From roses to hydrangeas, Georgia gardeners love their flowers. But only one flower can be named the state’s most stunning. According to a recent report from Gardening Chores, and their team of master gardening experts, Georgia’s most popular flower of 2023 is the Lavandula, more commonly known as lavender.
Gardening Chores analyzed a number of different search metrics to determine each U.S. state’s most popular flowers. Lavender proved to be a popular flower this year, earning the top spot for a majority of states.
“Lavender provides many benefits to the area in which it is grown and can thrive both outdoors and indoors with proper care,” Gardening Chores horticultural expert Amber Noyes said a press release. “From its widely acknowledged pleasant fragrance to its beautiful violet flowers, it provides a welcoming space for pollinators, and acts as an excellent repellant of nuisance garden insects, such as mosquitoes and ticks.
“With this in mind, it stands to reason that lavender would be the most popular flower in Georgia. It will be particularly interesting to see whether the most-searched-for flowers are also the most frequently grown by those cultivating their gardens this summer.”
What to know about growing lavender
Lavender likes to grow anywhere high, hot and dry, according to Southern Living. The flower does not like to be crowded, and it requires a lot of light, and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3.
Georgia’s second most popular flower, the sunflower, has also proved to be a national favorite. Luckily, sunflowers require far less maintenance than their top-ranked counterpart. Nature itself, however, may pose some challenges.
“One of the greater challenges of growing sunflowers is weed control,” The University of Georgia reported. “Weeds can be controlled using mechanical methods such as tilling, hoeing, or hand pulling. They can also be controlled through the use of herbicides and mulches. It is very important to control the weeds while they are young to prevent them from competing with the sunflowers for nutrition and moisture. If the ultimate goal is to harvest the sunflower seed for food, you may have to contend with aerial attacks from birds. Scarecrows, shiny spinning pans, or an owl decoy may be effective in deterring pesky birds until it’s time to harvest.”
Hydrangeas earned the third spot on Georgia’s list of most popular flowers. According to the University of Georgia, these beautiful plants prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, so an east-facing space is ideal. They also require well-drained, moist soil. There is also a clever way to dictate the color of your hydrangeas.
“Research has determined that the actual mechanism of color variation is due to the presence or absence of aluminum compounds in the flowers,” the university reported. “If aluminum is present within the plant, the color is blue. If it is present in small quantities, the color is ‘in between,’ and if it is absent, the flowers are pink.”
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