Lavender on Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What gift to buy?
Perhaps a lavender bush which has associations with devotion, purity, grace, serenity, faithfulness and peace of mind. Which most mothers wish to be true of them.
The genus of the lavender plants which are all related to the mint family is Lavandula with their home in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
Lavender is appreciated for its hardiness and the wonderful fragrance it emits from its leaves and flowers with uses ranging from in the kitchen, as a herbal remedy and an ingredient to perfume beauty products.
If cared for, following plant instructions, this hardy perennial will give a good performance in the garden for about 10 to 15 years.
Lavender as a perfume has many pleasing roles but the least favourable is in purple household cleaners which for me immediately brings the association of sterile scrubbed infirmary wards.
Most lavenders have a long flowering period — from early winter through spring into summer.
Lavender in all its forms makes a charming statement.
The colour lavender is associated with royalty and looks good on both young and mature woman.
And I noticed, in paler shades, is a complimentary mother-of-the bride outfit colour.
While the distinct and winning flavour of Karoo lamb may be attributed to the African sheepbush (Pentzia icana) on which they feed, far away across the ocean French lambs are allowed to graze on lavender as it’s believed it makes their meat more tender.
For much of time this flowering semi-woody herbaceous shrub has been used as a remedy for ailments such as inflammatory issues on the skin, insomnia, anxiety, depression and tiredness.
As a tea it has the cunning ability to mimic the oestrogen hormone so some doctors advise that pregnant women not partake of it.
It’s also said that drinking this herbal tea is not good for young men who have not yet reached puberty.
In the garden, the lavender plant makes an excellent low hedge which needs to be kept trimmed.
Grow it where you can brush against it as you walk by which will cause it to emit its lovely lavender scent.
Lavender makes a perfect pot plant.
Be aware the Lavandula stoechas (Spanish lavender) needs to be repotted often as it has dense fibrous roots. It has a short flowering period too.
Which lavender bush should youI choose?
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is said to have the best smelling flowers and is the source of the true oil of lavender.
The flowers which grow on upright stems from the middle to the later parts of summer may be dried and used in potpourri.
Despite its name it originated in the Mediterranean area.
The flower colours range from combinations of white-pink, violet blue and purple blue.
English lavender and its varieties are used for table centre pieces, floral arrangements and bouquets.
Hybrids include Alba which has white flowers, Rosea with light pink flowers, Hidcote with purple violet flowers, Munstead with pink-purple to blue flowers and Margaret Roberts which is a most popular lavender.
Margaret Roberts, a hybrid of Lavandula angustifolia, produces fragrant light blue to violet flowers throughout the year and grows to about 75cm to 1m in height. It is upright and fast growing.
French Lavender (Lavandula dentata), is drought tolerant and needs little maintenance.
It bears flowers that are lighter and less fragrant with their grey green narrow leaves which have a lavender-rosemary aroma.
Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) produces the showiest of flowers and enjoys hot, dry conditions.
It has a short flowering period from mid spring to early summer. It has a mounded shape measuring 40cm x 40cm.
When not in flower, I find the bush unremarkable.
Planting
All Lavenders are sun worshippers but need to feel air movement around them to prevent fungal disease.
Plant the compact varieties 45cm apart and the larger plants with a spacing of 90cm between them.
As they don’t like to have wet feet, grow them in well-draining soil to which well-rotted compost or manure has been added to lighten it.
Water them on initial planting then ease off to once a week once they have taken to their environment.
Avoid wetting the foliage. Potted lavender will need to be watered every second day in summer.
Feeding
Add compost to the soil in spring.
Fertilise potted plants two to three times in the growing season with light granular Vigorosa 5:1:5 (25) or a liquid fertiliser such as Starke Ayres Plant Food 3:1:6 (46) — the one with the pansy flower on the packet.
Pruning
Cut back the shrub by one third after flowering. Do not wait until it becomes overgrown and woody before attending to the pruning as you could lose the plant.
Lavenders with continual flowering can be lightly trimmed when the bushes begin to look untidy.
Deadhead the flowers as soon as they die. Rather than cutting off individual flowers I have found that hedge clippers perform the task quickly and efficiently.
In the Garden is written by feature writer, garden enthusiast and former teacher Julia Smith, who has returned home to live in Chintsa East. The column aims to inform novice and accomplished gardeners on how to make the most of their green patches.