A nose for a classic
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF LAVENDER’S DELIGHTS
LAVENDER is a staple of the British country garden. It’s such a classic, versatile shrub – useful as hedging, edging, in pots and in herb, cottage and gravel gardens as well as being a wonderful specimen plant.
Although widely grown in the UK, it is, of course, a Mediterranean shrub. It’s thought lavender was first brought to the UK by the Romans who used it for its healing and soothing qualities. By Tudor times, it had been established as the herb to use in every room of the house.
Today, it is grown for its fragrance, deep purple flowers, herbal properties and bee friendliness. It thrives in hot, sunny locations. So for the best results, choose a sheltered spot where the plant will receive full sun for as long as possible.
Really good drainage is key as its roots don’t like to sit in a damp base. To improve your soil’s drainage, mix in a little silver sand or granite sand before planting.
If you have heavy clay soil that stays very wet in winter, you’re better off planting it on a raised bed, or in pots or the top of a slope where water naturally drains away. Lavender prefers neutral to slightly alkaline conditions. If it’s required, increase the alkalinity of the soil by adding a little lime. It doesn’t need or enjoy high fertility so if you have poor, stony soil, this would be a good choice.
When is the best time to prune? The easy-to-remember 888 rule is a reminder to prune lavender back to around 8in off the ground on the 8th day of the eight month.
Of course this depends on the situation – the best time to prune is after flowering which might be slightly earlier or later depending on your location and variety. But it is good to get it done soon as this stops the lavender becoming leggy – you are aiming to keep the shape as compact as possible but without cutting back into old wood.
Like any gardening jobs, you can also do it when you remember.
Lavenders blossom on the stems that grew in the current year so you could equally prune next spring without sacrificing next year’s flowering.
The benefit of doing it now means there is time for a little green growth to occur which will give you a nicer looking shrub for over winter and there is less chance of stems rotting.
Good pruning will increase the longevity of your plant.
A great way to increase your stock and replace old leggy specimens is by taking cuttings – August is also the best month for this as you are looking for semi-ripe cuttings, where the base of the cutting is hard, while the tip is soft growth.
Choose a non-flowering shoot and pull away from the main stem so you have a little bit of hardness, called a “heel”. This heel is where the new roots will spring from. Insert cuttings into light, gritty soil.
The other pressing question is: French or English? French lavenders are very pretty but they’re not as tough as English lavender. If you want traditional then you’ll need English – ‘Hidcote’ is one of the most popular varieties and is compact with dark purple flowers. ‘Munstead’ is also widely used. It’s a dwarf variety with lighter purple flowers.
Finally, don’t throw your prunings away – hang to dry and use in little sachets tucked in your pillowcase for sweet dreams...