Molly - Well, I just read about voles because they're not an issue where I am. If I were you I'd put the plants in the barn. Or surround the plants with some mesh-type screening that the critters can't past. Come early summer, I'd also consider asking friends to accept rooted cuttings to grow in their own gardens to increase the likelihood of not losing this precious heirloom (you may want to investigate this a bit because I don't know if cross-pollination could occur). Does your town do plant exchanges like mine does twice a year? GardenWeb friends would probably help, too.

In the meantime, read up on voles and develop a plan of action so that you don't have to go through all this work each winter! Best of luck. Maureen

Maureen,

Thank you for your reply! Voles are a dreadful problem to have; last winter was one of the mildest and most open we've had for awhile in our our very cold-challenged location, so in some ways it was one of my "best gardening winters", however the terrible losses due to the wretched beasts were hard to bear.

The day I discovered the lavendars was one of the most heartbreaking ones I have ever had in a long gardening life. I thought about making more cuttings this year, but even these three survisovors were so compromised that I dared not take any branches even for cuttings. By the end of the summer, each had only about 12 three to four inch long stems. Because they were set back so much, they didn't have time for side branch elongation (though they are hardening off nicely, now). Their growth pattern this summer was similar to a situation where they had been cut to the ground in early June, since they were forced to activate deeply dormant buds because everything else was eaten off at ground level over the winter, and worse, the roots were chewed up as well. I consider myself lucky to have these three. Next summer I hope to be able to make some cuttings and would carry at least half over the winter indoors, as safeties.

I have pretty much decided to dig these three, even though digging large old lavendars can be hard on them. Still, with only three to do, and really big pots, I can take my time and try to lift them without too much disturbance. When I transplanted them from VA to here, it was a pretty harsh thing as they had been growing in that site for more than a decade. All the references that I read said old lavendars were extremely difficult to transplant, and frankly, discouraged it. I moved 12 big, old, bushes, and dozens of new cuttings made over three growing seasons. All of the old ones survived until last winter's attack; I had about 75% 1-year survival on all the cuttings but lost every one of those last winter, too. I expect the three survivors made it because they had enough stored food energy to push out those late, dormant buds, whereas the smaller, younger plants were completely consumed.

I have debated about trying to carry them inside my house, but I think they will do better in a cold, even frozen state, in the barn, rather than in warm, but much lower light situation indoors. The space I am planning on using in the barn is the former milk bulk tank room and has a lot of light, though no heat, of course. Its other main advantage is that I can completely protect the plants from mice (the damned vole's indoor counterparts).

As a side commentary on the vole problem, I carefully studied where the damage was worse and I think the problem was much worse in those areas where I had made extra efforts to build a loose, much more organic soil. The voles seem to prefer that over denser soils. I naturally have a very well-drained, somewhat coarse gravelly loam. In many ways it is superb soil for gardening of all types, and easy to add organic matter to, offering spectacular growth in most instances. But all that added compost does provide ideal conditions for the vile little voles. (So adorably furry, but I swear the day I discovered the lavendars I would have been capable of stomping on their heads, had I seen one!)

Molly~