Lavender 'Phenomenal' is a new American introduction that is more winter hardy, bigger and more vigorous than other commonly grown varieties. The bright lavender purple blooms are held well above the silvery green foliage creating a mass of colour even in a small planting. It blooms heavily in early summer, before other varieties. 'Phenomenal' is a magnet for pollinators especially honeybees. We have good success with it in the test garden but lavender in our area is always a bit of a gamble. Lack of snow cover combined with winter wet excessive can damage even the hardiest variety. However, we think it is one of the best varieties to choose for our area.