Whether you opt for an old favourite or one of the new kids on the block, lavender’s versatility and beauty make it a welcome addition to any garden.
Lavender is enjoyed for its wonderful fragrance, for picking and for its therapeutic qualities. The sheer beauty of its flowers, often in a misty haze of blue, is reminiscent of distant hills. Selecting the most suitable variety is of the utmost importance and you need to grow it correctly.
When faced with an array of lavenders in the nursery it can be difficult to make a choice as the botanical names of lavenders, like those of many other plants, keep changing. There is also confusion among their common names – what one gardener refers to as Spanish lavender another regards as Italian or French. To help you make a decision, here’s an overview of what’s available on the market.
Lavandula Stoechas (Spanish Lavender)
This is perhaps the most showy and colourful of the lavenders. It has delightful tufts or ears of petals sitting upon its box-like flower spike which is studded with tiny flowers. The size of these petals depends on the variety, while the colours of the flowers which include white, pink, the deepest of purples and even green and rose-red makes them very tempting.
There are several interesting and relatively new pendunculata lavenders with longer ears, which are thought to be forms of this lavender but are referred to as Italian lavender. Among them are Malanseuns’ ‘Ruffles’ and `Lace’ series.
These all flower mainly in spring and early Summer but some varieties, like ‘Belle Rouge’, will also flower in autumn. The height varies from 30cm – 90cm depending on the variety.
This colourful lavender is ideal for small gardens and neat hedges.
L. Dentata (French Lavender)
This lavender is also known as the Toothed Lavender as its leaves, which are more green than grey have distinctly serrated edges. L. Dentata var. candicans has grey leaves. Dusky–blue to mauve flowers appear between overlapping grey bracts on attractive, compact cones that stand on sturdy stems well above the foliage.
Flowers appear all year round and are great for picking especially for tussie-mussies. Plants make neat hedges and are quick to reach 80cm but will grow to a metre high.
Good for providing colour, they are also attractive when planted individually.
L. Allardi (Dutch Lavender)
It has matt grey leaves that help differentiate it from other lavenders, as they are generally larger and while some are serrated others are smooth; they flower only sporadically. Dutch lavender is the perfect candidate for a hedge particularly in larger gardens as they live for a long time and reach a metre or more in height; plant them 1,5m apart.
L. Pterostoechas
This lavender has delightful fern-like leaves and masses of tall, intense blue flowers. The colour of the leaves varies from cultivar to cultivar; some are green, even limey-green while those of ‘Sidionie’ are grey; its flowers are also somewhat bigger. Bushes survive for several years before they need to be replaced; their only drawback is that they lack the characteristic scent.
With a long flowering season, from autumn to midsummer, they grow to a height of 50cm – 1m and are great for picking, if each flush is trimmed off. Plant singly or en masse for impact; their free form is lost if they are trimmed as a hedge.
L. Angustifolia (English Lavender)
It is characterised by narrow, smooth-margined, strongly aromatic grey leaves and a series of compact rings of tiny flowers cm the flower spike, in shades of blue, purple, lilac and white. Well-known cultivars like `Hidcote’, `Munstead’, lavender lady’ and `Alba’ are not as hardy as the species from which they were bred and prefer a cool, moister climate. Many are bred and cultivated for oil production. The height of these summer-flowering plants depends on the variety. They are a good companion to roses, as an informal border or container plants.
L. X Intermedia (Lavandin)
This is a free-growing, strongly aromatic, tall lavender. Formerly L. x intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’, the variety `Grosso’ is a feature of the landscape in Provence, while in South Africa we have a vigorous, trouble-free cross from Margaret Roberts’s Herbal Garden Centre, known now as Lavandula x heterophylla. It is described by Margaret as perpetually flowering. Highly fragrant, ideal for sachets, scenting bath water and as a cut flower, it grows to over a metre, so plant 2m apart. Use free-standing plants for picking, as an informal edging to borders or large vegetable gardens where the flowers will attract pollinators like bees and its strong aroma will help keep pests at bay.
L. Latifolia (Spike Lavender)
This is the lavender plant if you are after the typical strong fragrance. A characteristic of this summer-flowering lavender, which grows easily from seed, is its branched flower spikes.
Propagation
Although some species can be grown from seed, the quickest and easiest way to grow lavenders, especially where large numbers are needed for hedging, is from cuttings or slips. Here’s how:
- Take non-flowering stem cuttings, 10-20cm in length, in spring or autumn.
- Margaret Roberts suggests taking sprigs directly off the stems with a sharp downward pull. Remove the lower leaves; dip in Seradix Hormone Powder No. 2 rooting powder, if you feel the need to, and plant in holes in a tray of wet sand.
- Once rooted, plant into individual containers.
At a Glance
In order to thrive, lavender plants need:
- Full sun, an open aspect and some protection from the wind.
- They prefer loose, open, free-draining soil which is on the alkaline side – a sprinkling of agricultural lime will increase the pH of acid soils.
- Lavenders can cope with frost, but protect young plants during very cold snaps.
- Although water wise some water is required. A good mulch will help preserve water.
Source:
The Lavender Book by Margaret Roberts (Briza) ISBN 1 875093 38 9
Text and Photographs by Marianne Alexander. Taken from the August 2009 edition of Garden and Home.
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