looked exactly like the schmidtiana ones I got, except they were a variety that grew HUGE! Three plants took up this huge area, and quite tall too. A giant silver mound! I wonder what variety those were? The mound looked about 4 feet high or more, and at least 6 feet wide.
Thanks again, Leann

alleycallie, in my experience, most A. 'Silver Mound' splay open. And I bet the big mounding Artemisia you admired is the 'Powys Castle' that David mentioned. I love that plant and use it to set off many others--it looks great with yellow and purple foliage and sets off flowers of many colors ranging from reds to pinks to purples and blue. It's also handsome with in a white garden. It's a pretty easy plant to find and also easy to layer a branch to get new ones.