I've now trimmed back all of the lavender in my garden and whew! It was a very big job. Two years of growth, and 9 lavender plants means that Jill's back is killing her tonight.
I used several tools to cut back the out of control lavender! First I used an electric hedger to give the lavender a really quick haircut. Me wielding a large electric trimmer is a hilarious sight. A very hilarious sight. But I did it! Quite proud of that.
After the large scale hedge trim, I then use what is called a lopper. It's a very large clipper. Think almost three feet. But the length allows the user great leverage when cutting -- so when I had to cut back the large woody stems, the lopper was a necessity. And last I used the regular garden sheers to shape the trimmed plant, and cut off any dead stems, or errant branches.
However, that wasn't the biggest job! It was the clean up that really did a number on me! Seven loads of lavender, picking it up, sweeping, getting it into the bin, argh.
But in the spring, it will all be worth it. I'm sure of it. Nonetheless, I will be watching like a hawk to see how quickly my lavender grows back. Can't wait for spring to see the fields of purple in my own backyard!