Overwintering Lavender in Western Ontario, Canada

How to ensure our lavender plants will survive our winter? We have a clay soil in our area. Should we mulch with sand and clip shoots to 4 inches (10cm)?

A sand mulch won't harm them and if you work it into the soil in spring, the plants will probably love it in your clay soil. Don't do any clipping until the spring. You can then clip off dead shoots and shape the plants. Popping a clay pot upside down over the plants and then covering this with straw or other herbage will do a lot to get them through the winter without rotting. Check our web-site www.richters.com , at the "News&Info" section, click on "Q&A", then type in "Lavender" and you will find lots more hints on how to over-winter them and protect from mouse damage.