Lavender,
Lavandula angustifolia -
Shrub
Lavender
is an excellent and reliable garden plant if planted in the right position,
and every garden has a position that is right for lavender.
They can
cope with cold and they can cope with wet, but they don't like the two
together. In their native Mediterranean home, lavenders live in full
sun on stony, poor impoverished soil. In your garden this translates
to a sunny, though not necessarily full sun position in dryish soil
- near the house or a wall is fine - where other plants would struggle
for moisture, lavender will thrive.
What you get with lavender is dense
spikes of fragrant, blue-purple summer flowers and aromatic, grey-green
leaves. The species is rather large, frequently available varieties
are "Hidcote" and "Munstead dwarf". French lavender
Lavandula stoechas is a particularly beautiful variety, though less
hardy than most, in particular they don't like exposed windy conditions.
Height
and spread:
Hidcote
60cm x 75cm (24" x 30") Munstead dwarf 45cm x 60cm (18" x 24")
