I can only offer that you appear to have accounted for the main issues here. As such, it seems at least reasonably likely that your plan could succeed. I live in Wisconsin but I've spent considerable time in Florida, to know that in many if not most cases, the "soil" down there seems to consist of sand mixed with broken bits of seashells. And that, as you've already pointed out, is a recipe for fast drainage, so long as you're not in a location having a high water table. I think you will be learning something-and possibly helping the rest of us to learn as well-if you go ahead and try the raised bed. Maybe do some of each-raised bed and normal grade planting. I love lavender and can fully understand why you would want to grow some of it, and related Mediterranean-type species. Good luck!

+oM

There is not much hope for French tarragon in central Florida, but I have had a Mexican tarragon in a container for many years. I also had a lavender in a container for many years, but it eventually died. There are some basils that will self seed in this area.

That's not a bad idea, mulching with rock. I have a rosemary that I actually had to remove it's mulching because it was too wet. You don't think rock mulch would bake the roots in the hot 100 degree summers?

Michael's exactly right in mentioning this. Even up here, we use gravel or similar for some of these Mediterranean kinds of things. Here, the frost cycles really destroy stuff like this in fall/winter if the soil is at a ll too wet, which it usually is. Agastache is another genus of excellent dryland plants you may enjoy looking into. They're some of my favorites but near-impossible to get through a winter.

+om

Maybe you can try for the look w/ the exact same plants? Rosemary can do very well here, but I've never been able to grow lavender that survives for more than 1 season.

Hi

You can achieve some of the Mediterranean look with clay pots, the herbs that I usually grow have different needs and they grow at different times.

Rosemary can be planted in the ground somewhere in the background because it tends to get big, mine is planted in a slope where there is space. I have all year round in clay pots oregano and mints. In a small bed I have at different seasons parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme, sage, French Tarragon does not do well for me but the Mexican does which I really don't care for. In spring sometimes I plant lavender and it lasts till the heat comes. You have to consider that we also have to deal with the humidity here in summer. Perfect weather for Mediterranean climate is more California where I know someone have the business of lavender growing and he happens to be a native Floridian.

This picture is from last April, rosemary is on the other side of the fence. At the right in clay pots because they take over are mints and oreganos. On one of the beds I have lavender and some chard, the other bed has basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro and sage.

Silvia

Hmm, I've never had good success with lavender, and for me the rock mulch just made it burn up even faster.

I will have to take pics of the ones at Discovery Gardens next time I am there. They have had them growing for at least two years, maybe longer and they look great. I don't think they were labeled as to what variety they were.

Personally I have a Spanish Lavendar growing along the edge of one of my beds. It is the only survivor of a packet of seeds I got from Swallowtail Gardens about a year and a half ago. It did well this summer until a nearby lemongrass got big enough to drape over it. By the time I realized it was being negatively affected, half of it had been killed by fungal issues. I cut back the lemongrass and then moved it and the Spanish Lavendar has stabilized, if not starting to recover. I am kind of glad it did die back a bit as it was getting big enough for me to see that it was planted a little too close to the edge of the bed. I plan to move it this winter and cross my fingers that it doesn't die from transplant shock. I may have to order more seeds and see if I can get more growing.