Overwintering lavender

[prairiegarden]

I love lavender and have a hard time growing it, inside at least, it seems very particular about watering and I keep getting it wrong. I have a 12 inch pot of it that I brought into the house, now not sure what to do with it over the winter. Does it want to go dormant ( it's blooming half heartedly now) or should I be trying to encourage it to stay awake all winter? I got some seeds from it but was hoping to get some cuttings, just not sure what to do or when. It's a lot harder to read a plant that doesn't have traditional leaves, I can't tell if it's unhappy or going through a normal phase or what.

anyone here grown lavender in the cold North? It's never survived outside for me so any help on keeping it healthy over the winter would really be appreciated. 

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Around here, USDA zone 4b, lavender is a winter-hardy perennial. People don't give it any special attention: Just ignore it, and it overwinters fine.

[steev]

Lavender will appreciate the largest pot you can provide, because that will ensure the most stable moisture with infrequent watering; lavender resents wet when maturing growth; nothing kills it faster than over-watering; it's a Mediterranean-climate plant; here in NorCal it thrives outdoors on neglect; treating it "nicely" will kill it every time; I'm not sure it's very suited for indoor life, but do keep trying; everyone needs a challenge.